Senior Business Development Manager

Overview

The Maples Group is a standard bearer in financial and legal services, trusted by many of the world’s largest hedge fund managers, private equity firms and international corporations.

Our distinction flows from our carefully curated team: 2,500+ professionals characterised by tenacity, ethics and exacting excellence. Operating in key financial centres across the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, our international presence offers a unique springboard for career development and cross-cultural immersion. Our side-by-side financial and legal services are similarly ripe for interdisciplinary learning and growth. 

The Maples Group looks to add a Cayman Islands-based Senior Business Development Manager, Investment Funds to our team and invites eager and qualified candidates to apply. We are committed to diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity as we attract, retain and develop world-class talent.

Who We Seek

Our merit-based culture suits professionals in pursuit of boundless careers and lives. Beyond their acumen, team members are collaborative and conscientious, bringing a healthy sense of drive and purpose to each interaction and to all aspects of their work. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the investment funds industry in an international context, exceptional strategic thinking abilities and a proven track record in business development within a legal or professional services environment.

About The Role

The Maples Group is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager to support the law firm's Cayman Islands Funds & Investment Management ("Funds") practice. The Senior Business Development Manager will be based in the Cayman Islands and will serve as a trusted advisor to the Funds practice. This senior role will have an important role to play in contributing to the development and execution of the strategy for the Funds practice and will be key in providing strategic and operational support to the business development function, supporting the future growth and success of the business. The successful candidate will report to the Head of Business Development and, as part of a wider team, have responsibility for managing junior team members supporting the Funds practice.

The successful candidate will be working alongside the Local Investment Funds Practice Group Leader ("LPGL") and other key stakeholders to identify ways in which we can differentiate ourselves in the Investment Funds space through the planning and development of innovative and value-adding business development strategies with a focus on reputation building, relationship deepening and revenue-generating programmes. Main responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Strategy & Planning

• Work with the LPGL to develop a strategic plan for the practice group each financial year and manage budget according to this plan
• Conduct advanced market research/analysis and co-develop incisive business development and CRM initiatives that drive revenue and profit, build relationships and strengthen our reputation
• Identify strategic targeting opportunities
• Assess and develop opportunities to strengthen co-operation across the Funds practice group for business development purposes and co-ordinate with the international BD team involved in implementing related activities globally

Practice Management

• Allocate budget for activities to help deliver on the strategic plan and monitor spend against this. Challenge unplanned spend and ensure there is a proper business case for spend not originally included in the budget allocation
• Manage and supervise team members, among other things, in the preparation of legal directory submissions, organisation of marketing trips, capturing of data, participation at conferences and seminars
• Proactively encourage and manage lawyer involvement in business development and marketing activities by clearly communicating the value and rationale of proposed strategies and initiatives
• Keep abreast of developments in the funds space by listening to the markets in order to detect and anticipate any possible business opportunities and advise others in the business on key trends and opportunities leading strategic brainstorming discussions on how we can develop the opportunities highlighted
• Direct the preparation of pitches for new business
• Identify opportunities for thought leadership campaigns/products relevant to the investment funds sector and identify lead generation opportunities to deliver maximum ROI from each campaign
• Work with the central communications team to develop investment funds related profile-raising campaigns and supporting marketing activities, collateral and CRM strategies
• Co-ordinate the content and strategic direction of the firm's flagship annual conference, alongside the Events team

Operational Excellence

• Bring best practice and ideas to challenge and ensure the activities and approaches of the Business Development & Marketing function are co-ordinated and implemented consistently across the Maples Group
• Day-to-day functional and project management of assigned team members. Lead, manage, motivate and develop the team and ensure good distribution of know-how within the team
• Share knowledge across the wider Business Development & Marketing team and contribute to functional and firm-wide training programmes

Key Relationships

• Regular contact with senior members of the Business Development team
• Daily contact with client facing professionals to further strategic objectives of the Funds practice
• Frequent contact with other Business Development & Marketing team members to ensure best practice and enhance opportunities for cross-selling
• Regular contact with business services functions and other parts of the business to ensure an integrated approach to the achievement of firm-wide business objectives
• Regular engagement with leading industry bodies

Experience

What You Bring

The successful applicant will have the ability to engage credibly with all members of the organisation with enthusiasm and initiative. They will be an excellent communicator with the ability to influence and support the business development objectives. Attention to detail, strong networking skills and the ability to collaborate with others to provide a high quality service to the firm is essential. The individual's skills and experience will include:

• Previous experience within a professional services environment and over 10 years' experience in business development
• Education to Bachelor's degree level or equivalent in a management or business discipline, or relevant professional qualifications
• Experience working in a global, matrix organisation to help shape and deliver strategic change
• Business development experience within the Financial Services industry preferred
• Prior experience in developing and successfully implementing BD strategies with a demonstrable track record for success within high-performance cultures
• Highly developed interpersonal skills to effectively manage stakeholders at all levels
• A "can do" attitude and hands-on approach where required
• Strong project management skills
• Advanced client development skills and knowledge
• Experience working with people of different cultures and backgrounds
• Thinks commercially about changes within the firm and client environment and how that provides opportunities or impacts client relationships
• Well-developed understanding of marketing and business development strategy and implementation
• Proven track-record in working with teams to develop business and client relationships

Benefits & Rewards

The most enduring professional relationships are reciprocal relationships. The Maples Group prioritises employee health and wellbeing. Depending on your location, we offer a range of benefits, including:

• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental and optical)
• Competitive vacation packages
• Educational assistance and professional development programmes
• Savings or pension plan
• Life insurance
• Travel insurance
• Global mental wellness programme
• Sports clubs and social events

About Maples Group

Over five decades, the Maples Group has grown from modest beginnings into one of the world's preeminent professional services firms, offering specialised fiduciary, fund administration, regulatory and compliance, entity formation and management and legal services on the laws of the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Jersey and Luxembourg.

You can learn more about the Maples Group on our corporate website. Experience our culture and our people on our Careers Page or on LinkedIn.

Maples’ standard policy to undertake various background screening checks, including criminal records checks, on all applicants to whom a conditional job offer is made. Maples will only ask applicants to disclose a past criminal conviction when a conditional job offer is made. If you have a criminal record it does not mean that your job offer will be automatically withdrawn. Maples will make all job offer decisions on a case by case basis and will take a number of factors into account, such as the role that you are applying for and the nature and circumstances of the past offence. You will have the opportunity to discuss the matter with Maples before a decision is made.

Disclaimer: All personal information collected during the application process will be used for recruitment-related purposes only. Please refer to our Job Applicant Privacy Notice at maples.com/privacy for details on how we handle personal information relating to job applicants.

Application Deadline

7 November 2025