Head of Hospitality & Leisure

Purpose of the role

Lead a portfolio of Hospitality & Leisure clients, translating trading performance, consumer trends, property considerations and operational priorities into strategies that support resilience, investment and profitable growth. Deliver sustainable revenue and strong client outcomes through deep expertise in operationally intensive and often asset-backed business models.

Accountabilities

• Development of strategic direction for relationship management, including the implementation of up to date methodologies and processes.
• Management of relationship management initiatives, including oversight of colleagues and their performance, implementation of departmental goals and objectives, oversight of department efficiency and effectiveness.  .
• Relationship management of relationship management stakeholders, including identifying relevant stakeholders, and maintenance of the quality of external third party services.
• Development and implementation of policies and procedures for relationship management.
• Management of relationship management risk, including identification of potential risks, development of strategies to mitigate those risks, and maintenance of alignment between the bank’s relationship management and compliance functions.  .
• Monitoring the financial performance of relationship management, including revenue, profitability, and cost control.
• Conducting thorough market research to understand market trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory changes to identify market opportunities.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Key Accountabilities

• Own H&L portfolio P&L, market share, manage capital, ROTE, CTI/returns, client advocacy, profitability and sustainable franchise growth.
• Develop expertise across hotels, restaurants, pubs, leisure operators, visitor attractions, travel-related businesses and associated services.
• Assess occupancy, footfall, average spend, seasonality, labour intensity, property structures, franchise models and operating leverage.
• Originate development, refurbishment, acquisition, working-capital, payments, cash management and sustainability solutions.
• Build strategic client and acquisition plans and maintain a well-governed pipeline.
• Build Barclays' external reputation with operators, owners, investors, advisers and trade bodies.
• Use insight on consumer demand, inflation, labour, property and investment cycles to influence commercial and risk decisions.
• Champion sector priorities and develop capability across the wider franchise.

• Regulatory engagement: Balance growth, risk, regulation and compliance.

• Stakeholder management: Build relationships that remove blockers and enable delivery.

Experience & Skills:

Experience

• Experience in building our target operating models and broader sector propositions to drive the go to market strategy.

• Significant banking, advisory, investment or operational experience across Hospitality & Leisure.

• Track record of leading relationships with owners, operators, management teams and investors.

• Experience evaluating trading-led and asset-backed structures, including property and franchise considerations.

• Experience delivering acquisition, development, refurbishment, working-capital or payments solutions.

• Strong external network across operators, advisers, investors and industry bodies.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of H&L operating metrics, seasonality, labour, property structures and operating leverage.

• Commercial ownership, portfolio management and disciplined pipeline execution.

• Strategic relationship leadership and confident engagement with founders, owners and executives.

• Sound credit and risk judgement across trading volatility and asset-backed structures.

• Market visibility, communication and sector thought leadership.

• Ability to align Product, Risk, Coverage and specialist partners around complex client needs.