Business Development Director, Hospitality & Leisure, Barclays UK Corporate Bank (UKC)

We are seeking an experienced Business Development Director to drive growth across our hospitality and leisure portfolio, which operates as part of a Barclays UK Corporate Bank.  This is a senior role responsible for identifying, shaping, and delivering new commercial opportunities across sub-sectors including hotels, food and drink, travel and professional sports as well as leisure venues and experiential offerings. The role combines entrepreneurial thinking with disciplined execution. Key responsibilities include (a) develop and execute the business development strategy for hospitality and leisure team , (b) identify new revenue streams, partnerships, concepts, and markets (c) lead Barclays face-to-market with key professionals, investors, advisers, brokers and complimentary funders and (d) where appropriate and required lead negotiations and commercial structuring of deals

The successful candidate should have proven experience in business development and preferably within hospitality, leisure, travel, or adjacent sectors, a strong track record of delivering profitable growth, be commercially astute, strategic, and analytically strong, able to balance innovation with risk management and control and have excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

In summary, this is a high visibility role with genuine influence on strategy and investment decisions with a great opportunity to support and shape our hospitality and leisure business.

Purpose of the role

To identify and capitalise on business opportunities, expansion of the customer base, relationship management, and driving of revenue growth.  

Accountabilities

• Execution of market research and analysis to support the identification of potential new opportunities, market trends, and customer needs, to develop strategies for business growth.
• Identification of leads through various channels such as networking, referrals, cold calling, and attending industry events.
• Development and execution of strategies to acquire new business and expand the customer base, including preparation of proposals, presentations, and negotiation of contracts.
• Collaboration with relationship teams, product managers, credit analysts, operations, and other internal stakeholders to ensure seamless delivery of banking products and services to clients.
• Forecasting of sales targets and tracking progress against goals, including regular reports on business development activities, pipeline status, and sales performance to management.
• Contribution to the development of business development strategies and initiatives to drive revenue growth and achieve business objectives.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.