Business Development Manager

Licensed sponsor London Full-time Posted 50 minutes ago

Job Title: Business Development Manager

SOC 2020 Code: 3556 — Sales accounts and business development managers

Salary: £56,000 per annum

Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week, 9:00am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break

Work Location: OneLaw Chambers, Hamilton House, 1 Temple Avenue, Temple, London EC4Y 0HA, with periodic business travel to the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and elsewhere as required

Reports to: Director

About Us

Onelaw Limited, trading as OneLaw Chambers, is a London-based law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 652491), operating from Hamilton House, 1 Temple Avenue, in the Temple. The firm operates as a hybrid practice of solicitors and barristers and provides legal advice, litigation and court representation across immigration, civil and commercial litigation, employment, property and landlord-and-tenant disputes, and family and financial remedy proceedings. The firm already acts in cross-border commercial disputes, including proceedings before the courts of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

The firm is now seeking to broaden the range of services it offers, to grow a base of high net worth individual and business clients engaged on a retained basis, and to develop its presence in the Middle East. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and the ADGM operate their own courts and legal systems founded on English common law, providing a natural platform for an English law firm to develop an international practice and to serve clients with interests in both the United Kingdom and the Gulf region.

The post is a senior commercial position requiring the independent development and delivery of the firm’s business development strategy, the winning and management of retained client relationships, and the opening of new client markets in the United Arab Emirates. It is not a fee-earning, paralegal, secretarial or administrative post, and the postholder will not give legal advice or conduct legal work; all legal services will be delivered by the firm’s solicitors and barristers.

Job Summary

The Business Development Manager is responsible for planning and leading the firm’s growth into new services, new client segments and new markets.

The postholder will identify and win high net worth and corporate clients, structure and manage retained client relationships, and lead the firm’s market entry activity in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, building relationships with businesses, family offices, professional intermediaries and community organisations across the UAE and the wider Gulf.

Working directly with the Director, the postholder will develop the commercial case for each new service line and market, set and monitor business development targets, and report on pipeline, revenue and return on investment.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Business development strategy and planning (approx. 20%)

Develop and implement a business development strategy and annual plan for the firm, aligned to the Director’s objectives for service expansion, retained client revenue and international growth
Research and analyse target markets, client segments and competitor law firms in the United Kingdom and the UAE, and identify opportunities for new service lines and cross-selling across the firm’s practice areas
Prepare business cases for new services and markets, including market sizing, pricing, resourcing, budget and projected return, for decision by the Director
Set business development targets and key performance indicators, and monitor performance against them

2. High net worth and corporate client acquisition and retainer management (approx. 30%)

Identify, approach and win high net worth individuals, owner-managed businesses, corporate clients and family offices, managing the full business development cycle from lead generation to engagement
Design retained and subscription-based service packages for private and business clients, working with the Director and fee earners on scope, pricing and service standards
Act as relationship manager for key retained clients, conducting regular account reviews, monitoring client satisfaction and identifying opportunities to extend the firm’s instructions
Build and maintain a network of professional referrers, including accountants, wealth managers, private banks, corporate service providers and overseas law firms, in compliance with the firm’s regulatory obligations on referral arrangements
Prepare and present proposals, pitch documents and tender responses, working with fee earners to ensure accuracy of the legal content

3. Middle East market development (approx. 30%)

Lead the firm’s market entry and business development activity in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with particular focus on businesses and individuals operating in or through the DIFC and ADGM
Build relationships with UAE-based businesses, family offices, business councils, chambers of commerce, professional bodies and community organisations, including the Arabic-speaking business community in the United Kingdom
Plan and attend conferences, seminars, roadshows and client events in the UAE and the United Kingdom, and organise the firm’s own client events and legal updates
Identify potential collaboration partners, including local law firms, advocates and corporate service providers, and support the Director in evaluating options for establishing the firm’s presence in the region
Research and brief the Director on the regulatory, licensing and practical requirements for the firm and its lawyers to operate in the DIFC and ADGM, for review with appropriate professional advice

4. Marketing, compliance, reporting and team development (approx. 20%)

Oversee the firm’s marketing activity in support of business development, including website content, thought leadership, social media, directory submissions and client communications, in English and, where appropriate, Arabic
Maintain the firm’s client relationship management system and business development pipeline, and report monthly to the Director on leads, conversions, revenue, marketing spend and return on investment
Ensure that all business development and marketing activity complies with the SRA Standards and Regulations, including the SRA Transparency Rules, the rules on publicity and unsolicited approaches, and the rules on referral and fee-sharing arrangements
Work with the firm’s Money Laundering Reporting Officer to ensure that new clients, particularly high net worth and overseas clients, are appropriately risk-assessed and that client due diligence is completed before instructions are accepted
As the business development function grows, recruit, supervise and develop junior business development and marketing staff

Person Specification

Essential

A degree (or equivalent professional qualification or experience) in business, marketing, law, economics or a related discipline
Substantial experience in a business development, client relationship or sales management role, with a demonstrable record of winning new clients and meeting revenue targets
Experience of developing and managing relationships with high net worth individuals, business owners or corporate clients at a senior level
Experience of preparing business plans, proposals and pitches, and of analysing market and financial information to support commercial decisions
Excellent spoken and written English, with the ability to present persuasively to senior audiences
A clear understanding of confidentiality and of the professional and ethical standards expected when promoting professional services
Strong organisational skills and the ability to work independently, manage several initiatives at once and deliver to deadline
Willingness to travel internationally, including regular short business trips to the UAE

Desirable

Fluency in spoken and written Arabic
Business development experience within a law firm, barristers’ chambers or other regulated professional services firm
Knowledge of, or an established professional network in, the UAE business community, including the DIFC and ADGM
Familiarity with the DIFC and ADGM legal frameworks and courts, and with the commercial and private client needs of Gulf-based businesses and families
Experience of line management, or of leading and developing a team
Experience using client relationship management (CRM) systems and digital marketing tools
A professional qualification in marketing or business development, such as a Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification

Purpose of the Role

The firm’s existing work before the ADGM Courts has shown that the DIFC and ADGM, as common law jurisdictions within the UAE, offer a realistic route for an English law firm to build an international practice. This role exists to provide dedicated, senior capability to deliver that growth: to design and sell retained service offerings to high net worth and business clients; to open and develop new client markets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and among the Arabic-speaking business community; and to provide the Director with the market intelligence, business cases and performance reporting needed to take the firm’s international strategy forward.

How to Apply

If you are interested in the role, please email your CV and a covering letter to: eddie@onelawchambers.com to discuss further.