Life Sciences BD Lead – Global Growth & Strategy

White & Case LLP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 131,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Life and disability coverage

401(k) retirement savings

Parental leave and vacation

Job summary

White & Case LLP seeks a Senior Manager, Business Development for the Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry Group. You’ll partner with global leaders to shape commercial objectives, drive campaigns, and oversee budgeting for growth across major life science sectors.

You’ll lead industry engagement, client programs, and cross-practice pitches, leveraging analytics to inform investment decisions, while coaching teams and coordinating senior stakeholder communications in a fast-paced, global

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant professional qualification is advantageous.
• A minimum of 10 years of business development, client development, or related experience within a law firm or professional services firm.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or advising Life Sciences & Healthcare clients, sectors, or related markets, with the ability to quickly understand complex industry developments and their commercial implications.
• Strong business development expertise spanning business planning, client development, market positioning, thought leadership, campaigns, pitches, and financial reporting.
• Proven ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders, build trusted relationships with partners, and operate effectively in a global organization.
• Experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives across functions, practices, jurisdictions, and time zones.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience using data and market intelligence to support decision-making and measure performance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare clear, persuasive, and client-ready materials for senior audiences.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the judgment and project management skills required to balance multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Excel, and experience working with CRM, reporting, and business development technology platforms.
• A collaborative, proactive, and adaptable approach, with the credibility and professionalism to represent the Industry Group to stakeholders.
• Familiarity with evolving legal technology, AI-enabled tools, and digital business development capabilities is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead the annual business planning process for the Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry Group, partnering with leadership and lawyers globally to identify growth opportunities, establish priorities, and define the group’s objectives.
• Monitor industry, client, and competitive developments, providing actionable insight that informs business development activity, investment decisions, and market positioning.
• Develop and advance priority subsector, thematic, and cross-practice initiatives that strengthen the Firm’s presence in key areas of the Life Sciences & Healthcare market.
• Manage Industry Group governance, budget oversight, and performance reporting, ensuring priorities are tracked, resources are aligned effectively, and progress against objectives is clearly measured and communicated.
• Advise partners on client development and cross-practice growth opportunities through relationship mapping and white-space analysis.
• Partner with Global Strategic Client teams to bring together the Firm’s industry capabilities in support of priority client relationships and significant growth opportunities.
• Lead client engagement programs, including client feedback initiatives, executive debriefs, trainings, secondments, and targeted outreach campaigns.
• Analyze client, market, and competitive information to inform pursuit strategies, relationship development plans, and investment decisions.
• Shape the Industry Group’s external positioning and value proposition, ensuring consistent and differentiated messaging across priority audiences.
• Lead market-facing campaigns, thought leadership programs, and content initiatives that strengthen the Firm’s profile and support client engagement around key industry developments.
• Evaluate and lead the Firm’s participation in industry conferences, sponsorships, speaking opportunities, partnerships, and other market platforms that enhance client relationships and market visibility.
• Develop and execute coordinated engagement plans around major industry events, including client outreach, partner participation, and post-event follow-up.
• Lead or support significant cross-practice pitches, panel reviews, and RFP responses involving Industry Group expertise.
• Oversee and contribute to relevant legal directory submissions, awards, rankings, and profile-building opportunities.
• Assess the commercial impact and return on investment of go-to-market initiatives, using data and stakeholder feedback to inform future priorities and spending decisions.

Skills

Business development

Life Sciences

Relationship building

Stakeholder management

Cross-border leadership

Analytics

Data-driven decisions

Communication

Project management

PowerPoint

Excel

CRM

Collaboration

Legal tech

AI tools

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree or professional qualification

Tools

CRM

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

White & Case LLP seeks a Senior Manager, Business Development for the Life Sciences & Healthcare Industry Group. You’ll partner with global leaders to shape commercial objectives, drive campaigns, and oversee budgeting for growth across major life science sectors.

You’ll lead industry engagement, client programs, and cross-practice pitches, leveraging analytics to inform investment decisions, while coaching teams and coordinating senior stakeholder communications in a fast-paced, global