Business Development Director

Virgin; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare from day one

Competitive pension and life assurance

EV scheme available

Personal learning budget

Mentoring and volunteering time

Job summary

Virgin is seeking a Business Development Director to lead the Loyalty division’s growth, forging strategic partnerships across the UK and international markets (excluding the US). You will spearhead a high-impact BD team, open senior-level doors, and shape compelling propositions that generate customer value and revenue growth.

You will combine data-driven insights with creative dealmaking to secure lasting partnerships, collaborating across Virgin brands and global teams to scale opportunities.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of winning significant new business and building long-lasting partnerships.
• Strong commercial judgement with ability to influence senior decision-makers.
• Creative, strategic mindset to spot opportunities and craft viable partnerships.
• Ability to use data and customer insights to inform proposals and value.
• Experience leading and inspiring a high-performing business development team.

Responsibilities

• Lead UK and international business development strategy (excluding US).
• Proactively seek and open doors with senior-level partners and build a strong pipeline.
• Create commercially sound partnerships leveraging Virgin Points and loyalty insights.
• Own the deal journey from first conversation to complex negotiations and execution.
• Bring data-driven insights to build persuasive business cases for partnerships.

Skills

Dealmaking

Stakeholder management

Commercial strategy

Data-driven

Leadership

Job description

Business Development Director

Application Deadline: 12 November 2026

Department: Loyalty

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: London

Reporting To: Andrea Burchett

Description

Are you a natural dealmaker who loves opening doors, spotting opportunities others might miss and turning ambitious ideas into brilliant partnerships?

We’re looking for a Business Development Director to help take Virgin Red, the rewards club from Virgin, to the next level. You’ll lead the charge in finding and securing exciting new partnerships that help more people discover, earn and spend Virgin Points, making everyday life that little bit more rewarding.

This is a role for someone who doesn’t wait for opportunities to land in their lap. You’ll be out there creating them, building relationships with ambitious brands, challenging conventional thinking and finding clever ways to bring together customers, data and commercial opportunities. You’ll know that the best partnerships aren’t just about getting a deal over the line, but creating something genuinely valuable for everyone involved.

As part of our Loyalty Leadership Team, you’ll lead and inspire a talented business development team, combining big-picture thinking with a hands-on approach. You’ll have the freedom to think differently, the backing of an iconic global brand and the opportunity to shape what’s next for Virgin Red.

What you’ll be getting stuck into

• Leading our business development strategy across the UK and international markets (excluding the US), spotting exciting new sectors, brands and opportunities that will help Virgin Red grow.
• Getting out there and making things happen. You’ll proactively seek out new partners, open doors at senior levels and build a strong pipeline of opportunities, from household names to innovative, fast-growing businesses.
• Creating compelling, commercially sound partnerships that make the most of Virgin Points, drive customer acquisition and loyalty, and deliver lasting value for Virgin Red, our partners and their customers.
• Owning the full deal journey, from that first conversation and developing a winning proposition through to negotiating complex agreements and getting partnerships over the line. You’ll know when to push, when to be patient and when to walk away.
• Bringing data, customer insights and commercial thinking together to spot opportunities, build persuasive business cases and show potential partners exactly why working with Virgin makes sense.
• Making the most of the wider Virgin family, building connections across our businesses and working closely with our teams in the US, alongside colleagues in Marketing, Brand, Technology and beyond, to create partnerships that can really scale.
• Leading, coaching and inspiring our business development team, setting the pace, sharing fresh thinking and creating a culture where curiosity, creativity and commercial ambition go hand in hand.

What you’ll bring

• A brilliant track record of winning significant new business and building long-lasting, mutually beneficial commercial partnerships. You're a natural hunter who knows how to create opportunities, not just manage existing relationships.
• Strong commercial judgement and a consultative approach to selling. You’ll be confident influencing senior decision-makers, navigating complex organisations and managing longer sales cycles, with the resilience and tenacity to see the right opportunities through.
• A creative, strategic mindset with the ability to spot untapped opportunities, challenge traditional thinking and turn ambitious ideas into commercially and technically viable partnerships that can grow over time.
• Confidence using data, analytics and customer insights to uncover opportunities, shape compelling proposals and demonstrate the value of a partnership. You’ll also be curious about how AI and emerging technology can help you work smarter.
• Experience building partnerships across different teams, brands and stakeholders, ideally within a complex or fast-moving business. Experience in loyalty, rewards, customer engagement or digital platforms would be a bonus, but we’re just as interested in the fresh perspectives you could bring.
• A natural ability to lead and inspire others, with the energy to lead from the front, share ideas and keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the market. You’re curious, well-connected, commercially ambitious and brave enough to do things differently.

What you’ll get in return

We know life doesn’t stop when work starts. So we’ve built our benefits to support you - at work and beyond.

• Life – support when it matters most, with healthcare from day one, family-friendly policies and help for life’s bigger moments
• Work – the foundations that set you up for the future, including a competitive pension, life assurance and options like our EV scheme
• Spirit – space to grow and enjoy the journey, with a personal learning budget, mentoring, volunteering time… and our famous “Screw it, let’s do it” pot

It’s all designed to help you feel your best, do your best, and enjoy the ride - with a few extra Virgin touches along the way (because we don’t really do “standard”).

The essentials

• Where you’ll work: We come together in the office approximately 2-3 days a week — the rest is yours to work in your own space

Bring your whole self

We welcome people from all walks of life, with all kinds of experiences and ways of thinking. Different perspectives, however your mind works, help us see things differently and do things better.

If there’s anything we can do to support you through the hiring process, just let us know, we’ll always do our best to make it work for you.

We believe in using business as a force for good, creating positive change for our people, our communities and the world around us. That includes being a Fair Chance employer and championing strengths like dyslexic thinking - staying open, listening to individual circumstances and focusing on potential.

Where could this role take you? Your Virgin adventure starts here.