Senior Business Development Manager - 12 month contract

Ampersand; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Ampersand is seeking an experienced Senior Business Development professional to join our global law firm as a senior BD leader supporting Corporate and M&A practices on a 12-month contract. You will work closely with partners to shape strategy, oversee client proposals, and drive market opportunities with a hands-on delivery approach.

The role suits a strategic thinker who can manage senior stakeholders, mentor BD colleagues, and align BD activity with firm priorities, including events, thought

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategic and operational business development within professional services.
• Strong track record in leading complex pitches, proposals and client presentations.
• Ability to influence senior partners and leadership with commercial judgment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee high-value client proposals and tailored responses.
• Identify market opportunities and advise on client planning and relationship strategy.
• Drive thought leadership, events and market positioning to strengthen practice growth.
• Mentor and develop BD professionals within a small team.
• Collaborate with Marketing to raise the practice profile and manage external communications.

Skills

Strategic BD

Stakeholder management

Pitch development

Relationship management

Mentoring BD team

Tools

Pitches & Proposals tools

Market intelligence

Job description

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced business development professional to join a highly sought-after global law firm in a senior Business Development role supporting its Corporate and M&A practices on an initial 12 month contract.

This is a senior, highly visible role within a small and collaborative BD team. You will work closely with partners and practice leadership on strategic priorities, while also being hands-on in the delivery of key BD initiatives.

The role will suit someone who enjoys having strategic input but is equally comfortable getting into the detail, taking ownership and seeing projects through from idea to execution.

You will act as a trusted adviser to partners and practice leadership, while also personally driving a broad portfolio of business development activity across client development, pitches, market opportunities, profile raising and practice growth.

The opportunity

Your responsibilities will include:

• Manage and oversee complex, high-value client proposals, pitches and presentations, working closely with partners and senior stakeholders to develop compelling and tailored responses.
• Manage market and client opportunities across multiple practices, including horizon scanning and identifying emerging opportunities for growth and client engagement.
• Advise partners and leadership on client planning, relationship management, market positioning and opportunities to deepen key client relationships.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, bringing together differing perspectives and influencing effectively to achieve the best commercial outcomes.
• Support the ongoing integration, development and coaching of lateral and junior partners, helping them establish their profile, networks and client relationships.
• Oversee significant practice, industry and office events, working alongside the Australia-based events specialist to ensure they are strategically aligned and delivered to a high standard.
• Oversee the development and execution of thought leadership and other initiatives designed to strengthen market positioning and demonstrate the practice's expertise.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications teams to raise the profile of the practice and its partners through media opportunities, deal announcements, rankings and other external communications.
• Act as a key liaison between Business Development, practice groups, industry teams and wider business services functions, ensuring strong coordination and alignment.
• Facilitate collaboration across teams to address complex BD challenges and deliver integrated solutions.
• Ensure BD activity is aligned with firm and practice priorities and delivered efficiently, consistently and to a high standard.
• Lead, mentor and develop BD team members
• Take ownership of key projects and initiatives, remaining close to the detail and personally driving delivery where required.
• Identify opportunities to improve BD processes, quality and efficiency and contribute to the evolution of best practice across the function.

About you

You will be an experienced business development professional with a strong track record in a leading law firm, ideally with experience supporting sophisticated Corporate, M&A or transactional practices.

You will be someone who enjoys the combination of strategic thinking and hands-on delivery. You will be comfortable advising senior stakeholders while also getting into the detail of pitches, client initiatives, events, thought leadership and other BD activity.

You will bring:

• Significant experience in strategic and operational business development, ideally within a major law firm or comparable professional services environment.
• Strong experience managing complex pitches, proposals and client presentations, with the ability to work directly with senior partners to shape strategy, messaging and delivery.
• Excellent commercial judgement and an ability to understand market and client dynamics and translate them into actionable opportunities.
• The confidence and credibility to operate with senior partners and leadership, including the ability to challenge constructively and influence outcomes.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to bring together people and teams with different priorities and perspectives.
• Experience in client planning, relationship management, market positioning and/or practice development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• The ability to move comfortably between strategic thinking and detailed execution, taking ownership and seeing projects through to completion.
• A proactive and collaborative approach, with the flexibility to work across a range of BD priorities in a small team environment.
• Experience leading projects and mentoring or managing BD professionals.
• The ability to work effectively across practices, offices and business services teams.
• A genuine interest in the legal market, clients and the commercial drivers shaping professional services.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to join a genuinely global platform while working in a small, close-knit BD team where your contribution will be highly visible.

You will work directly with highly regarded partners on sophisticated, market-leading work, with genuine scope to influence client strategy, pitches, profile and practice development.

The role offers a broad mix of strategic advisory work and hands-on execution, with exposure across client development, pitches, partner development, thought leadership, events and market positioning.

For an experienced BD professional looking to take a senior role where they can make a genuine contribution, build strong relationships with partners and have visibility across a leading global practice, this is an opportunity worth exploring.

Confidentiality

This is a confidential search. Further information regarding the firm, practice and remuneration will be provided to shortlisted candidates.