Director - Risk Advisory Services

BDO UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Mentoring

Coaching

Networking opportunities

Job summary

BDO UK is seeking a Director within Risk Advisory Services to lead and grow the Life Sciences practice across London and Cambridge. You will originate, shape and win significant opportunities, ensuring delivery excellence and sustainable growth for the practice.

You will build a high-performing team, develop talent, and represent BDO in key Life Sciences networks, balancing business development with client delivery and leadership responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to originate, win and deliver significant controls, risk or governance engagements.
• Deep understanding of Life Sciences sector and regulatory, operational and growth challenges.
• Strong commercial acumen with track record of revenue growth.
• Ability to create and execute innovative go-to-market strategies and client propositions.
• Exceptional leadership with a passion for developing talent and building teams.

Responsibilities

• Build and grow the Life Sciences Risk Advisory practice.
• Originate, shape and win significant opportunities across Life Sciences.
• Lead large, complex client engagements from pursuit through delivery.
• Ensure outstanding client outcomes and sustainable growth for the practice.
• Develop and execute Life Sciences growth strategy and innovative propositions.
• Foster high-performance culture and develop next generation of talent.
• Represent BDO in London and Cambridge Life Sciences communities.

Skills

Life Sciences sector knowledge

Business development

Leadership

Client relationship building

Strategic planning

Go-to-market strategy

Revenue growth

Job description

Overview

As a Director within Risk Advisory Services (RAS), you will play a leading role in building and growing our Life Sciences Risk Advisory practice. You will originate, shape and win significant opportunities across the sector, leveraging your market network and industry expertise to establish trusted relationships with boards, CFOs and executive teams. You will lead large, complex engagements from pursuit through to delivery, ensuring outstanding client outcomes and sustainable growth for the practice.

Working closely with the wider leadership team, you will develop and execute the Life Sciences growth strategy. This includes identifying emerging market opportunities, creating innovative propositions and establishing BDO as a recognised leader within the sector. The role provides considerable autonomy to shape your market approach, target priority opportunities and build a portfolio aligned to your expertise and ambitions.

As a senior leader, you will be responsible for developing the next generation of talent, fostering a high‑performance culture and creating opportunities for others to grow. Success will require a strong presence in both London and the Cambridge Life Sciences cluster, building relationships across the market and representing BDO within the sector. This is a highly commercial, results‑driven role combining business development, leadership and client delivery, with a clear focus on creating profitable growth and long‑term value for clients and the firm.

Responsibilities

• Build and grow the Life Sciences Risk Advisory practice.
• Originate, shape and win significant opportunities across the Life Sciences sector.
• Lead large, complex client engagements from pursuit through to delivery.
• Ensure outstanding client outcomes and sustainable growth for the practice.
• Develop and execute the Life Sciences growth strategy, including market opportunity identification and innovative proposition development.
• Foster a high‑performance culture and develop the next generation of talent.
• Represent BDO in London and the Cambridge Life Sciences cluster, building and maintaining client and market relationships.
• Combine business development, leadership and client delivery to drive profitable growth and long‑term value.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to originate, win and deliver significant controls, risk or governance engagements.
• Deep understanding of the Life Sciences sector, including unique regulatory, operational and growth challenges faced by biotech, pharmaceutical, medtech and healthcare organisations.
• Strong commercial acumen and a track record of delivering sustainable revenue growth.
• Ability to create and execute innovative go‑to‑market strategies and client propositions.
• Exceptional leadership skills, with a passion for developing talent and building high‑performing teams.
• Drive, energy and resilience to operate in a highly entrepreneurial, results‑oriented environment.
• Commitment to being visible in the market, building relationships and representing BDO across the London and Cambridge Life Sciences communities.

Benefits

BDO provides comprehensive career development programmes, mentoring, coaching and resources to support your personal and professional growth. You will have access to a collaborative network of experts and learning opportunities across the firm.