Global Business Development Director

This job is with Kennedys, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

Reporting to the Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer, this role will develop and implement an innovative global BD strategy to help Kennedys deliver on its global growth ambitions. Harnessing internal and external data and insights you will lead, manage and deliver best in class programmes across Practice Development, Client Development, Pitches and Client Service, in order to drive a coordinated global approach to generating profitable revenue across the firm.

Team

Kennedys' global Business Development & Marketing team helps the firm to drive profitable revenue growth through a client-centric approach to business development and marketing activity, which enhances our reputation globally.

The global functions are Business Development, Marketing & Communications and Marketing Technology & Data. The functions work alongside the regional Business Development & Marketing teams in APAC, EMEA, the US and Latin America.

Key responsibilities

STRATEGY

• Develop and implement a dynamic Business Development strategy which meets the current and future needs of the business, taking into account the role of technology, data, evolving client requirements, and market insight and developments.
• Develop a deep understanding of the markets we operate in in order to inform our global Business Development strategy and grow profitable revenue.
• Work with our Global Practice Heads, Regional Managing Partners and their BD leads to develop BD strategies and business plans to drive growth for their parts of the firm.

GROWTH

• Lead, and continually develop, the firm's global client programme to ensure we maximise opportunities for profitable revenue growth.
• Deliver client growth against agreed metrics and deliverables in line with the firm's strategic plan.
• Work with our regional Heads of BD to advise on the implementation of the global BD strategy in their regions to support their growth ambitions.

CLIENT INSIGHTS & DATA

• Develop and lead our global client insights programme, working with the Marketing Technology & Data team to use data, analysis, and market intelligence to identify opportunities for revenue growth.
• Devise change management programmes to address the thematic areas of underperformance in client feedback.
• Track, measure, and report on the effectiveness of BD and sales activity, adopting a continuous improvement methodology at all times.

WINNING WORK

• Lead our pitch team to convert opportunities into revenue.
• Develop and embed best practice, infrastructure, and processes to support our global team members in bids and tenders.
• Develop and deliver an aligned learning offering, aimed at upskilling the business in BD strategies and approaches.

TEAM

• Lead a high performing global Business Development team to deliver strategy in the areas of Practice Development, Client Development, Pitching and Client Service.
• Foster a culture of high performance and continuous development. Set priorities, manage performance, and guide the team's growth to deliver exceptional results.
• Work closely with our Marketing Technology & Data team to create efficiencies in our operating processes, increasing the speed, quality, and consistency of our BD activities - ensuring that we consistently deliver the highest of standards.

Required experience

• Proven experience in driving change and innovation within professional services business development.
• Ability to operate strategically and commercially.
• A track record in delivering programmes that have an impact on the bottom line.
• Proven leadership experience with a focus on team development and quality control.
• Ability to develop strong advisory relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Expertise in planning, budgeting, and using data to drive decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail.
• Strong project management capabilities, ensuring timely and high-standard project delivery.
• Commitment to continuous learning and best practice.
• Legal sector experience is an advantage.
• Evidence of a broad network and the ability to develop relationships internally and in the wider legal and insurance market.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 2,750 people worldwide across 45 offices in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and America we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.

Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.

We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.

What do we have to offer?

We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.

Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive and distinctive. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.

The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.

We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.

Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.