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Head of Relationship Management

Sunderland, United Kingdom; Knutsford, United Kingdom

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Date live: 15/05/2025

Business Area: Business Relationships SME

Area of Expertise: Relationship Management

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000054111

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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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Role Overview:

The Head of Relationship Director (Business Relationship Team) is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving strategic initiatives, optimising performance, and fostering commercial growth within the organisation. This role requires a visionary leader with a strong commercial acumen, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the ability to deliver outstanding results through strategic thinking and effective team management. The successful candidate will be a key member of the SME Leadership team, guiding and supporting our UK client base.

Key Criteria:

Strategic Thinking:

  • Develop and implement strategic plans to enhance the organisation's market position and achieve business objectives.
  • Identify and capitalise on new business opportunities, market trends, and competitive insights to drive growth.
  • Collaborate with senior leadership to align business strategies with overall organisational goals.

Commercial Delivery:

  • Lead the team to achieve and exceed commercial targets and key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Drive commercial success by developing and executing strategies that support client needs.
  • Implement best practices and innovative techniques to optimise the commercial processes and improve efficiency.
  • Monitor and analyse performance data to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions.

Service & Contact:

  • Develop and execute a comprehensive contact strategy to engage with customers effectively and enhance overall customer experience.
  • Utilise data analytics to gain insights into customer needs and behaviours, enabling more personalised and effective service.
  • Drive a culture of service excellence by setting high standards for customer service and ensuring these standards are consistently met.

Leadership and Team Management:

  • Provide inspirational leadership and mentorship to the sales and relationship management teams.
  • Foster a high-performance culture by setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and recognising achievements.
  • Develop and implement succession planning to ensure the organisation retains and develops key talent for the future.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, stakeholders, and partners to enhance business opportunities.

Purpose of the role

To manage relationship management initiatives and set the strategic direction. Provide support to the bank's senior management team, and to manage product development risk across the organisation. 

Accountabilities

  • Development of strategic direction for relationship management, including the implementation of up to date methodologies and processes.
  • Management of relationship management initiatives, including oversight of colleagues and their performance, implementation of departmental goals and objectives, oversight of department efficiency and effectiveness.  .
  • Relationship management of relationship management stakeholders, including identifying relevant stakeholders, and maintenance of the quality of external third party services.
  • Development and implementation of policies and procedures for relationship management.
  • Management of relationship management risk, including identification of potential risks, development of strategies to mitigate those risks, and maintenance of alignment between the bank’s relationship management and compliance functions.  .
  • Monitoring the financial performance of relationship management, including revenue, profitability, and cost control.
  • Conducting thorough market research to understand market trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory changes to identify market opportunities.

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.

Learn more about Barclays locations

Across our campuses, we offer modern workspaces, collaborative areas, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Facilities include wellness rooms, on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and tech-equipped workstations. Designed for innovation and comfort, they support a dynamic and productive work environment.

Gain access to wellness rooms, gyms and mental health support.

Our welcoming and inclusive culture supports you to bring your whole self to work, explore your potential and pursue your passions.

Modern spaces designed for teamwork and brainstorming.

There’s so much more than work to involve and engage you on campus. From socialising to sports, from community events to volunteering.

Learn more about Barclays locations

Across our campuses, we offer modern workspaces, collaborative areas, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Facilities include wellness rooms, on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and tech-equipped workstations. Designed for innovation and comfort, they support a dynamic and productive work environment.

Health and wellness

Gain access to wellness rooms, gyms and mental health support.

A place where you can belong

Our welcoming and inclusive culture supports you to bring your whole self to work, explore your potential and pursue your passions.

Collaborative Areas

Modern spaces designed for teamwork and brainstorming.

More than work

There’s so much more than work to involve and engage you on campus. From socialising to sports, from community events to volunteering.

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

Related content

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