Chief Business Development Officer

ARI is seeking a dynamic Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) to spearhead our global expansion strategy. This pivotal role sits at the core of ARI’s ambitious growth agenda—blending strategic foresight with commercial acumen to identify new business opportunities, shape long-term success, and elevate our presence in the ever-evolving world of travel retail.

As  Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO), you will be instrumental in charting the course for ARI’s future—leading high-impact initiatives, cultivating strategic alliances, and driving innovation across borders. If you're ready to make a lasting impact on a global scale, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead ARI’s global Business Development strategy, aligning growth ambitions with market trends and long-term commercial goals.
• Identify and evaluate new markets, channels, and partnership opportunities, with a focus on innovation, scalability, and strategic fit.
• Drive market entry strategies and oversee their successful implementation across key regions, ensuring alignment with ARI’s global vision.
• Champion internal engagement, clearly communicating the business development strategy across ARI and with key daa and daai stakeholders.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to measure the impact and effectiveness of business development initiatives.
• Deliver regular insights and performance updates to senior leadership, supporting data-driven decision-making.
• Support expansion and retention efforts across ARI’s existing footprint, working closely with the COO and General Managers to strengthen local market positions.
• Lead re-tendering and new tender responses, ensuring compelling, high-quality submissions that reflect ARI’s brand and capabilities.
• Build and nurture high-value relationships with airport authorities, potential partners, distributors, and global brands—positioning ARI as the partner of choice.
• Collaborate with key service providers, including store design and documentation agencies, to support seamless delivery of new business.
• Represent ARI at senior-level negotiations and industry forums, enhancing visibility, influence, and strategic positioning.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of new business opportunities, from market analysis and stakeholder engagement to contract negotiation and handover.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver new business initiatives, ensuring alignment across commercial, operational, and support functions.
• Own the bid process end-to-end, coordinating inputs from across the business to deliver compelling, strategic, and commercially sound proposals. 

Qualifications

• Extensive senior-level experience (7+ years) in business development or commercial leadership roles, ideally with a global remit and within a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
• Deep knowledge of airport retail, including concession models, passenger behaviour, and regulatory frameworks, with a strong grasp of what drives success in this unique sector.
• Exceptional relationship builder, with the ability to influence, collaborate, and navigate complex stakeholder environments—both internally and externally.
• Commercially sharp, with a proven ability to assess opportunities, evaluate risk, and shape strategies that deliver long-term value.
• Strong communicator, able to clearly articulate complex ideas and proposals to a wide range of audiences, from boardroom to bid room.
• Experienced in leading high-stakes tenders, with a track record of managing complex submissions and securing major contracts.
• Strategic thinker and hands-on leader, with the ability to inspire cross-functional teams and drive initiatives from concept to execution.
• Highly organised and detail-oriented, with the agility to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, global environment.
• Willing and able to travel internationally (up to 50%) to support business development efforts and represent ARI on the global stage.
• Passion for Retail Innovation  

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Desired Attributes

Knowledge of the Global Travel Retail industry preferred 

About UsWe're an airport industry leader with operations in four continents and over 3000 employees working together to ensure we deliver the best services for all our customers globally. We are a fast paced, energetic and diverse company. Offering careers that range from IT, Finance, Technical, Airport Operations to frontline security and customer focused roles and many more. Whether you are starting your career or looking for your next move, we have lots of great opportunities to choose from. About the TeamARI is one of the world’s longest established and experienced global travel retail companies. With expertise in developing business in new and existing markets, ARI owns and manages retail outlets in 27 airports in 14 countries throughout Europe, The Middle East, Asia Pacific, and North America. From opening the world’s first duty free in Shannon Airport in 1947, ARI now employs over 3,500 people worldwide and manages a turnover in excess of €1 billion.  ARI is part of the Irish government-owned daa group.