Job Description
Director of RIsk / Director of Structured Finance
Our client is a well-backed start-up who are building a new world financing platform for the digital economy, combining deep industry expertise, robust risk and data models, and AI-native underwriting. They are now looking for a Director of Structured Finance to join the team, as the most senior risk voice. This role can be based in London or New York.
You will be responsible for building and owning the company's end-to-end risk management framework - from transaction-level risk assessment through portfolio monitoring and early warning systems. Working in collaboration with the origination, legal, and finance teams, you will have a meaningful impact on deal structuring, the product offering and how your domain expertise is integrated into the underwriting platform. This is a high-impact, highly visible role with direct exposure to senior leadership, clients, and the risk committee.
What you will be doing:
– Partner with origination teams on deal qualification, ensuring risk considerations are integrated from initial screening through closing.
– Own and continuously evolve the risk management framework, including risk appetite, policies, concentration limits, and governance processes.
– Build and maintain portfolio risk monitoring infrastructure: early warning indicators, covenant compliance tracking, performance triggers, and stress testing.
– Develop quantitative risk models to assess probability of default, loss given default, and expected loss across the portfolio.
– Prepare and present risk assessments, investment memoranda, and portfolio reports to the risk committee and senior leadership.
– Serve as a key contributor in negotiations with financial partners and prospects.
– Lead counterparty risk and concentration risk analysis at both deal and portfolio level.
– Collaborate with legal counsel on risk-protective transaction documentation, including term sheets, credit agreements, and covenant packages.
What you will bring:
– Experience in risk management and/or structured finance, or specialty lending — Top Tier Banks or large-scale alternative lending platform strongly preferred.
– Proven independent ownership of a risk framework at a credit provider.
– Prior exposure to B2C digital business models and performance marketing economics (LTV, CAC, payback periods) as core risk inputs is a significant advantage.
– Experience in risk assessment or structuring of complex transactions (multiple lenders, multiple geographies, complex legal framework ) with embedded risk controls.
– Track record presenting risk frameworks and portfolio assessments to risk/investment committees or boards.
– Ability to design risk-protective covenant packages, trigger mechanisms, and reporting frameworks within transaction documentation.
– Clear communicator - able to translate complex risk positions into concise memos and recommendations for non-technical stakeholders.
– Comfortable operating in fast-paced fintech environments where risk frameworks must be built, not inherited.
Please apply with your CV (NB no sponsorship can be offered at this stage).
Director of Risk in London employer: EC1 Partners
EC1 Partners is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration among talented professionals in the heart of London. With a strong focus on employee growth, we provide ample opportunities for skill development and career advancement, all while working on cutting-edge high-frequency trading technologies that make a significant impact in the financial markets.
