Business Development Manager

Practice Group / Department:

Fee-earners Team 1 Leadership - Tokyo

Job Description

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. We provide a full scope of legal services to the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions.

Our vision is to be a world class business, profitable, ambitious, cooperative and considerate, supporting our clients and people through our global business principles of Quality, Unity and Integrity.

With over 7,000 employees worldwide, our culture is the thread that connects us. Our strategy and culture are closed connected – defined by shared ambition, global collaboration and a one-team mindset. We believe pioneering work happens when people are empowered to think beyond boundaries, explore new opportunities and grow through diverse experiences. Alongside the right skills and experience, we are looking for people who are innovative, commercially minded, and motivated by the impact of the work they do – ready to share in our ambition and help shape what comes next.

Because while individuals can do well, together we achieve something extraordinary.

Business Development Manager, Tokyo  

The Business Development Manager (BDM) role is a permanent role within the Marketing & Business Development (MBD) function and the Europe, Middle East, & Asia-Pacific (EMEAPAC) region at Norton Rose Fulbright.

This role provides business development and marketing support to our Tokyo office. The role holder will proactively work with the partners and Asia/EMEA MBD teams to implement strategically aligned, client focused and value-added initiatives, ensuring key global, regional and office objectives are achieved.

The day-to-day operations range from winning work, business planning and implementation, client development, to raising the profile of our business through events and legal directories. The role will also involve promoting best practice and the integration of marketing and business development efforts.

The Asia MBD team consists of 9 team members located in Singapore, Hong Kong/China and Tokyo. The role has the support of the EMEA MBD Services (“EMS”) which provides transactional support, located in Newcastle, UK.

The postholder will work in close collaboration with the Head of Tokyo and Tokyo partners and report into a senior BD colleague based within the EMEAPAC network. 

The role

The successful candidate will implement strategically aligned, client focused and value-added MBD initiatives, ensuring key global, regional and practice objectives are achieved.

Key responsibilities

·                Responsibility for all aspects of planning and delivery of business development and marketing activity (all channels)

·                Working with the office leadership team and wider MBD team to develop and implement annual business plans, budget proposals and campaign plans for Tokyo

·                Planning, implementing and managing BD activity across all channels to ensure regional objectives are met. This includes, but is not limited to, business development, client development, profile raising, marketing and communications, pitching and event management.

·                Acting as both the lead point of contact and ambassador for the office with the wider business, MBD and other key stakeholders

·                Establishing a close and effective relationship with the lawyers and partners

·                Producing bespoke bids, panel pitches and other client development presentations (formal and informal)

·                Managing client development plans and activities

·                Working closely with other MBD teams, including the client relationship team, strategic bids, events, design and digital, and marketing services team

·                Oversee and manage relevant directory submissions

·                Managing practice and sector MBD budgets, including reporting of ROI

·                Contributing and leading on best practice and being curious about the possible

Person specification

·                A strong background in business development and marketing is desirable, as is experience of working in a legal/professional services/partnership environment. Previous experience within an international firm would be advantageous.

·                Excellent written and oral communication skills, including rigorous attention to detail and ability to adapt communication style as needed

·                Proficient in English and Japanese

·                Confident, commercial, persuasive and assertive with the ability to use initiative

·                Highly organised with a professional, confident, collaborative and proactive approach to their role

·                Strong time management and prioritisation skills as there will be a need to support lawyers at different levels of seniority

·                Graduate calibre with demonstrable and/or professionally recognised marketing or communications qualification

·                Excellent project management skills - this candidate must be able to demonstrate experience of managing multiple projects and transforming a commercial issue into business development opportunity

·                Leadership ability - this candidate must be able to build a strong reputation within the business and deliver excellent service

·                Demonstrable experience in managing and writing bids

·                Confident dealing with difficult and challenging situations, adapting approach when needed

·                Must be flexible to work outside of contractual hours when needed

·                A continuous improvement approach

·                Managerial skills and willingness to take on additional responsibility when required

·                Understands the need and can manage expectations

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. 
Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people’s health and overall wellbeing. Find more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know here.