Travers Smith is a leading full-service law firm, with a wealth of experience in its areas of specialisation. The firm has a market-leading reputation for its international expertise in Asset Management, M&A and Dispute Resolution & Investigations. Clients include asset managers across the alternative asset classes (private equity, venture, credit, infrastructure and real estate), publicly listed and private companies, financial institutions, and other business enterprises involved in large and complex UK and cross-border matters, transactions and disputes. Our purpose is to provide the highest quality of service to our clients whilst enabling our people to achieve professional fulfilment in a supportive, inclusive and enjoyable working environment.

Department

The Business Development, Clients, Marketing, Events and Communications team consists of 33 people who focus on increasing the profile of the firm and the brand through a variety of channels to create leads and opportunities that can increase profitable revenues. The department is at the forefront of several key strategic firmwide initiatives. Priding itself on achieving strategic aims while ensuring a collaborative, inclusive and rewarding team dynamic.

The Role

Reporting to a Senior Business Development Manager the role is central to developing and executing the firm's business development strategies and plans across the Pensions Practice Group and nominated initiatives.

With an ability to collaborate across several distinct practice areas, the BD Manager will have the confidence to proactively lead and constructively challenge on topics such as BD strategy and execution. The role has high visibility and daily interaction with partners and other key people across the firm, and is both strategic and operational, focused on executing each group's business plan and always delivering an overall first-class service.

This role would be ideal for a Senior Executive looking to step up into their first Manager position.

The Pensions Practice Group

The Pensions Practice Group consists of five partners and a team of senior counsel, associates, trainees and paralegals. The BD Manager will work closely with the Partners, Senior Legal Operations Manager and Knowledge Lawyer function to develop and deliver on the business plan across all elements of our service offering.

Our Pensions Department is a recognised market leader, supporting trustees, employers, and pension funds through constant change in the pensions sector. Combining technical excellence with commercial acumen, advising on all aspects of pensions law, from liability management, governance, tax, and investments, to dispute resolution and de-risking. Our integrated, specialist teams work with many of the UK's largest pension funds and employers, helping them manage risk, capitalise on opportunities, and navigate complex regulation.

Our dedication to client service and innovation is consistently acknowledged with top-tier legal rankings and a wide array of prestigious awards. Named Pensions Law Firm of the Year 2025 at the Pensions Age Awards, received the Impact on Society 2022 prize at the PMI Pinnacle Awards, and won multiple Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards at the UK Pensions Awards. Regularly rank in Tier 1 (Legal 500) and Band 1 (Chambers and Partners), and our lawyers are highly regarded across leading legal directories.

Key Responsibilities

Business and Client Planning

• Develop close working relationships with the partners and wider lawyer team, providing support to develop, implement and refine business plans, demonstrating a deep and thorough understanding of the respective practice areas, helping to identify market and client trends, and growth opportunities from existing and new potential clients.
• Create targeted business development and marketing activity plans that flow from the business plans, to help achieve the financial, client and market positioning and penetration objectives set in the Pensions Group's business plan. Monitor, analyse and report on activity against objectives, putting in place ROI measures to assess the success of the plans and corresponding activities.
• Work closely with the firm's Head of Client Relationships to ensure that client action plans are created, monitored, supported and actioned for the most significant clients. A key component will be identifying common elements with action plans for other clients across the firm as well as coordinating the intersection with firm wide client initiatives.
• Work with the wider Business Development team to ensure that activities are aligned across practice groups and cross-firm initiatives to ensure a 'one firm' approach to clients and to business development activities.
• Develop a deep and broad understanding of the key client relationships and practices which includes specific partners and areas of specialism, and competitor and market trends to make recommendations to impact revenue and client growth, cross-selling with other practices and client service improvements.

