Senior Business Development Manager

Watson Farley & Williams is an international law firm advising on complex disputes and transactions through local knowledge and an integrated international network.  We have a strong sector focus, combining our technical excellence with deep industry knowledge across Energy, Transport and associated Infrastructure.

The firm has achieved rapid expansion and year-on-year growth owed almost entirely to a focused strategy, strong leadership and the quality of its people.  The next stage in the firm’s growth plan is to achieve full-service strength within core sectors across the global platform.

We strive for excellence in all that we do and view investment in our people as key to achieving our business goals and values, which rest on developing deep and long-lasting relationships externally and internally through respect, sharing, communication and integrity.

Our global practice is integrated across our offices in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and North America delivering consistently high levels of service across borders and locally through a deep understanding of local business customs and culture.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace to attract and retain the most talented people from all backgrounds and cultures.  We believe in celebrating difference and that people from any background can rise to the top, ensuring opportunities to develop and progress are available for all.

Our 400+ team of dedicated Energy-focused lawyers from across our 19-office network collaborate to support global clients active across renewable energy, conventional power, oil & gas (including LNG), mining, and commodities & international trade, as well as related energy infrastructure.

We are independently recognised as a market-leader for Energy. Our accolades include being ranked as the #1 legal adviser for renewable energy and energy transition deals by deal count globally for FY23, 55+ Energy-focused legal directory rankings at the practice level and 25+ for individuals, as well as over 10 awards for Energy deals or teams in the last 12 months. We are truly market-leaders in the sector who are “equal in calibre and quality to the magic circle with the added benefit of a genuine focus on the energy sector” (Chambers Global 2023) and have ambitions to continue to grow our global and domestic footprint.

For the energy sector, our goal is to be an international and leading energy sector specialist firm that supports energy companies and investors on their energy transition journey. As the energy transition continues to demand increased energy efficiency, sustainability and ESG compliance, we see substantial growth potential for all aspects of our offering, particularly renewables. At the same time the energy transition is creating significant opportunities to support clients in the development and evolution of conventional power, oil & gas, mining, and commodities & international trade, and we intend to be at the forefront of these developments to maintain our market-leading position.

Joining a well-respected and highly-valued global team, you will be working in partnership with our Energy sector lawyers in Asia to deliver high quality and proactive BD support across all energy sub-sectors including Power and Renewables, Oil & Gas (and LNG) and Mining, including in relation to energy transition and its impact on these sub-sectors.

You will be responsible for developing, managing and implementing business development initiatives which builds the firm’s energy brand in the Asia market and integrates our Asia offering (including all our services and offices) into the Global Energy strategy.

This is an exciting time to join our team! With the launch of our new five-year strategy this role will be crucial in shaping how the global energy sector strategy is delivered in Asia.

The successful candidate will work closely with our energy-focussed BD professionals internationally (particularly in Asia and Europe) as well as the broader Global Business Development and Communications team.

The role is part of our Asia BD team, which is structured to reflect our sector focused approach.  It also involves working closely with Global BD colleagues Gemma Pascoe (Global Energy Sector based in London), Terri Campbell Fergie (Global Oil & Gas and Mining Sector based in Dubai) and Rina Yang (Global Commodities Sector based in Singapore) in supporting the implementation of the global energy sector strategy on a regional basis.

You will also be responsible for managing and motivating the Asia Energy Senior Business Development Executive.

Working proactively with partners and lawyers across our offices in Asia your role will include:

• Partnering with our Asia Energy Sector Head to deliver the global energy sector strategy in Asia, ensuring collaboration across the regional teams to build and establish the WFW energy brand in Asia.
• Supporting and coaching energy sector partners and associates on the delivery of the Global Energy Sector strategy, including:
  • devising and executing a regional sector business development and marketing plan;
  • proactively identifying, developing and executing profile raising activities and initiatives regionally across the sector to develop market position matched to business strategy through appropriate digital channels, events and conferences, strategic directories, league tables and awards;
  • contributing to the development of long-term profitable relationships by supporting in the management of key client relationships including identifying opportunities to grow the relationship, participating in post-transaction feedback and providing strategic advice and recommendations to partners based on feedback; and
  • managing and monitoring the effective application of the BD Budget, ensuring it is used to deliver ROI aligned to the strategy.
• Managing the delivery of high value and/or strategic cross-border pitch opportunities in Asia within sector and working with the Global Pitches and Proposals team on global sector panel pitches, including:
  • ensuring pitches and proposals are aligned to WFW’s pitch strategy, including effective stop/go discussions; and
  • providing strategic regional industry and client insight.
• Coaching partners and lawyers ahead of client/prospect meetings including evaluating opportunities and supporting on the preparation of relevant collateral.
• Providing strategic advice and upskilling to lawyers to enhance their business development skills.
• Supporting and mentoring all members of the BD team in building their careers. Serve as a role model to junior members of the team, exemplifying WFW’s core values of respect, sharing, communication and integrity and call out behaviour that falls short of these standards.
• Staying well-informed and engaged on the latest industry developments and market trends, both global and domestic, providing business intelligence on key competitors and interpreting how to best translate those into opportunities for the team.
• Liaising and collaborating with other members of the Global Business Development and Communications team and other Business Functions to improve the co-ordination and delivery of initiatives across the firm, adding value to the business as well as our clients.
• Developing, championing and implementing BD projects and systems as appropriate.

• Understands and demonstrates WFW's core values of respect, sharing, communication and integrity.
• 10+ years of professional services or relevant industry experience.
• Proficiency in Chinese (both written and spoken) will be highly regarded
• An active awareness of the energy sector.
• The ability to work effectively with and influence partners and other key stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent written communication and editing skills; able to write accurate, concise and persuasive text.
• Ability to understand product and service development issues.
• Capability to take responsibility for and lead specific projects.
• A positive role model who meets new challenges with a constructive and open mind and shows enthusiasm for new opportunities and ideas.
• Regarded as a team player who is confident sharing information across a broader team.
• Plays a full part in making WFW a firm they would recommend to others to work in, and respects diversity and acts fairly and inclusively.

We offer a competitive benefits and wellbeing package for all employees.

The Firm promotes a culture of agility and flexibility and is fully supportive of flexible working arrangements where these can be accommodated.

Respect for different backgrounds and perspectives is at the heart of our firm’s core values and we recognise the importance of fostering an inclusive environment that allows everyone to reach their full potential. This is a key feature of our Global Code of Conduct, which places diversity and inclusion at the centre of our firm’s ways of working.

We believe that exceptional client service can only be delivered by exceptional people. For this reason, we aim to attract, retain and develop the best talent from a wide range of backgrounds. All decisions relating to employment will be objective and based on merit and ability.

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are as inclusive and barrier-free as possible. This includes making adjustments for candidates with a disability or long-term health condition.  If you require adjustments to be made at any stage of the recruitment process, we’d encourage you to get in touch with a member of our team who would be happy to discuss options with you.