Business Development Manager, Management Consulting, Life Sciences

About us

We are a leading consultancy with a purpose to make an enduring impact on health and healthcare. We work with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, drive adoption of innovation and create value through investment.

Our consultancy serves the entire healthcare sector, from payors and providers of care, to life science companies, health tech and sector suppliers and health investors. We provide end-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, accelerated by data, digital and AI.

We shape opinion through evidence-based thought leadership on key issues affecting health. With unmatched ability to access and use health data, our consultants are a driving force for delivering positive and meaningful change.

About the role

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of CF's Life Sciences practice. Accountable to the Managing Partner, you will orchestrate the Business Development efforts of the practice shaping strategy, converting it into annual goals and quarterly OKRs, and coordinating delivery across a multidisciplinary team. You will drive our marketing and thought leadership activity, own end-to-end procurement processes, and maintain the management information standards that keep the practice performing. Collaboration is key: you'll work closely with the wider life sciences leadership team and Business Development Managers across the business to ensure our resources are focused where they matter most.

This role offers an extraordinary opportunity for professional growth within a supportive development environment. You will gain invaluable experiences, unlocking your potential to reach new heights in your career journey.

Requirements:
We are looking for passionate individuals with an in depth knowledge of the Life Sciences industry and experience within strategy or management consultancy to take ownership of the following responsibilities:

Strategic Business Planning and Management:

• Work closely with the Managing Partner and Commercial Director in the development of our priorities and plan on an annual, quarterly and monthly basis.
• Identify emerging Life Sciences trends and opportunities that align with our business goals.
• Manage the end-to-end business development pipeline from discussion through to proposal development and contracting.
• Ensure the capture and use of management information to track and measure the performance of business development activities.
• Lead cross-functional teams to orchestrate business plans, connecting with the marketing function and collaborating with partners to leverage collective capabilities

Marketing and Thought Leadership:

• Collaborate with the marketing team to create compelling content that highlights the company’s expertise in Life Sciences and healthcare innovation.
• Lead the creation of white papers, case studies, and other thought leadership content
• Monitor industry trends and insights to ensure the company remains at the forefront of innovation and thought leadership.
• Partner with external stakeholders to develop co-branded marketing initiatives and joint thought leadership campaigns.

Proposal Development and Bid Management:

• Provide leadership in proposition, proposal and pitch development to ensure documents are tailored to client needs and of the highest quality.
• Ensure compliance with both client and internal requirements during the bid process, including around pricing, resourcing and procurement rules.
• Lead problem-solving meetings and engage with relevant stakeholders to gather necessary information and insights for proposals.
• Handle the necessary preparations to facilitate effective business development meetings.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Lead and mentor junior team members to foster professional growth and ensure high performance.
• Respond to ad hoc requests agilely and prioritise tasks effectively for the Life Sciences team
• Delegate tasks effectively to ensure alignment with team capabilities and manage workloads.
• Organise and lead key internal meetings, such as steering groups and pipeline reviews, by setting agendas and coordinating inputs from other team members.

Continuous Improvement:

• Develop and maintain an effective repository of business development materials to streamline the bid process.
• Identify tools and processes that improve our overall bid performance and efficiency.
• Review and integrate lessons learned from bid submissions to enhance the end-to-end business development process.

Networking:

• Network with potential partners to explore and develop collaborative projects.
• Build and maintain relationships with client procurement teams to enhance business opportunities.

• Identify and attend relevant conferences to build network and identify opportunities.

Commercial Discipline:

• Maintain a thorough understanding of CF pricing structures, margin expectations and commercial policies ensuring all proposals and fee tables are compliant and competitively positioned

• Track and report on pipeline value, conversion rates and revenue forecasts

• Identify and flag commercial risks within bids and contracts early, proposing mitigations that protect both client relationships and company interests

• Drive a culture of commercial accountability within the life sciences practice ensuring the team understand the link between business development activity and the financial performance of the practice

In order to be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates with a combination of the following skills and experiences:

• In-depth knowledge of the Life Sciences industry and experience within strategy/management consulting.
• Strong business development acumen, including identifying new opportunities and contributing to organisational growth.
• Excellent written communication skills and experience developing proposals.
• Ability to think strategically and develop comprehensive plans to address complex challenges for the Life Sciences industry.
• Good project management skills, including multitasking, resource management, and delivering successful outcomes within tight timeframes.
• Proficiency in data analysis, with the ability to interpret analysis for informed decision-making.
• Exceptional leadership abilities, with the capacity to inspire and mentor team members for high-performance results.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to establish and nurture client relationships.
• Commitment to continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends and best practices.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and adapting quickly when priorities change.
• Educated to a degree level (or equivalent experience).

Flexible working

Our default is to work in person with our clients, but we also support remote working. Team members can work from home one day per week as standard, and we offer an additional 44 remote working days per year. This allows you to work from home up to two days per week-subject to client needs- or use your allowance in blocks, depending on what works best for you. Office hours are flexible within our core hours of 10am–4pm.

Benefits:
• We offer a competitive and flexible reward package designed to support you at work and beyond it. You will benefit from a generous holiday allowance that grows with your career (minimum of 25 days), a strong employer pension contribution, and the freedom to tailor benefits to suit your lifestyle, from wellbeing and fitness to financial protection.

• We are committed to supporting life’s important moments, with enhanced family leave, income and life protection, and access to practical benefits that make everyday life easier, such as interest-free loans and travel support.
• Your wellbeing matters to us. You will have access to a comprehensive wellbeing and employee assistance programme, preventative health benefits, and initiatives that support an active, balanced way of working.
• Above all, we invest in our people; offering flexibility, security, and benefits that grow with you, so you can do your best work while building a sustainable and rewarding career.