About the role
The Business Development Manager, Asia Pacific Tax Practice Group will plan and execute the overall BD strategy and related BD/marketing initiatives for the AP Tax Practice Group. The role holder will work closely with the AP Tax Practice Group Leaders, Steering Committee, Business Manager, Knowledge Lead, in-market partner leads, fee earners, and AOA and in-market BDMC colleagues to drive revenue-generating activities, profile-raising initiatives and client development opportunities for the Firm in this practice area.
Main Responsibilities:
- Work with the AP Tax Practice Group Leaders, Steering Committee, fee earners, Expert Functions and Global End-to-End Services to proactively plan and deliver a compelling regional BDMC strategy for the AP Tax Practice Group, grounded in AP market needs and dynamics.
- Develop business development and marketing strategies to grow Tax revenues and promote the Firm's Tax capabilities in Asia Pacific, including thought leadership campaigns, publications, client events, roadshows, profile-raising initiatives and industry or cross-practice collaborations.
- Plan, organize and deliver high-quality cross-border client events and campaigns targeting selected existing key clients and priority prospects, with a strong focus on ROI tracking, profitable revenue generation and brand profile.
- Coordinate with global, regional and in-market BDMC colleagues, Global BDMC teams and business professional peers to roll out and execute agreed Tax priorities consistently across AP offices.
- Collaborate with Knowledge Management, Regional Client Managers and relevant industry/practice colleagues to identify commercial and client trends, translate them into client-facing opportunities and equip partners with timely talking points.
- Actively collaborate with the cross-regional BD, Business Management and Knowledge teams in the strategic planning and delivery of business development priorities to grow Tax revenues and promote the Firm's Tax capabilities globally.
- Work with the AP Proposals team, Pitch Excellence & Pursuits and other BD colleagues to deliver winning major cross-border Tax pitches and proposals, including go/no-go input, positioning, pricing and value proposition development.
- Drive revenue opportunities by deploying cross-practice products, prioritized industry group initiatives and client solutions, ensuring appropriate Tax clients are targeted and outcomes are monitored through robust ROI tracking.
- Support client account management for priority Tax client(s) by working with partners, client teams and Key Client Management colleagues to develop account plans, identify cross-border opportunities, track relationship activity and monitor progress against agreed growth objectives.
- Support regular activity planning and review with the AP Tax Practice Group leadership, including analyses of activity versus plan, budget/spend tracking, fee and pipeline reporting, and value-add reporting for key initiatives.
- Focus on growing PG-specific work from key clients and contribute proactively to client development strategies, identifying growth opportunities across AP jurisdictions and working closely with client teams and client managers.
- Partner closely with expert BDMC functions, including Key Client Management, Communications, Pitch Excellence & Pursuits, Pricing Excellence, Marketing Services, Directories/Awards/League Tables and Events, to align regional execution with global best practice.
- Guide internal and external communications for Tax practice development across AP, including local and regional profile-raising, social media, intranet updates and the promotion of strategically consistent messaging.
- Ensure regular sharing of best practices, success stories and regional priorities with PG and in-market BD colleagues, actively encouraging collaboration and alignment across AP offices.
- Provide line management, coaching and oversight for a Senior BD Coordinator in in delivering regional priorities of the Tax PG.
Reports to: Head of Markets & Practices - Asia Pacific
Direct reports: Senior BD Coordinator
Travel Requirements: Occasional travel to AP offices, regional PG meetings / training, and AP Partner Meeting
About the candidate:
- Degree in business, finance, economics, communications, marketing or a related subject; postgraduate or commercial qualifications are advantageous.
- Strong experience in legal business development or comparable professional services marketing/business development environment, ideally with regional or cross-border practice group exposure.
- Excellent English language skills, both verbal and written, and confidence communicating in a multi-cultural, multi-level environment.
- High level of commercial acumen, business curiosity and ability to spot growth opportunities from client, market, competitor and industry intelligence.
- Strong critical thinking, analysis and judgement, with the ability to make well-reasoned strategic recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- Excellent project management skills, with high attention to detail and ability to deliver complex cross-border projects on time.
- Effective interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to manage stakeholder expectations and drive strong return on investment.
- Ability to effectively manage competing priorities.
- Self-motivated, proactive and independent with excellent time management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders.
- Strong word processing and spreadsheet skills; experience in or willingness to learn document automation and other legal tech.
- Comfortable working across multiple cultures and time zones in a matrixed regional organization.
- Knowledge of tax concepts, market dynamics and related client issues is desirable.
