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

London, United Kingdom

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Date live: 17/02/2026

Business Area: Large Corporate

Area of Expertise: Relationship Management

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000086043

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Barclays Relationship Management

Join Relationship Management, to build and maintain relationships with customers, clients, stakeholders, and strategic partners. Your focus will be on driving business growth through effective relationship-building and delivering tailored solutions to meet client needs.

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We are seeking an experienced Business Development Director to drive growth across our Hospitality & Leisure portfolio within the Barclays UK Corporate Bank. This is a senior, high‑visibility role with genuine influence over strategy, investment decisions and client engagement across the sector.

Operating across sub‑sectors including hotels, food & drink, travel, professional sports, leisure venues and experiential offerings, the role blends entrepreneurial thinking with disciplined, execution‑focused delivery.

Core Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Sector Growth

  • Develop and execute the business development strategy for the Hospitality & Leisure team.
  • Identify new revenue streams, partnerships, concepts and markets, leveraging industry insight and emerging trends.
  • Represent Barclays face‑to‑market with key professionals, investors, brokers, advisers and complementary funders, acting as a senior ambassador for the franchise.
  • Lead negotiation and commercial structuring of opportunities where appropriate, ensuring commercially attractive and sustainable outcomes.

2. Structuring, Origination & Execution

As a Business Development Director, you will:

  • Originate, structure and execute medium to large transactions for new clients, taking ownership of the overall deal process where appropriate
  • Lead or lean in to transactions end-to-end, coordinating internally with Coverage Colleagues, Transaction Management, Credit, and Portfolio Management, and externally with clients and their advisers.
  • Review and challenge complex business lending opportunities, evaluating suitability against Barclays’ risk appetite.
  • Interrogate management business plans, assessing key risks and identifying mitigants using informed judgement, experience, and lateral thinking.

3. Financial Analysis & Risk Assessment

  • Analyse sophisticated financial models to assess serviceability and sustainability of proposed debt structures.
  • Carry out critical evaluation of assumptions, review covenant structures, and run appropriate sensitivities to test borrower resilience under downside scenarios.
  • Ensure all transactions comply with Barclays’ policies, completing the required testing, documentation and governance steps to a high standard.

4. Market Connectivity & Relationship Management

  • Support the broader business development agenda through partnership with Coverage teams.
  • Maintain close and effective relationships with the Debt Advisory community, ensuring Barclays is well‑positioned for upcoming opportunities.
  • Communicate clearly, influence credibly and manage senior stakeholders across multiple disciplines.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will bring:

  • Proven experience in business development within Hospitality, Leisure, Travel or adjacent sectors—or a strong understanding of debt‑structured transactions in a related banking environment.
  • A track record of delivering profitable growth, originating opportunities and shaping go‑to‑market strategies.
  • Strong commercial acumen, strategic thinking, analytical capability and the ability to balance innovation with risk and control.
  • Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with confidence operating across senior internal teams and the external advisory community.

In Summary

This is a rare and compelling opportunity to take a senior leadership role in shaping the future direction of Barclays’ Hospitality & Leisure business. The role offers meaningful impact on strategy, deep engagement across clients and the advisory community, and the chance to originate and support the execution of significant transactions that define the sector.

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.

Barclays welcomes applications from all candidates and is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments (accommodations) are put in place to allow for a fair and inclusive recruitment process. For more information and how to request one, please review Adjustments to the recruitment process.

We’re a global, vital and highly respected financial organisation with an inspiring Purpose. Operating in 39 countries and employing around 100,000 people across the world, we help communities, individuals and businesses thrive. And we’ve created financial solutions and technology that the world now takes for granted. A career with us can offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience, and the chance to learn from some of the best minds in technology and finance.

To find out more about Barclays' strategy please click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and opposed to discrimination on any grounds. It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Barclays is required by law to confirm that you have the Legal Right to Work in any role that you apply for. If you currently hold a work visa sponsored by Barclays, or you would require sponsorship from Barclays, you must declare this as part of your application. Sponsored visas are role and entity specific and any changes must be reviewed. It is important that you ensure you are working on the correct visa at all times. Failure to accurately disclose your visa status or Legal Right to Work may result in your application or any employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

This is Barclays London

Our global HQ is in Canary Wharf, at the heart of London’s financial district. There are over 10,000 colleagues here – a hugely diverse workforce made up of the world’s best financial and tech talent. If you love the buzz of city life, this is the place to be.

Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities.

CoSpace is our drop-in co-working space, where networks are built, problems are solved collectively and our community is strengthened.

Our Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy.

Our new trading floors enhance communication, integrate sustainability, and support health and wellbeing through innovative design and British-sourced furniture.

This is Barclays London

Our global HQ is in Canary Wharf, at the heart of London’s financial district. There are over 10,000 colleagues here – a hugely diverse workforce made up of the world’s best financial and tech talent. If you love the buzz of city life, this is the place to be.

Supporting active commuters

Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities.

Time to connect

CoSpace is our drop-in co-working space, where networks are built, problems are solved collectively and our community is strengthened.

Wellbeing in focus

Our Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy.

Advanced trading floors

Our new trading floors enhance communication, integrate sustainability, and support health and wellbeing through innovative design and British-sourced furniture.

Multicultural ERGs at Barclays

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our Inclusion and Opportunities page.

Learn more

Application Process

Your application

We’ll ask for information about you, your CV and cover letter.

1

Your assessment

Covering your behaviours and ability at work.

2

Your interview

Exploring your past experiences and skills.

3

Next step

We’ll request additional information so that you can complete our screening process

4
How to ApplyRead our FAQ's
Barclays

Working flexibly

We’re committed to providing a supportive and inclusive culture and environment for you to work in. This environment recognises and supports your personal needs, alongside the professional needs of our business. If you'd like to explore flexible working arrangements, please discuss this with the hiring manager. Your request will be reviewed in-line with the requirements of the role/business needs of the team.

Hybrid working

We have a structured approach to hybrid working, where colleagues work at an onsite location on fixed, ‘anchor’, days, as set by the business area. Please discuss the working pattern requirements for the role you are applying for with the hiring manager. Please note that working arrangements may be subject to change on reasonable notice to ensure we meet the needs of our business.

Barclays is built on an international scale.

Our geographic reach, our wide variety of functions, businesses, roles and locations reflect the rich diversity of our worldwide customer base. All of which means we offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience.
And the chance to learn from a globally diverse mix of colleagues, including some of the very best minds in banking, finance, technology and business. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to embrace mobility, exploring every part of our operations as you build your career.

Find more information

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