Senior Director in Leeds

Business Unit: Business Banking, Strategic Finance

Salary range: £76,000 - £95,000 per annum DOE + benefits

Location: UK Hybrid - Leeds/ Newcastle

Contract type: Permanent

Virgin Money has grown, and we have big plans for the future. It is a fast-paced place to be, and we are looking for great people to take us to the next level. Exciting opportunities exist within our Strategic Finance team in Yorkshire and the North-East.

As a Senior Director in Corporate Banking, you’ll play a pivotal role in maintaining a strong market presence and proactively driving and implementing the Bank’s strategy in providing senior debt for corporate transactions. You will be responsible for sourcing and delivering new lending opportunities and customers for the Bank, generating additional income and strong returns, and maintaining and deepening relationships with Introducers across the market. We are looking for dynamic people who are ready to make a real difference. The role is far-reaching and will allow the role holder to obtain a considerable profile both externally and internally within the business. We’ll encourage and reward you, help you to win transactions, whilst building a successful career.

What you’ll be doing:

• Driving the development and implementation of the corporate banking strategy, including the achievement of business development and growth in line with the business bank’s strategic agenda.
• Building and strengthening market presence, positioning the Bank as a trusted provider of senior debt for corporate transactions and securing high-quality lending opportunities.
• Structuring and presenting complex corporate lending proposals, leveraging deep financial analysis and management assessment to support robust credit decisions.
• Championing risk management and compliance, maintaining strict adherence to the Bank’s Risk Appetite to minimize exposure to bad and doubtful debt.
• Fostering collaboration and capability within the Strategic Finance team, including working in close partnership with Acquisition Finance colleagues, sharing expertise across the wider team, and providing coaching to drive collective performance.
• Staying ahead of market trends, maintaining expert knowledge of economic conditions and the corporate finance landscape to inform strategic decisions.
• Delivering strong organisational and project leadership, partnering with the Strategic Finance Leadership Team to maximise income and optimise ROE.
• Acting as an ambassador for Virgin Money, demonstrating enterprise-wide behaviours and reinforcing brand values in every market interaction.

We need you to have:

• Proven experience within financial services, with up-to-date knowledge of UK markets and relevant regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrable corporate finance experience, with a strong track record of structuring and executing complex lending transactions.
• Hands-on experience working with club banks and similar institutions, including participation in multi-bank lending arrangements.
• Proven knowledge of regional lending markets with evidence of converting market insight into high quality, new to bank lending opportunities through strong credit judgement.
• Established external network, with a track record of leveraging relationships to originate, structure, and close details.
• Strong communication and influencing experience, with evidence of building credibility quickly and managing complex or challenging stakeholder conversations.
• End to end deal management experience, including preparation of detailed credit papers, stakeholder negotiations, oversight of due diligence, legal documentation (LMA), and transaction completion.
• Demonstrable experience working collaboratively within teams, contributing through knowledge sharing, coaching, and collective delivery.
• Proven ability to perform under pressure, consistently meeting tight deadlines with resilience and initiative.
• Experience operating effectively in complex, fast changing environments, applying flexible and pragmatic problem-solving approaches.
• Advanced financial analysis and modelling experience, using current tools and techniques to support credit and deal decision making.

It’s a bonus if you have but not essential:

• Business Degree and relevant vocational financial services qualification – e.g. Chartered Institute of Bankers, Chartered Accountant etc.;
• In-depth understanding of risk and compliance requirements in line with the role.

Red Hot Rewards:

• 25 days holiday per year, increasing over time to 30. Plus, an option to buy more, giving you even more choice.
• Private medical insurance.
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement.
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus.
• Training and development to help you progress your career.
• A great selection of additional benefits through our flexible benefits scheme.
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year.

If we’re lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early. Please ensure to submit your applications as soon as possible.

Virgin Money is so much more than just a bank. As part of the Nationwide group, together we’re the UK’s first full-service mutual bank serving millions of retail and business customers and all driven by our purpose: Banking but fairer, more rewarding and for the good of society. With us, you’ll be part of an organisation uniquely positioned to make a difference to the lives of customers, communities and broader society and embark on a collaborative, customer obsessed, and fun-filled career journey.

At Virgin Money, we celebrate everyone. We have fun, think big, and relentlessly include each other, all in pursuit of our purpose: Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute, speak up and be heard.

Please note: If we receive a high volume of eligible applications, we may need to prioritise candidates whose skills and experience most closely align with the role, while still ensuring fair and equitable consideration for all applicants.

Now the legal bit: We’re in the process of bringing Virgin Money and Nationwide together which, subject to Court approval, will happen on 2 April 2026. You can find out more about what this means at the Virgin Money transfer page. If you’re successful in securing a role with us, your employment will move automatically to Nationwide when this transfer goes ahead. Although some of our roles allow you to be based anywhere in the UK, we will need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If you're successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years' worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre-employment checks – we’ll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you'll be subject to periodic employment checks.