Associate Director - Acquisition Finance, Strategic Finance in London

Acquisition Finance is our UK-wide Leverage Finance proposition, supporting event driven transactions for owner managed and private equity backed businesses. This Associate Director role sits within the Acquisition Finance team in London, where you’ll play a key role in the origination and execution of new lending opportunities across Leveraged and Corporate transactions. Working closely with Senior Directors alongside other internal and external stakeholders, you’ll support the end-to-end deal lifecycle—from early-stage opportunity assessment and financial analysis through to credit application preparation, structuring, documentation and completion.

You’ll combine strong analytical and modelling capabilities with relationship-building skills to deliver high-quality credit submissions, manage transaction workflows, and help grow the team’s network and pipeline of new business. This role within our Acquisition Finance team is focused on supporting deal origination within a specialist lending team under Strategic Finance. The successful candidate will be required to provide support to a team of Senior Directors to screen new lending opportunities, decide which opportunities are the right opportunities to progress and then support throughout the transaction process through credit report writing, financial analysis and modelling.

We are a well-established and respected lender in the leverage finance market, with a strong and proven track record of supporting UK businesses with funding for acquisitions, refinancing, recapitalisations and growth. The team has extensive experience in executing deals and works closely with all stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes and build long-term relationships. We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best. 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.

If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. 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.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing: You’ll spend your day working as part of a deal team to review and assess new lending opportunities, looking at company information and financial data to decide which transactions are worth progressing. You’ll build detailed financial models and prepare clear credit papers that set out the risks and structure of each deal, while working closely with a Senior Director, colleagues across risk, legal and other internal teams. You’ll also speak regularly with prospect companies, private equity and advisers to gather information, answer questions and help move transactions forward, ensuring everything stays on track to meet deadlines. As deals progress, you’ll support the coordination of due diligence and documentation through to completion, while continuing to develop relationships and build your internal and external network to support future opportunities.

As a minimum, you’ll have:

• Excellent financial analysis capability, including the ability to interpret financial statements, assess risk, and build robust financial models with scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Knowledge of loan and security documentation, with experience supporting or managing documentation and due diligence processes.
• Experience engaging with external stakeholders such as customers, investors and advisers, alongside internal teams, to support origination and delivery of lending opportunities.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial information clearly and accurately.

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• 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.

The extras you’ll get: There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 25 days holiday, pro rata.
• 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.

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. 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.