Senior Director - Real Estate Finance

Our Business Banking function is growing, and we’ve got big plans for the future - you’d be joining us at an exciting point on our journey as we bring our brands together. It’s a fun and fast-paced place to be, and we’re on the lookout for great people to take us to the next level. Exciting opportunities exist within our Hotel & Real Estate Finance (H&REF) team right now. If you're passionate about playing a key role in helping shape and grow our business, maximising return/reward for risk across the hotel and real estate sectors and ultimately our business portfolio, then please read on.

Our team has a successful record of lending to mid corporates, funds, Private Equity (PE) houses and family offices in the H&REF sectors. We are looking for proactive people, who are ready to make a real difference to a successful and expanding team. Providing a truly complete service, the Senior Director, H&REF will cater for our customers’ and prospects’ every banking need. In return, we’ll encourage and reward you, helping you deliver first-class customer service, while building a successful career.

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected. For this job, you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part-time, you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at our London office.

You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here. Virgin Money is now part of Nationwide. Nationwide acquired Virgin Money in October 2024. Virgin Money continues to serve customers on the high street, and there will be a phased and considered integration over the coming years. You’ll be employed by Nationwide from day one, delivering real impact and benefitting from a highly competitive range of benefits. We’re a workplace where you’re rewarded, recognised and celebrated.

The extras you’ll get include:

• Access to 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 salary sacrifice scheme
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death
• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

We forge our own path at Nationwide. As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives. If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society. We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next: If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application.

What you’ll be doing: You will take responsibility for the stewardship of a portfolio of high-net-worth, private equity and fund-backed clients within the Real Estate sector, covering operational real estate, traditional commercial assets and residential markets. The role focuses on maintaining and enhancing long-term client relationships, ensuring a deep understanding of each borrower’s business, strategy and risk profile. Through disciplined portfolio management, you will monitor performance, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and ensure lending remains aligned with the Society’s risk appetite and strategic objectives.

Working collaboratively with internal stakeholders and maintaining strong connections across the wider real estate market, you will contribute to the Society’s reputation as a trusted financial partner. You will support measured portfolio growth where appropriate, with a focus on quality, sustainability and prudent deployment of capital. Drawing on your experience and judgement, you will help ensure the portfolio delivers stable, risk-adjusted returns, while upholding high standards of client service, governance and credit discipline.

About you: As a minimum requirement you’ll have:

• Demonstrable experience in real estate-backed lending
• A proven track record of lending to, and managing relationships with, experienced real estate investors and developers
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence decision‑making and deliver efficient, high‑quality outcomes for customers
• Significant experience in driving high standards, seeking pragmatic and innovative solutions, and contributing to a best‑practice, customer‑focused service environment
• Sound understanding of business banking frameworks, including key internal stakeholders, systems and processes, particularly credit and legal processes
• Evidence of building and maintaining effective networks within the sector, including customers, advisers, sector professionals and other key stakeholders
• A high level of organisational capability, with strong analytical skills and attention to detail, enabling effective prioritisation and well‑informed decision‑making

Feel what customers feel. We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind. Say it straight. We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand. Push for better. We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development. Get it done. We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes. You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.