About the Role
The Business Development Manager is responsible for shaping and delivering the firm's business development strategy to drive sustainable growth, increase market presence, and achieve key commercial targets. The role leads all business development activities, including tender submissions, event coordination, budget management, partnership development, and the coaching and development of colleagues.
Working closely with stakeholders across the business, the Business Development Manager will identify and develop lucrative, long-term relationships with clients and third-party organisations, supporting fee earners to establish profitable referral partnerships with law firms, charities, legal panels, hospitals, and commercial partners. The role is accountable for creating and implementing effective business development plans, building brand awareness, identifying new market opportunities, and ensuring the delivery of agreed KPIs and business objectives.
As a senior leader, the Business Development Manager will foster a high-performance culture through strong leadership, mentoring, and talent development, while monitoring market trends, competitor activity, and business performance to inform strategic decision-making. The role acts as a key influencer across the firm, working collaboratively with operational and support functions to deliver the best outcomes for clients, colleagues, and the business, whilst ensuring compliance with all regulatory, legal, and company standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop business development strategies to deliver the required business plans in all departments
- Develop partnerships with external organisations to drive business
- Meet Inception (and value of those inceptions, we call it Pack Out Terminal Value) plans as per budget and all other KPI’s as agreed for business development channels
- Collaborating with stakeholders to come up with the right business development plans to deliver on-going performance
- Build brand awareness across our target markets and partners
- Develop local, regional and nationwide business development opportunities
- Ensure relevant measures are in place to understand business development performance
- Be aware of competitor activity and ensure we stay ahead of the game
- Understand industry changes / trends and how they might affect business planning decisions
- Managing budgetary spend
- Instilling a strong performance culture within the Business Development team, with good management, leadership and ongoing development / mentoring of colleagues
- Be an advocate for change and continuous improvement
- Ensuring delivery of colleague performance reviews (QPR’s) on a quarterly basis
- Working with HR to actively manage people and talent across the area
- Maintain, manage and develop relationships within the teams and departments, both internal and external
- Work cross functionally with Operational and Support areas to get the best results for the overall Firm
- To be a strong influencer that can get things done
- Ensuring compliance with SRA, Lexcel, company standards and other applicable laws and regulations.
Key Requirements
- 5+ years experience in a Business Development role with a demonstrable track record of delivery and proven negotiation skills
- Demonstrated ability to deliver commercial value from relationships.
- Legal sector understanding is desirable but not essential providing that there is experience in an analogous sector
- Up to date knowledge of current business development strategies and tactics
- Excellent IT skills specifically in using Microsoft packages such as Excel and PowerPoint
- Good organisation skills and ability to adhere to strict time limits
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Simpson Millar is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued, respected, and given equal opportunity to succeed. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues can be themselves, thrive, and reach their full potential. We believe that diversity of thought, experience, and perspective makes us stronger and helps us better serve our clients, colleagues, and communities.
Pay: £50,000.00-£60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Manchester
