Senior Business Development Manager - Retail & Surface Access

About the role

We’re looking for a Senior Business Development Manager – Retail & Surface Access to join the Commercial team at Edinburgh Airport. This is a senior position which will play a key role in expanding the airport’s retail and land-based transport business partnership portfolio, increasing commercial revenue whilst upholding sustainability practices to encourage long-term growth.

The role will manage a significant portfolio across Duty Free, Retail, Food & Beverage, Car Rental, Bus, Tram, Taxis and Coach park. The individual will build lasting relationships with business partners and internal teams, advancing both commercial outcomes and the experience of our passengers.

The airport is at an exciting point in its history as we look ahead to annual passenger numbers increasing to over 20 million by 2030 and even more beyond. To satisfy this growth, the footprint of the airport will across almost every area.

This role will support that transformation by shaping future commercial opportunities across terminal developments and passenger infrastructure projects, ensuring commercial requirements are embedded into development plans and aligned to the airport’s long-term growth ambitions.

We’re looking for an agile, commercially focused individual who is excited about joining a successful, high-performing team with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of an iconic national asset. This role will be primarily based at Edinburgh Airport, with some travel required, and we are happy to discuss this further at interview stage.

About the recruitment process

The recruitment process will involve an initial interview discussion over Teams followed by an in-person interview. Our in person interview will involve a task or presentation, to be confirmed upon invite to interview – a chance for you to demonstrate your enthusiasm for bringing your strategic commercial thinking to support Edinburgh Airport’s growth!

To support the process, we will also ask you to complete an Insights Discovery profile.

Please note, depending on the volume of applications, the recruitment process for this role may change. We are committed to supporting diverse ways of thinking and working, so if you require adjustments in the recruitment process, please let us know on your application. You can find out more about our interview process here.

What you'll be doing

The Senior Business Development Manager – Retail & Surface Access will be responsible for driving growth across a broad portfolio of retail, food and beverage, and surface transport business partners. The role will oversee a commercial contract roadmap of 100+ concession contracts, lead competitive bid and negotiation processes, and represent Commercial on key capital and transformation projects.

Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to) the following:

Commercial Portfolio & Growth

Manage partner relationships and the commercial contract roadmap of 100+ concession contracts across retail and transport categories

Drive revenue growth across Duty Free, Retail, Food & Beverage, Car Rental, Bus, Tram, Taxis and Coach park

Shape future commercial opportunities across terminal developments and passenger infrastructure projects

Identify innovative concepts, brands and transport solutions that enhance passenger experience and support long-term airport growth ambitions

Bids, Negotiation & Contract Delivery

Lead competitive bid processes, negotiations and contract completion activities

Develop clear strategic negotiation plans that support strong commercial outcomes

Negotiate commercial deals and concession agreements with current and prospective business partners

Manage the contract roadmap with strong prioritisation, clear governance and disciplined follow-through

Draft and present clear board papers and recommendations to support decision-making

Transformation & Capital Projects

Represent Commercial and lead workstreams on key capital and transformation projects

Work closely with Capital Projects and Operational teams to ensure commercial requirements are embedded into future development plans

Provide commercial input into the design and delivery of terminal developments and passenger infrastructure projects

Influence key stakeholders at Executive and Board level through clear, evidence-based recommendations

Stakeholder Collaboration

Build and maintain strong relationships with concessionaires, transport operators and internal stakeholders

Develop strong, collaborative working relationships across Commercial, Capital Projects and Operational teams to support integrated delivery

Work with partners to identify new concepts, brands and transport solutions that support the airport’s future commercial proposition

Demonstrate the agility to identify, lead and support new commercial initiatives that arise in a growing, fast-paced environment