Business Development and Marketing Activities

• Create an annual BD and marketing plan for the Pensions Practice Group and nominated 'horizontal' initiatives and ensure that each is executed well. Plans to include all elements of the marketing mix, including marketing brochures and materials, pitch documents, thought leadership articles, social media pages and content, website content, lawyer biographies, events and corporate hospitality.
• Provide market and practice insights to support the Communications team in developing a media and PR plan. Together determine how best to utilise PR and media plans as a complementary business development tool and to position the Pensions Practice Group to further the objectives of the business and marketing plans.
• Work with the Events teams to ensure that all client facing events, and referral events for the group are planned, organised and delivered to the highest standards.
• Work with the Events team to assess the value and relevance of various sponsorship, events and other corporate hospitality opportunities to ensure best value for the firm and our clients.
• Work with the KLs and Communications team to plan and deliver targeted thought leadership to clients and prospects to raise the profile of the Pensions Practice's priority areas through direct-to-client communications, targeted materials on the website, email marketing, LinkedIn and other appropriate channels.
• Lead the pitch process for opportunities in the Pensions Practice Group, as well as assist the Pitch team in supporting, pitching and winning new firmwide business, as required, including providing practice, partner, client and market-specific insights to target and tailor each opportunity.
• Take responsibility for managing the practices' directory and awards submissions in line with the firm's directory process, creating high quality content that delivers results.
• Be the InterAction champion for the practice groups and 'horizontal' initiatives working closely with the Digital Marketing team, the department PAs and lawyers in the practices to ensure that all contact and BD activities are regularly updated.
• Manage and track the business development budgets for the groups and initiatives responsible for.
• Participate in delivering firm wide client initiatives and marketing programs including client listening, post pitch reviews and the TS Change programmes.

Other Responsibilities

• Assist in developing the BD team's expertise through active engagement in team meetings and team initiatives, including proactively sharing best practices from previous firms, other industries, training and original research.
• Work with the Chief Marketing Officer and legal Heads of Department to plan and manage annual business development budgets.

Personal Specification - Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• 5+ years' experience, working in a Business Development role in a professional services environment, preferably within a law firm.
• Commercially astute with a track record in actively supporting the growth of existing and new business.
• High level proficiency in systems skills - Word, Excel, PowerPoint and InterAction.
• Ability to understand macro-economic issues and use them to define appropriate business development plans and activity.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills - able to speak with confidence and influence change both internally with senior leadership and externally.
• Experience of managing, mentoring, and motivating team members.
• Comfortable providing recommendations and advising with confidence to senior level stakeholders, even when there is ambiguity involved.
• An ability to quickly gain confidence and challenge and change behaviours where required.
• Able to inspire a team through a personal and energetic approach - active involvement in getting work done yourself as well as delegating to other team members.
• Strong team player with a positive attitude - a natural coach and mentor.
• Strategic and analytical thinker, able to set and measure the success of programmes across business development.
• Proactive in generating high quality strategic ideas to help the firm grow.
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external clients.
• Excellent work management skills - capable of managing and coordinating a broad and demanding, fast-paced workload in an organised, controlled and efficient manner with the ability and confidence to prioritise as required.

We are excited to be moving from our London headquarters in Snow Hill, to a brand-new building in the City - Stonecutter Court. The move is expected to take place in early 2026.

Diversity & Inclusion statement: We value and celebrate the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of every individual including differences in gender, ethnicity, disability, faith, and more. We're committed to building an inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of our clients and communities, where everyone feels empowered, respected, and heard. We actively partner with organisations and networks that champion equality and fairness, ensuring our policies and practices uphold these values.

Accessibility statement : If individuals have any accessibility issues when reviewing this document, please notify a member of the Travers Smith HR team so that the document can be provided in an alternative format.

Support and Adjustments for candidates : At Travers Smith, we are committed to ensuring that people who are disabled or have a long-term condition are empowered in their identity, valued equally, and listened to. If we can adjust the recruitment process to make it more accessible, please let us know. For further information please visit our website: Recruitment - Support and adjustments for candidates | Travers Smith