Assistant Vice President, Structured Finance & Securitisation Counsel/Lawyer

Morningstar DBRS’ European Structured Finance team is looking for a highly motivated, team‑oriented lawyer to serve as Assistant Vice President in London. The role focuses on legal analysis and collaboration with rating analysts to assign ratings to European structured credit transactions and fund finance transactions, including SME CLOs, Private Credit CLOs, Credit Fund ABL loans, Feeder Fund debt and Subscription Loans.

The ideal candidate holds a law degree and has experience with structured and/or fund finance transactions across multiple European jurisdictions such as the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France, gained either at a law firm or as in‑house counsel. They bring strong legal and reputational risk awareness, financial literacy, commercial acumen and the ability to communicate complex legal and rating criteria to internal and external stakeholders.

Job Responsibilities

• Review loan and transaction documents in the context of structured finance and fund finance debt issuances to ensure consistency with DBRS methodologies.
• Support and advise analysts and the rating committee on legal aspects that may affect credit ratings.
• Communicate DBRS’s position on legal matters to issuers and relevant third parties.
• Engage and manage the document‑review process of external counsel, when appointed.
• Provide day‑to‑day legal analysis support to rating analysts and other members of the structured finance legal team by interpreting and analysing documentation.
• Summarise legal terms of complex documentation (term‑sheets, prospectuses, cash‑management agreements) for rating committees and other team members, presenting them in a concise manner.
• Assist in the preparation and review of rating reports and related documentation.
• Conduct research and analysis on legal issues, including newly enacted legislation, related to structured finance and fund finance issuances.
• Monitor legislative and case‑law developments and advise on changes as appropriate.
• Support drafting of legal criteria and commentaries and contribute to the development of rating methodologies as required.
• Represent DBRS in meetings with market participants and at industry events.

Qualifications

• University degree in law with strong academic credentials.
• 5+ years of experience in European structured finance and/or fund finance at a recognised law firm or in‑house counsel.
• Fluency in English with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proactive, adaptable and able to work effectively both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong prioritisation and multitask management, balancing long‑term projects and urgent daily work with attention to detail.
• Permission to live and work in the United Kingdom; occasional European travel may be required.
• Knowledge of rating agency methodologies and understanding of multiple jurisdictions’ legal frameworks is desirable.
• Fluency in another European language is a plus.
• Knowledge of analytical programming languages (e.g. VBA, Python) is desirable.

Base Salary and Compensation

Base salary range: GBP 67,500.00‑98,500.00 per year. Target bonus of up to 20% of base salary, depending on qualifications, experience and other job‑related factors.

Other Benefits

Morningstar’s hybrid work environment offers a flexible model that includes four days in‑office per week. Additional benefits are available to enhance flexibility as needs change and provide tools and resources for meaningful collaboration with global colleagues.

EEO Statement

Morningstar is strongly committed to creating and preserving equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We make all employment decisions—including recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination and other personnel matters—without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship, gender identity and expression, parental status or other legally protected characteristics or conduct.