Business Development Director, Hospitality & Leisure, Corporate Bank; UKC

Overview

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.

• 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.
  
  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.
  
  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. 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.

• 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…