Associate Director - Business & Client Development

New Managing Partner. Reinvigorated strategy. Refreshed go to market proposition. A brilliant platform for growth. There couldn't really be a better time to take up the reins of RPC's business and client development function. We are not after somebody who is content just to ride the wave of energy and positivity created by this dynamic environment, but to be the person responsible for making those waves The team Working side by side with the Director as an integral part of the Senior Leadership Team, this role will bring commerciality, creativity and rigour to the leadership of our Business and Client Development team, within our broader Brand, Clients & Markets division. You will be a role model for collaboration, committed to getting the most out of colleagues and driving growth through business development, client development, client account management, client listening, and proposals. You will work hand-in-hand with senior members of the Marketing Communications team, ensuring there is a two-way relationship built around a singular focus on common goals. BD and client development are integral to the success of the firm's strategy and buy-in from senior management is both resolute and ambitious. Coming off the back of a stellar financial year, RPC is going through an exciting period of evolution, and we need somebody to build on the excellent foundations already laid and get the systems, processes, and people operating at the top of their game. Proactive and progressive, we're looking for someone with the drive to lead a first-class service in support of a firm which is really flying, continuously evolving RPC's firmwide BD and client development capability so that we grow revenue and improve profitability from both existing and new clients through:

• Focusing planning and activity on core sectors and associated key accounts
• Broadening relationships and growing revenue from existing clients
• Building a pipeline of future opportunities
• Winning new clients
• Responding to bids and RFPs
• Evaluating current and future client profitability, adjusting strategies accordingly
• Opportunity spotting and trend analysis
• Enhancing our relationships and standing with our major clients and prospects
• Driving collaboration between practices, Groups and sectors
• Promoting an international mindset across all BD and CD activity
Strategy, planning and commercial impact
• Translate RPC strategy into a clear, firmwide BD and CD approach focused on priority sectors, services and key accounts
• Lead and embed consistent business planning and BD/CD planning disciplines across the firm, ensuring activity is targeted, joined up and measurable
• Triage BD/CD activity through a commercial and strategic lens, focusing investment where it will deliver the strongest return and highest profitability
• Establish scalable frameworks, processes and ways of working that improve consistency, efficiency and quality over time
• Track progress against plans and budgets; report to senior leadership, escalating risks and proposing solutions
Client development, key accounts and client experience
• Provide leadership in helping to set the framework for a market-leading, firmwide client development programme, including strategic account planning, broadening relationships, and retaining key clients
• Coach and constructively challenge Partners to open out relationships, cross-sell and deepen institutional client engagement across sectors and through services
• Strengthen the firm's ability to evaluate client and opportunity profitability, with a clear grasp of the levers that drive sustainable margin
• Provide strategic oversight of major pitches, panel opportunities, bids and RFP responses; attend pitch meetings as required
• Champion outstanding client experience, ensuring learning from client listening is embedded, shared and applied across the firm
• Where commercially viable, promote a one-firm approach to client development and account management
Collaboration and one-firm delivery
• Break down silos by connecting opportunities across sector groups and service lines and sharing best practice across BD/CD teams.
• Build strong relationships across business services (including Client Services, Finance, Risk & Compliance, People, and Knowledge) to deliver seamless Partner support
• Ensure BD, CD, marketing and client services activity is aligned and mutually reinforcing, with a single, firmwide view of priorities
International mindset
• Working closely with the Head of International BD and Strategic Partnerships, help develop and promote RPC's international solutions for clients, ensuring an integrated approach across offices and markets
• Work with relevant stakeholders (including Asia leadership) to join up international BD/CD and marketing activity around shared priorities and key accounts
Leadership, culture and team performance
• Lead, motivate and develop the BD/CD team, building capability, confidence and consistently high standards.
• Drive and role model a high-performance culture
• Strengthen the team's reputation for professionalism and distinctive strategic value to Partners.
• Manage performance, resourcing and development needs
• Address service gaps and drive continuous improvement.
• Role model RPC's values, including inclusive leadership, and help ensure the firm meets client expectations on DEIB
Knowledge, skills and experience
• Demonstrates a growth mindset and is committed to lifelong learning to build knowledge and expertise.
• Senior-level experience in BD, marketing and client development within professional services (ideally a commercial law firm)
• Track record of designing and delivering sector-, practice- and client-focused BD/CD plans with measurable financial outcomes
• Strong understanding of how a law firm operates, including the commercial drivers of profitable growth and profitability more generally
• Credibility and impact to influence and embed behavioural change at senior level (including Partners and leadership groups)
• Strong leadership, operational and project management capability
• Able to professionalise and improve systems and processes at scale
• Relevant post-graduate management/marketing qualification (eg CIM) advantageous
• The role would be suitable for an experienced Head of BD or Client Development looking to step up, or an existing (Associate) Director who is looking for a new challenge in a full mix role at a firm where they can make a strategic impact and help influence growth.
• Develops, influences and shapes [internal and external] client relationships to deliver strong results and innovative solutions for clients.
• Manages team(s) to deliver outstanding client service.
• Manages people, resources, budgets and projects efficiently and commercially.
• Manages change programmes, turns strategy into action, and evaluates the benefits of projects.
• A collaborative and influential leader within a team who coaches and develops junior team members to achieve their full potential.
• Committed to being part of a supportive, inclusive and collaborative firm culture.