Business Development Director

Virgin Red; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life insurance

Pension

EV scheme

Personal learning budget

Mentoring

volunteering time

Virgin 'Screw it, let\u2019s do it'?

Job summary

Virgin Red is seeking a Business Development Director to drive partnerships and growth across the UK and international markets. You will identify, pitch, negotiate and secure strategic collaborations that leverage Virgin Points to acquire and retain customers.

You’ll lead a talented BD team, shape strategy, and work across marketing, technology and commercial teams to scale partnerships with ambitious brands and data-driven offerings.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of securing and growing significant partnerships.
• Strong ability to influence senior decision-makers and manage long sales cycles.
• Analytical mindset with use of data and customer insights to build compelling proposals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the loyalty business development strategy across UK and international markets (excluding US).
• Proactively seek partners, build a strong pipeline, and engage senior stakeholders.
• Create commercially sound partnerships leveraging Virgin Points and customer value.
• Own the end-to-end deal journey from initial conversation to contract execution.
• Bring data and market insights to build persuasive business cases for partnerships.
• Collaborate with broader Virgin teams to scale partnerships.

Skills

Deal making

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Leadership

Data-driven decisions

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Description

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

Application Deadline

12 November 2026

Department

Loyalty

Location

London

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.