Client Development Specialist

Job description / Role

Our client, a leading international law firm with a newly established Riyadh entity, is seeking a Client Development Specialist to support and drive business development initiatives across the Middle East. This is a standalone Riyadh-based role, working in close collaboration with senior CD specialists in Dubai and the wider Client Development teams in London, Singapore, and the US.

Reporting into the Senior Client Development Regional Manager, this role leads client development activities for the Riyadh office while also supporting the Dubai office across pitches, proposals, procurement platforms, market research, client targeting, and events.

The firm is known for its supportive culture, strong global collaboration, and high standards of excellence. This position offers significant international exposure, cross-border engagement, and daily collaboration with global teams across multiple time zones.

Key Responsibilities
1. Lead the full proposal and pitch process, including drafting, editing, scheduling, coordinating, and conducting go/no-go assessments.
2. Draft capability statements, case studies, biographies, and other BD collateral.
3. Manage procurement platforms for the Riyadh office, ensuring timely updates, renewals, and communication of new RFP opportunities.
4. Support the integration of newly joined lawyers in the Riyadh office.
5. Conduct market research, identify client targets, and support BD strategy execution.
6. Support key client teams for Middle East and international clients.
7. Lead regional events: seminars, sponsorships, conferences, and client engagements; maintain post-event analysis.
8. Lead submissions to legal directories, awards, and rankings.
9. Maintain proposal and experience management systems and capture new deal inputs.
10. Produce BD activity reporting and ensure strong communication with global CD leadership.
11. Collaborate on cross-office BD projects with London, Singapore, Dubai, and the US.

1. Bachelor’s degree and strong English communication skills.
2. Proven business development/client development experience within a law firm or professional services.
3. Strong proposal-writing capability.
4. Experience with procurement/tendering platforms.
5. Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to manage deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
6. Comfortable collaborating across multiple time zones and cultures.
7. Arabic language skills are desirable but not required.
8. Suitable for candidates at senior specialist level or junior manager level.

Working Environment
- Standard hours: Sunday–Thursday, 09:00–18:00.
- Hybrid is available; however, the team prefers 4–5 days in the office.
- Must be willing to work some evenings/weekends to accommodate global time zones and deadlines.
- Occasional international travel may be required.
- 25 working days annual leave.
- Relocation support available where required.

Competitive Salary
- Flexible and will consider individuals above or below the target range depending on profile and experience.

About the Company

MENA Recruit came to fruition in response to a growing need for international legal talent in London and Dubai. Its initial focus began in the Legal sector, evolving as a service provider for other sectors such as Administration, Marketing, Business Development, HR, IT, Finance and C-Suite positions.

Over the last two decades, with roots firmly planted in the Middle East and operations expanding into the APAC region, MENA Recruit has gained intuitive industry knowledge and expertise. With its unique, people-focused approach, the firm has yielded competitive advantage for its clients and rewarding careers for the professionals it has supported throughout the years.

The company is dedicated to delivering the highest quality of talent and service to its clients while working tenaciously towards helping them achieve higher retention rates. For this reason, MENA Recruit is considered by both candidates and clients as a consultant in the truest sense of the word, offering guidance to both people and organizations on how to adapt to the constant change in market conditions and how to anticipate present and future challenges.

Presently, MENA Recruit provides services to organizations and professionals in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

With such an extensive global reach, strong brand value, decades of expertise, and an innovative approach towards business challenges, it’s clear why MENA Recruit is the partner of choice for both in-house recruiters and candidates internationally.