Business Development Manager

A market being built, not serviced

Zagros Search is approaching the German legal market with a clear thesis: the next phase of growth for international law firms will not be driven by opportunistic hiring, but by deliberate, partner-led expansion.

Germany sits at the centre of that shift.

For US and UK firms, it is no longer a peripheral jurisdiction.

It is a strategic requirement—yet one where many remain underweight, structurally imbalanced, or exposed to succession risk.

The opportunity lies not in isolated hires, but in building coherent, revenue-generating platforms across key practice areas.

This role sits directly within that context.

The role: commercial execution at partner level

We are hiring a Legal Business Development Strategist to operate at the intersection of talent and market strategy.The mandate is straightforward, but demanding in its execution: to convert high-quality lawyers into real hiring processes, and to translate market conversations into tangible mandates.

This is not a role centred on activity or general market intelligence.

It is focused on outcomes—interviews secured, mandates opened, and relationships built with intent.

You will engage directly with hiring partners and practice heads, positioning candidates not as CVs, but as solutions to clearly defined strategic gaps.

A structured approach to market coverage

The role is anchored around five core practice areas: TMT, Employment, Energy, Private Equity and M&A.

Within each, Zagros is developing a defined Germany strategy mapping priority firms across US, UK and domestic markets, identifying where capabilities are lacking, and understanding how each office fits into a broader international platform.

This is complemented by adjacent practice areas including Litigation, Tax, Banking & Finance and Restructuring, where secondary opportunities emerge as part of wider practice build discussions.

The emphasis throughout is consistency and structure: targeted firm lists, clear narratives around growth, and a long-term view of how practices are assembled.

From candidate to mandate

At its core, the role is about creating momentum in the market.

You will take ownership of a portfolio of high-value candidates and ensure they are actively, intelligently represented.

This means engaging the right firms, at the right level, with a clear understanding of where there is both immediate demand and latent need.

Alongside this, you will use those conversations to originate hiring mandates identifying where firms are looking to grow, where gaps exist, and where hiring processes can be shaped rather than simply responded to.

The most effective performance in the role will come from those who can move fluidly between these two dynamics: candidate-led introductions and mandate creation.

Operating rhythm and discipline

The week is structured to ensure both pace and clarity.

Early in the week, the focus is on alignment identifying the strongest candidates, mapping them to target firms, and building a clear plan for market engagement.

Later in the week, attention shifts to reflection and strategy: assessing interview progress, reviewing new mandates, and refining the approach across each practice area.

The objective is not volume, but precision ensuring that every conversation has a defined purpose and a commercial outcome.

Measurement and expectations

Performance is measured in simple, tangible terms: interviews generated, interviews secured, and mandates created.

Supporting this is the broader expectation that Zagros’ candidates are consistently visible in the market, and that new relationships are being developed with credibility and intent.

There is little emphasis on activity for its own sake.

The focus remains firmly on conversion.

Profile and positioning

The role will suit individuals who are commercially minded, comfortable operating in a high-performance environment, and confident engaging with senior stakeholders.

within recruitment, legal services, or business development is valuable, but not essential.

More important is the ability to understand how law firms think about growth, and to communicate with clarity and authority in those discussions.

There is a premium on judgement knowing when to push, when to position, and how to frame a conversation so that it resonates at partner level.

Zagros offers a platform that is both focused and ambitious.

The business is structured around long-term market positioning rather than short-term execution, with direct exposure to senior decision-makers across leading international firms.

The role provides both autonomy and support: ownership of market coverage, combined with close interaction with senior leadership and ongoing coaching in client engagement and commercial strategy.

For the right individual, it is an opportunity to operate not just within the legal recruitment market, but to influence how that market evolves in Germany and wider Europe.