Business Development Executive

Coster Wilson; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Coster Wilson is recruiting a Business Development Executive for a leading international law firm, with roles in Leeds or Manchester. This position offers exposure to senior stakeholders and involvement in the firm’s wider commercial activities.

You’ll join an established BD team, supporting pitches, client development, research, events and marketing, and you’ll have the opportunity to assume greater responsibility as you progress.

Qualifications

• Experience in business development or marketing within a law firm or professional services.
• Ability to prepare pitches and client-facing materials.
• Experience using CRM systems and Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of BD plans with partners and senior colleagues.
• Prepare and coordinate bids, pitches and proposals, owning smaller submissions.
• Research clients, competitors and market developments to identify opportunities.
• Support client relationship management, including planning and account development.
• Organise client events, roundtables and webinars.
• Prepare briefing materials, presentations and marketing collateral.
• Collaborate with teams across offices to identify cross-selling opportunities.
• Support CRM activities and maintain accurate client data.

Skills

Written communication

Organisational skills

Stakeholder engagement

BD experience

Client development

Business development

BD coordination

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Business Development Executive

Location: Leeds or Manchester

Contract: Permanent, Full-time

Coster Wilson is recruiting a Business Development Executive for a leading international law firm, based in either Leeds or Manchester.

The role will suit someone who enjoys the variety of working in business development but is looking for an opportunity to take on more responsibility, work more closely with senior stakeholders and become involved in the wider commercial activities of a law firm.

You’ll be joining an established BD team, working closely with a Senior Business Development Manager and supporting a range of activities including pitches, client development, research, events and marketing.

What will you be doing?

• Supporting the delivery of business development plans and initiatives, working closely with partners and senior colleagues.
• Preparing and coordinating bids, pitches and proposals, taking ownership of smaller submissions and supporting more complex opportunities.
• Researching clients, competitors and market developments to help identify potential new business opportunities.
• Supporting client relationship management activities, including client planning, targeting and account development.
• Organising client events, roundtables and webinars.
• Preparing briefing materials, presentations and other marketing collateral.
• Working with colleagues across different teams and offices to identify opportunities for collaboration and cross-selling.
• Supporting CRM activities and helping ensure client information is accurate and effectively maintained.

What are we looking for?

We're interested in speaking with existing Business Development Executives, as well as experienced BD Coordinators or Assistants who feel ready to make the step up.

Ideally, you'll have some experience of working in business development or marketing within a law firm or another professional services business.

You’ll also need:

• Good written communication skills, particularly when preparing pitches, presentations and other client-facing materials.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage several projects at once.
• Confidence working with colleagues at different levels, including senior stakeholders.
• An interest in understanding clients, their businesses and the markets in which they operate.
• Experience using CRM systems and Microsoft Office.
• A willingness to get involved in different aspects of business development and take ownership of your work.

You don't need to have experience across every aspect of the role. We're equally interested in people who have developed a good foundation in BD and are looking for an opportunity to broaden their experience.

Why consider the role?

One of the main attractions is the variety of work involved. Rather than focusing solely on pitches, events or general marketing support, you'll have the opportunity to gain experience across several areas of business development.

You’ll also be working closely with experienced BD colleagues and senior partners, with opportunities to get involved in projects involving the firm’s international offices.

For someone at Coordinator level, this could be a good opportunity to progress into an Executive position. Equally, for an existing BD Executive, the role offers the chance to take on more responsibility and develop further experience in client development and commercially focused BD.