We’re looking for a Director of FS Business Development to join our Financial Services team
Financial Services is at the heart of our Group Strategy. Board and shareholder-approved, our three-year FS vision positions Financial Services as the primary growth engine of the business — and we are now hiring the commercial leader who will make that vision a reality. The Director of FS Business Development is that person: externally connected, commercially driven, and focused on finding, developing, and closing the opportunities that grow the business. This is a market-facing role at the top of the FS function.
Reporting to the Managing Director of Financial Services and sitting on the FS Senior Team, the role has a clear purpose to deliver our commercial objectives. That means recruiting new credit customers, developing new product areas, and building the external distribution relationships — aggregators, brokers, introducers, comparison platforms, potential white-label partners — that give us reach into markets we don’t currently access.
What will you do as an Director of FS Business Development at N Brown?
- You will lead a focused team which includes the Head of New Business Risk — not to create a risk-management function, but to ensure that risk thinking is embedded in commercial strategy from the outset, and that risk never becomes simply about narrowing acceptance. The remainder of your direct and indirect reports are focused on providing skills and subject matter expertise aligned to our growth plans.
- You will work with Commercial Finance to build and test the business cases, and with Customer Management, Product, Customer Communications, and FS Operations to deliver. The use of AI — whether as an enabler of new product propositions, a tool for market and customer insight, or a technology embedded in partner solutions — will increasingly shape the commercial landscape this role operates in, and an informed awareness of its potential is part of the toolkit. Hands‑on, externally credible, and commercially sharp: that’s what this role demands.
- Own and deliver the Financial Services (FS) new business growth strategy — with direct accountability for recruiting new FS customers and measurable growth outcomes, working alongside Decision Intelligence, Trade, and Marketing teams to optimise acquisition and conversion.
- Identify, evaluate, and commercialise new product areas — including open loop credit, consolidation loans, BNPL variants, and any other propositions that are commercially attractive and right for our customers — taking them from concept to launched product at pace working with internal and external technology teams.
- Set the commercial ambition for new propositions and work with the Head of New Business Risk and Risk & Compliance teams to ensure they are structured to be deliverable within regulatory parameters — maintaining ultimate accountability for the commercial outcome while relying on the risk function to shape the boundaries, not constrain the vision.
- Work with Customer Management, Product Experience, and FS Operations teams to execute new business initiatives end‑to‑end — acting as the commercial bridge between strategic intent and operational delivery.
- Build and cultivate external partnerships with financial services providers, technology platforms, and potential collaborators who can accelerate growth — representing the business with credibility and commercial authority.
- Develop and manage external distribution relationships — including aggregators, price comparison websites, brokers, introducers, and potential white‑label partners — identifying which channels offer the best quality growth, negotiating commercial terms, and managing those relationships actively to maximise performance.
- Maintain deep knowledge of the external landscape — tracking competitor.
- Provide clear direction to the Head of New Business Risk, Payments Strategy Manager, and Senior Solutions Analyst — fostering a high‑performance, solutions‑focused culture where people are selected for delivery and problem‑solving.
- Engage with Group Retail colleagues to identify cross‑divisional commercial opportunities and collaborate on solutions that grow the overall business.
- Report to the monthly Financial Services Operating Committee on delivery against growth, presenting with clarity and confidence to senior stakeholders.
- Seek out and develop new business areas beyond existing channels — identifying opportunities to extend our FS proposition into underserved consumer segments and with new retail or platform partners.
- Own the product vision and roadmap direction for new business areas, providing commercial accountability for tech development and product ownership teams as indirect reports — ensuring what is built aligns to growth strategy and is delivered on time and quality.
What skills and experience will you have?
- A strong and demonstrable commercial track record in financial services — you have owned a growth target in a competitive market, built the external relationships to deliver it, and have the numbers to prove it.
- Deep expertise in consumer lending products — credit, BNPL, payments, consolidation loans, or open loop credit — with real understanding of the product economics, delivery mechanisms, and key market players.
- Demonstrated ability to identify new business opportunities and take them from concept through to implemented solution, on time and with measurable commercial impact.
- Highly commercially aware and confident in representing the business externally — able to engage with partners, collaborators, and suppliers with credibility and authority.
- Financially rigorous — capable of building, critiquing, and presenting business cases with confidence, and appraising commercial opportunities with the discipline expected at Director level.
- Tenacious and hands‑on — you see things through, adapt when obstacles arise, and don’t wait for others to solve problems. This role requires someone who leads from the front.
- Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills — able to align cross‑functional teams around a commercial agenda and navigate complex internal and external relationships.
What’s in it for you?
- Hybrid working (2-3 days in the office at a minimum)
- Enhanced maternity and adoption leave
- Company pension with up to 8% N Brown contribution
- Mental Health support both internally and externally, including access to our wellbeing champions and counselling services
- A range of financial wellbeing support
- Stream - a financial wellbeing tool that helps you track your pay, access earnings early and manage your money with confidence
- Colleague discount across all N Brown brands
- Onsite café with subsidised rates and local restaurant discounts
- Life Assurance and Private Medical Insurance
- Paid volunteer time – all our colleagues can take a full day paid to volunteer for a charity of their choice
Our promise to you:
We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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