Business Development Manager

Kennedys is seeking a driven and proactive Business Development Manager to join our high-performing business development and marketing team in Australia. The role can be based in Sydney or Melbourne.

This exciting opportunity will allow you to contribute to the development and execution of strategic initiatives that shape our presence, and drive our growth and visibility across Australia. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate closely with colleagues in our APAC regional business development and marketing team, as well as across our global network.

You will work to deliver innovative business development strategies and client engagement initiatives across our Australian product groups, positioning Kennedys as a market leader in insurance law.

This role offers a distinctive mix of autonomy and collaboration, ideal for an experienced Business Development Manager seeking a locally based position with global impact, or a Business Development Executive ready to step up in a supportive environment, at one of the world's leading law firms.

If you're passionate about client engagement, strategic growth, and making a real difference within a global firm – we'd love to hear from you!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with the Australian business development team and partners to shape, lead and execute regional, national, office and product group business plans that align with firm-wide strategic priorities.
• Work directly with lawyers and partners to drive meaningful client engagement, strengthen relationships, and grow our share of client work
• Support the firm's client insights program in Australia, connecting directly with clients to obtain feedback to drive decision-making
• Monitor client pipelines and identify growth opportunities, using financial, matter, industry, relationship, and competitor landscape data to track revenue streams, assess market positioning, and support proactive, strategic decision-making regarding clients and markets
• Lead the management of regional, local, office and product group pursuits, including supporting our global Pursuits team where needed. This includes drafting compelling content, preparing proposals and presentations, and managing end-to-end bid processes - from panel tenders to informal pitch documents. Provide analysis and insights to inform bid/no-bid decisions
• Champion the firm's CRM platform, ensuring client data is current, well-segmented, and leveraged effectively for targeted business development and marketing
• Lead thought leadership initiatives, as well as raise the profile of the firm, its capabilities and people. Contribute to the development of global publications and lead the delivery of Australia-specific content that is client centric and reinforces the firm's market position
• Work closely with the APAC Marketing & Communications Manager, and other team members, on award and directory submissions for Australia. Provide strategic guidance to improve rankings and recognition in priority practice areas
• Work closely with the Events team to deliver regional, local, office and product group-led events aligned to strategic priorities, as well as contribute to the planning of global events, focusing on deepening client engagement and strengthening key relationships

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• You will be an established Business Development Manager looking for your next challenge in a global firm, or an enthusiastic Business Development Executive keen to step up 
• Previous experience in a professional services or law firm is essential and knowledge of the insurance sector will be highly regarded
• Experience with client retention and relationship programmes is desirable 
• Exceptionally organised, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities, manage deadlines, and deliver high-quality work in a fast-paced environment
• Confident communicator with excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal skills
• Strategic and pragmatic, with a drive to become a trusted advisor within the team and the wider business
• Strong research and business writing skills, with the ability to translate complex information into compelling content
• Willingness to collaborate across time zones, working with colleagues around the globe to support regional and global initiatives
• Brings an energetic, enthusiastic, and optimistic attitude to the team and every project
  

Closing Date: Friday 12th December - with first stage interviews expected to take place before Christmas. 

Please Note: If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply directly to Kennedys. We are not currently accepting applications from recruitment agencies for this position.

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

About Kennedys

Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 2,750 people worldwide across 48 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.