Senior Business Developer - Banking

Senior Business Developer — Financial Markets Recruitment

Senior level - EMEA · US

City Elite Transaction Services

Remote with travel when required

UK - Permanent

We are expanding our business development capability and are seeking a commercially driven Senior Business Developer to identify, win, and grow client relationships exclusively within the banking sector across EMEA and the Americas.

The opportunity

Working closely with our specialist desk heads, you will position City Elite Transaction Services as a trusted recruitment partner to banking clients — converting relationships into long-term, high-value mandates across front, middle, and back office disciplines.

• Identify and target senior hiring managers, HR business partners, and procurement contacts at investment banks, commercial banks, and wholesale banking institutions
• Lead outbound BD campaigns and inbound conversion across EMEA and the US banking markets
• Develop and manage a pipeline of new business opportunities, tracking progress from first contact through to signed terms and first placement
• Negotiate and secure preferred supplier agreements and framework contracts with banking clients
• Conduct discovery calls to understand client hiring needs and position our specialist capability across sales, trading, risk, compliance, operations, and technology functions
• Collaborate with desk consultants to ensure a seamless transition from client win to delivery
• Represent City Elite Transaction Services at industry events, banking forums, and through social and digital channels
• Maintain accurate CRM records and pipeline reporting, feeding into monthly commercial reviews
• Contribute to the firm's banking sector strategy and market positioning

• Proven track record in business development within a banking or financial markets-focused recruitment consultancy
• Demonstrable experience winning and developing client relationships with investment banks, commercial banks, or wholesale banking institutions
• Experience operating across UAE is needed (US/UK/EU banking markets would be advantageous)
• Comfortable engaging at Director, MD, and C-suite level within banking organisations
• Strong understanding of banking hiring
• Consistent individual billing or revenue generation history in a recruitment BD capacity

• Commercial instinct — you can spot an opportunity and move quickly
• Credibility — you understand the banking market you sell into
• Relationship-led approach — you build trust, not volume
• Resilience and self-motivation — you own your pipeline
• Collaborative — you work closely with delivery teams
• Clear and confident communicator at all levels

• Competitive base salary reflective of seniority and territory
• Commission structure with strong earning potential
• Autonomy to shape and execute your BD strategy within the banking sector
• Access to an established network of banking clients and specialist candidates
• Collaborative, specialist team environment — no volume-shop culture
• Clear pathway to senior leadership as the firm scales

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit their CV and a brief note on their BD territory and banking client focus to the City Elite Transaction Services team. We welcome applications from candidates with experience across any of our target markets: EMEA or United States.