Business Development Director

Requirements

• Experience and confidence in origination, including regular cold calling and targeting of leads. (Required)
• A proven track record of delivering results, by winning new Corporate Clients into the Banking sector. (Required)
• A strong awareness of the local region and activity of our competitors in the marketplace. (Required)
• Degree-level education (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field such as Business, Finance, Economics, or Accounting. (Preferred)
• Relevant professional banking or finance qualification, such as the Chartered Banker Diploma, ACIB, CFA, or ACCA (or working towards). (Preferred)
• Fluent English (spoken and written) - (Required) Required for clear communication with clients, internal stakeholders, and regulatory correspondence.
• Additional European language skills (e.g. Spanish or Portuguese) - (Preferred) Advantageous for collaboration with Santander Group colleagues and clients across international markets, but not a mandatory requirement for UK-based roles.
• Strong commercial acumen - deep understanding of corporate banking products, markets, and the wider economic environment. (Required)
• Digital proficiency - confident use of CRM and workflow tools such as Salesforce, nCino, and Office 365 to manage client portfolios and ensure data accuracy. (Required)
• Exceptional relationship management and communication skills - able to engage and influence clients, stakeholders, and colleagues effectively. (Required)
• Leadership and coaching ability - inspires and develops others, fostering a culture of collaboration, performance, and continuous improvement. (Required)
• Resilient and optimistic mindset - approaches challenges positively, demonstrates adaptability, and promotes Santander's values and behaviours. (Required)
• Ability to lead and support local relationship teams to build and maintain a strong origination pipeline of high-quality businesses. (Preferred)
• Highly developed interpersonal, negotiation and networking skills. (Preferred)

What the job involves

The Business Development Team is looking for a Business Development Director based out of Edinburgh. This role reports to the Head of Business Development and works closely with the Regional Director and Corporate Client Relationship Teams as well as Product Solution Teams to drive market origination activity. You will work together to deliver a client-centric approach offering relevant banking solutions for prospect clients at the point of origination, building and enhancing Santander's market profile and presence within the Corporate Clients segment, and working collaboratively with other relevant areas of SAN UK.

We're shaping the way we work through innovation, cutting-edge technology, collaboration and the freedom to explore new ideas. Working with the Regional Director to lead New Business delivery in the Region. Working with the Relationship and Product Teams to drive market origination activity as well working collaboratively with all parts of the CCB business to ensure deal conversion for the right new business opportunities. Supporting origination of Internationally focussed/ambitious, sustainable, high growth businesses, as well as working with structured finance to originate M&A, or Growth Capital deals. Building external relationships where your knowledge and understanding of businesses and the Santander Proposition is creating a source of differentiation for Santander with prospects and Key Business Introducers (KBI's). Playing a leading role in co-ordinating Corporate and Commercial Banking regional origination & market strategy. Understanding the market opportunity, identifying market trends, and creating opportunities. Creating and using client advocacy to demonstrate differentiation. Following an IAM Risk framework, managing all types of risk.