Business Relationship Director - EMEA

Business Relationship Director
Location: Hybrid (London or Corby)

RS Components is seeking a Business Relationship Director for a permanent position. An IT Business Relationship Director (BRD) is a senior executive who reports to Information Services and Technology with a strong dotted line to the business unit or business function they support. BRDs understand both business and IT to drive innovation and shape demand for technology that increases business value. They coordinate IT resources and work with cross-functional teams to ensure those opportunities deliver the expected business value, acting as a point of escalation when needed. BRDs represent IT and work closely with specific business units in RS Group Regions, Accelerators, or Enabler functions (Finance, HR).

Their objective is to converge business and IT as true strategic partners and ensure business value results. The BRD role will work closely with architects, change teams, program and project managers, business analysts, infrastructure teams, and others to communicate project requirements and objectives. Their ultimate goal is to evolve culture, build strategic partnerships, and drive business value through the use of information and technology.

Key Responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Senior Vice President Global Portfolio Delivery and Operations, this role will have IT strategy and delivery responsibility for a Region, an Accelerator, or Enabler function. The Business Relationship Director will partner with business leaders to stimulate, surface, and shape demand for IT solutions and assets.
• Work with senior leaders to evolve culture and organisational behaviour, elevating IT into a strategic partner.
• Develop deep knowledge of [Region, Accelerator, Enabler] and build both horizontal and vertical relationships with business and IT leaders that deliver business impact.
• Coach business partners and enable them to articulate the technology needs and requirements in their function that will advance business performance.
• Act as the principal technology advisor to [Region, Accelerator, Enabler] and a champion for identifying, leading, and driving information technology transformation.
• Ensure that [Region, Accelerator, Enabler] strategy and key performance indicators are identified and leveraged for effective IT demand shaping.
• Partner with enterprise architects to develop technology enablement business capability roadmaps.
• Partner with business and IT leaders to evaluate proposals, build business cases, and plan new joint initiatives.
• Partner with business analysts to ensure that essential business requirements are understood, captured, and reflected in solution documentation.
• Partner with business transformation or change management teams to ensure that the business unit or function can implement changes required by new technology solutions.
• Ensure that project/program managers and IT staff assigned to projects are knowledgeable about the business unit or function, business partner(s), and their objectives.
• Ensure delivery of new technology solutions and capabilities in accordance with the roadmap.
• Share ownership of the business value results of technology-related projects; measure and communicate business value results regularly.
• Bring outside-in or fresh perspectives into the organisation by routinely meeting with end customers/consumers, industry peers, and other external sources.
• Ensure continuous improvement in value optimisation, IT performance, and business processes where applicable.
• Proactively identify business capability and IT service gaps and contribute to improvement efforts.
• Develop value-adding BRM professional maturity, individually and for the entire function.

About You:

The ideal candidate will be instrumental in advancing IT's strategic impact by surfacing, shaping, and stimulating business demand. This role ensures that the organisation can identify, capture, and optimise potential business value from that demand. A strong Business Relationship Director will unify cross-functional teams, breaking down organisational silos to maximize value, and foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and shared ownership across the enterprise.

What you'll need:

• A minimum of 10 years' experience in information technology.
• A minimum of 5 years' experience facilitating the development and implementation of business initiatives.
• Demonstrated track record of creating technology solutions to solve business problems.
• Strong collaboration, teamwork and relationship building skills across multiple levels and functions.
• Ability to listen, build rapport, and credibility as a strategic partner.
• A strategic thinker focused on business value results that utilise technical solutions.
• Ability to set expectations with business partners and leverage governance for a positive experience.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with and influence C-level executives.
• Exceptional ability to lead change using positive and collaborative methods.
• Skilled at conflict resolution and problem-solving.
• Strong communication skills in writing, speaking, and presenting.
• Able to communicate technical or complex subject matter in business terms.
• Demonstrated acumen and passion for business and technology.
• Understands the IT industry, emerging technologies, and trends.
• Highly self-motivated and accepts ownership.
• Ability to attract, develop and retain talent.

The extras you'll get:

At RS, as well as the usual employee benefits, including annual performance bonus, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, private healthcare, we have introduced a number of new Family Friendly Policies.

• Help for people to take control of ongoing Health conditions.
• Support for Neurodiverse colleagues and families.
• Support for Women at different life stages.
• Helping our LGBTQ+ community.
• Additions to Fertility coverage.

We are RS

At RS, we've been solving engineering problems for over 80 years. Our purpose? Making amazing happen for a better world.

Come and join us and we'll help you to think big, do more and unleash your brilliance.