Director Business Development in Bristol

This role is within the Strategic Finance team, supporting commercial, corporate, PLC and private equity backed businesses in the UK. You will play an important role in building a strong market presence for the Bank in Bristol, identified as a key location for growth under the ownership of Nationwide Group.

What you’ll be doing:

• Launching the Virgin Money Business Banking brand to Bristol and South West, ensuring maximum profile with key stakeholders and target market.
• Generating new relationships, focused on Large Commercial and Mid Corporate in Bristol and surrounding area.
• Strong Relationship Management of business portfolio.
• Being accountable for risk and compliance to identify signs of stress and risk, minimising the Bank’s exposure to bad and doubtful debt.
• Acting according to the strategy and growth plan to optimise income and build a targeted portfolio through effective origination and execution of high-quality lending opportunities.
• Generating local opportunities for specialist teams, e.g. leverage finance, asset finance, and developing strong relationships with the wider team.

We see this initial team as the foundation for building a larger full-service team in the future, fully supported by existing colleagues across all segments and specialisms.

We need you to have:

• A strong, well-recognised market profile, regarded as a leading figure within the Bristol Commercial banking sector.
• A track record of generating business growth, identifying, structuring, negotiating and delivering new business opportunities.
• Excellent relationship building and influence skills – ability to engage senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of originating, structuring and executing lending opportunities of £5 million+ with full ownership from origination through credit approval to completion.
• Skilled in managing all aspects of a deal process from inception to completion.
• An established record of delivering fantastic relationship management.
• Highly organised with strong project management abilities, able to prioritise, coordinate across teams and deliver outcomes under tight deadlines.
• Experienced in leading cross-functional collaboration and influencing outcomes across different business areas.

We would like you to have:

• Relevant vocational financial services qualification – e.g. Chartered Institute of Bankers, Chartered Accountant etc.
• In-depth understanding of risk and compliance requirements in line with the role.
• Business degree or significant financial services experience within a Business Lending Environment.

Red Hot Rewards:

• 25 days holiday per year, increasing over time to 30, plus an option to buy more.
• Private medical insurance.
• A highly competitive pension.
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus.
• Training and development to help you progress your career.
• A great selection of additional benefits through our flexible benefits scheme.
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year.

If we receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early. Please ensure to submit your applications as soon as possible.

Say hello to Virgin Money:

Virgin Money is part of the Nationwide group, serving millions of retail and business customers. We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we’re committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion. If you need any reasonable adjustments or support making your application, contact our Talent Acquisition team.

Please note: If we receive a high volume of eligible applications, we may need to prioritise candidates whose skills and experience most closely align with the role.

Now the legal bit:

Your employment will move automatically to Nationwide when the transfer goes ahead. You’ll need to confirm you have the right to work in the UK and complete necessary checks before starting.

Advertised: 13 Jan 2026 GMT Standard Time

Applications close: 27 Jan 2026 GMT Standard Time