Business Development Manager

Russell-Cooke LLP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Russell-Cooke LLP is seeking a proactive Business Development Manager to join its Marketing & Business Development team. Based in Putney, the role supports three London offices and works closely with senior stakeholders and lawyers to drive growth across commercial, regulatory, not-for-profit, and private client work.

The ideal candidate will have BD experience in professional services, with the ability to lead on client/referrer relationship management, proposals, and cross-department

Qualifications

• BD experience within a professional services firm is required.
• Senior BD Executive or Manager level candidates encouraged to apply.
• Duties include developing BD plans, client/referrer management, and leading on proposals.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement BD plans with other departments across the firm.
• Provide guidance on marketing and BD strategies to reach target audiences.
• Manage tenders and work-winning opportunities from planning to delivery and review.
• Attend departmental BD meetings and foster cross-department collaboration.
• Coordinate client/referrer relationship management with lawyers and staff.
• Support firm-wide BD initiatives and research projects to target clients.
• Serve as a bridge between lawyers and the marketing/BD team and share best practices.
• Provide training and guidance on BD activities when needed.
• Mentor and develop the BD executive joining the team.

Skills

BD strategy

Stakeholder management

Proposals & pitches

Relationship building

Cross-functional collaboration

Organisational skills

Job description

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

• Hours: Full-time, 9:30am – 5.30pm
• Department: Marketing & business development

The Role

Russell-Cooke is a UK Top 100 law firm with over 250 highly-regarded specialist lawyers based across our three offices in London. We work for a mix of commercial, regulatory, not-for-profits and private clients.

We are looking for an energetic, organised and commercially minded Business Development Manager to join our Marketing and Business Development team.

The firm has grown 66% in the past five years and has further growth ambitions. Business development has been recognised as key to our growth strategy and over the past 3 years we have built a small team of which this role is a key part. The Business Development Manager role will be an important part of the MBD team and reports into the head of BD, who also takes responsibility for our events team.

Based in our Putney office, but with the requirement to work across all of our three offices, the role will involve working closely and collaboratively with senior stakeholders and lawyers across the firm and a variety of disciplines.

The successful candidate will have business development experience within a professional services firm.

The role would be suitable for a Senior BD Executive, with previous experience of working in a law firm, looking to step up, or an existing Manager looking for a new challenge in a specialist business development role at a firm where they can shape growth working across a number of key groups.

The role will report to and work closely with the Head of Business Development to deliver the firm’s Business Development activity, goals and objectives. This will involve cross over and liaison with colleagues specialising in marketing activity. Duties will include but are not limited to:

• Working closely with departments across the firm to develop and implement BD plans and client/ referrer relationship management best practice in support of the wider firm strategy
• Providing guidance on effective marketing and BD strategies and tactics to reach identified target audiences
• Managing, in conjunction with relevant departments and teams across the firm, tenders and work winning opportunities, through planning, co-ordinating, ensuring delivery and seeking feedback on outcomes
• Attending departmental BD meetings, being a link between departments, sharing best practice and spotting opportunities for cross departmental and team collaboration
• Working with lawyers and all staff across the firm to coordinate and deliver client/ referrer relationship management
• Working closely with the head of BD to drive opportunity and focused firm-wide BD initiatives and research projects aimed at targeting clients and providing an infrastructure for the firm to win work
• Acting as a gateway between the lawyers and the wider marketing and BD team, helping the firm understand effective marketing and business development is and what expertise the wider team has
• Providing training and best practice guidance where necessary
• Management and development of a BD executive recently recruited into the team

Technical skills, expertise and attributes

• Energy and an appetite for working with a range of stakeholders in different areas of the firm
• Strong relationship building, collaboration and interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with individuals and teams
• Experience working in a BD and marketing department within professional services
• Comfort with being considered ‘the expert’ on BD and a point person for stakeholders across different levels of seniority around best practice and skills, leading initiatives and conversations, accepting and working through challenges
• Professional, credible and confident with persuading and influencing where appropriate
• Experience leading on client facing proposal documents and pitch processes/ work winning opportunities with clients
• Organised with excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Shows initiative, curiosity and willingness to challenge with solutions/ new ideas
• A team player, with an interest in all areas of marketing and BD
• Effective written and oral communication skills
• Ambition and appetite to roll up their sleeves and make a positive impact.

We have an impressive breadth of expertise ranging from commercial transactions through private wealth to expertise in children’s services and financial crime. We are top ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 and have been named by The Times in their list of ‘Best Law Firms’ for the past nine years. We were named ‘Law Firm of the Year’ by Lexis Nexis (2026) and The Lawyer (2025) and won ‘Outstanding Corporate Culture at the British Legal Awards in 2025.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

Salary and benefits

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits.

For more information or to apply please follow the link on the portal.

We welcome direct applications. If you would like any further information about the firm please contact a member of the HR team.

We have a diverse workforce and aim to attract high calibre applicants that reflect the demography of our geographical location and client base. Individuals will be employed solely on merit and the requirement of the position. No applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, race, marital status, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender Identity or religion. Reasonable adjustments will be made to eliminate or reduce disadvantage.