Head of Business

Your Role

As our Head of Business Performance for Scotland, you will be a pivotal member of the senior leadership team, partnering closely with our Board and senior management to drive profitability and elevate business performance. This role will operate across both Irwin Mitchell Scotland and WJM, ensuring alignment and collaboration between the two firms. Reporting to the Director of Business Performance, you will develop and implement integrated commercial business plans aligned with IM Group’s strategic objectives.

Your role will ensure robust business management processes, identify performance trends, and execute improvement plans by influencing cross-functional teams across the Group. You will also lead key commercial improvement initiatives, share best practices, and ensure alignment on strategic priorities.

• Lead the development and execution of integrated business strategies and financial forecasts, aligning client, business development, and people priorities with the firm’s strategic goals
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure robust financial forecasts underpin income, cost, and cashflow targets.
• Partner with the Managing Partner and senior leadership to plan resource needs, structures, and budgets, ensuring talent and succession strategies support sustainable growth.
• Develop new business scenarios and models to respond to regulatory and market changes.
• Represent the Business Performance Team on strategic projects, ensuring financial, resource, and operational impacts are fully considered.
• Influence agendas across Business Development, Client Service, People, and Change to protect our market-leading proposition and drive client satisfaction.
• Operate as an integral member of the leadership team, shaping strategic direction and delivering key performance outcomes.
• Steer the firm through annual business cycles, ensuring critical activities are delivered on time and operational rhythm is maintained.
• Monitor and influence financial, operational, and resource drivers to support growth and profitability.
• Collaborate with leaders to identify opportunities for performance improvement and profitability.
• Track and communicate performance, embedding a profit-focused culture across the Group.
• Identify and elevate risks, working with leadership to implement remedial plans as needed.
• Analyse performance trends to influence long-term delivery and efficiency.
• Lead key business initiatives, preparing proposals and recommendations to maximise performance and service delivery.
• Champion data-driven approaches to enhance financial and operational forecasting.
• Establish yourself as a trusted advisor to the Managing Partner and senior leadership, demonstrating deep understanding of the firm’s services and practices.
• Influence cross-functional teams to execute strategy and drive improvements.
• Play a key role in leadership meetings, setting agendas, updating on performance, and steering activity.
• Champion commercial awareness and a profit-conscious culture.
• Support the development of lawyers and leaders, ensuring structured training and succession planning.
• Act as a change ambassador, guiding and supporting colleagues through initiatives.
• Promote a positive colleague experience and support strategic Great Place to Work (GPTW) activities.
• Deputise for the Director of Business Performance as required.

• Extensive experience of successfully building relationships and influencing all levels of internal stakeholders
• Credible self-starter with a track record of commercial success in a medium / large scale complex and multi-faceted legal or professional services firm
• Previous experience in a Head of Business Performance or Commercial Management (or similar) role with ability to drive strong commercial outcomes through the management of commercial drivers and key performance indicators.
• Commercial acumen and financial understanding – experience of managing P&L accounts and setting, meeting, and delivering to forecast targets
• Strong analytical skills to drive performance insight and action
• Strategic Thinking – ability to identify and act upon strategic improvement opportunities, leveraging the critical factors…