Marine Business Development Director

Advert close date: 30th April 2026

Purpose of Role: As Business Development Director, you will lead The Crown Estate’s (TCE) efforts to diversify seabed use and integrate business development opportunity across the SBU, supporting TCE’s ambition to be a leading organisation in sustainable seabed management. You will work with sector and specialist teams to identify and develop innovative, commercially viable, and environmentally responsible opportunities that align with strategic goals and regulatory frameworks.

In this role, you will shape and deliver Marine innovation and investment strategies that accelerate seabed diversification and integrate opportunity across the SBU— building a coherent, prioritised pipeline from idea through to delivery. You will also work with the digital and marine teams to commercialise TCE’s intellectual property, products and advisory capability where this supports strategic outcomes and creates sustainable value.

Additionally, you will play a pivotal role in building capability across the Marine team—sharing market insight and horizon scanning (UK and, where relevant, international), fostering internal collaboration, and ensuring alignment across functions to maximise the long-term value and resilience of seabed assets.

Main accountabilities:

• Working with the sectors to identify and pursue business development opportunities that diversify seabed use on Crown Estate land

• Develop and implement an innovation strategy that supports market creation, business scale-up, and technology leadership

• Identify, develop, and commercialise TCE’s marine IP and products, creating new revenue streams

• Develop and commercialise (if viable) an international advisory offering, including its marketing, delivery model, and resourcing

• In partnership with the Marine Strategy Director Deliver the international strategy, coordinating learning, innovation, and commercial opportunities, and positioning TCE as a global leader

• Play a key role in informing and delivering the Marine investment strategy

• Coordinate the opportunity and product pipeline for the Marine Delivery Routemap, ensuring alignment, prioritisation, and strategic coherence across the SBU (sector, Strategy & Operations/Planning, and Technical), with a clear line of sight from seabed diversification opportunities to investable and deliverable initiatives

• Act as a focal point for cross-SBU integration of seabed diversification opportunities—connecting sector strategies, innovation activity, investment priorities and delivery plans to maximise overall value and avoid duplication

• Work with the sector teams to shape TCE’s strategy on new cross-border opportunities such as Energy Islands, Multi-Purpose Interconnectors

• Collaborate closely with internal teams to ensure alignment and avoid duplication with other strategic or operational roles

Most important skills based requirements:

• Demonstrated experience in driving international growth, business development, stakeholder engagement, and innovation

• Strong understanding of marine sectors and policy in the UK and internationally

• Proven experience in identifying and delivering multi-dimensional value (financial, social, environmental) through strategic business development initiatives

• Expertise in leasing, auctions and spatial planning/modelling

• Experience commercialising advisory services (e.g. from international consulting)

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, enabling impactful engagement

• Familiarity with sustainability principles and their integration into international strategies

Our Offering / benefits:

As well as a competitive salary, pension and performance related bonus offering, we have a wealth of benefits available ranging from flexible working; market leading family policies and shopping discounts in the West End, to private healthcare; life and critical illness cover and 28 days holiday with the option to buy more. We value work life balance and your wellbeing highly, enabling you to be your best self to work.

Disability Disclaimer:

We are a proud disability confident employer and operate the offer of interview scheme Disability Confident employer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We are happy to offer alternative application methods or formats and can be flexible on our process to enable you to have the best opportunity.

If you have any questions about our recruitment process or would like to talk about adjustments, please contact us directly.