At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead high-impact lending transactions in real estate and trading businesses.
- Company: Join OakNorth, a dynamic team focused on empowering ambitious businesses.
- Benefits: Equity stake, 25 days holiday, private medical insurance, and personalised benefits.
- Other info: Enjoy a collaborative culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by supporting innovative businesses with better banking solutions.
- Qualifications: Strong background in SME lending, financial analysis, and excellent communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 120000 £ per year.
About The Team
Our Debt Finance team sits at the heart of OakNorth's front‑office lending activity. We work directly with entrepreneurs, sponsors and intermediaries to originate and execute high‑quality transactions across trading businesses (cashflow lending), real estate and operational real estate. The team is fast‑paced, collaborative and deeply commercial — driven by a shared belief that ambitious businesses deserve better banking.
About The Role
This is a high‑impact front‑office Director role focused on originating, structuring and executing lending transactions across trading businesses and real estate. You will take full ownership of transactions from first conversation through to credit approval and completion, working directly with entrepreneurs, sponsors and intermediaries to drive OakNorth's mission of empowering the UK's most ambitious businesses.
What You'll Do
- Originate, structure and execute transactions that meet OakNorth's lending requirements across trading businesses, real estate and operational real estate.
- Manage and further develop existing customer relationships, while identifying new opportunities and building OakNorth's profile with SMEs, KBIs, advisors and private equity firms.
- Spread financial accounts, build financial models and prepare high‑quality credit memorandums — including forecasted cash flows and sensitivities to assess debt capacity and repayment.
- Structure transactions appropriately and present full credit reports to the sanctioning authority, ensuring documentation is in accordance with credit‑approved terms.
- Drive innovation in the product proposition to improve customer experience while maintaining asset quality, and meet team and individual targets set by OakNorth ExCo, CEO and the Board.
You're a great fit if
- In-depth understanding of SME lending, real estate and trading businesses, with strong credit, financial analysis and modelling skills — including the ability to write structured, high‑quality credit papers.
- Experience in analysing senior, stretched senior and mezzanine cashflow unsecured transactions, and presenting credit cases to a credit committee.
- Excellent communication and customer‑facing skills, with a good understanding of business strategy, banking products and a strong grasp of IFRS 9; degree in Finance, Commerce or equivalent.
- Nice to have: Legal documentation skills and experience managing transactions through to completion.
- Established network with SMEs, private equity firms, intermediaries or real estate sponsors in the UK market.
What we offer
- Equity — we want everyone to have a stake in the business so our interests are aligned.
- 25 days holiday plus personalised benefits — opt in to what matters to you.
- Subsidised private medical insurance with Bupa.
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
- Wellbeing and social events, plus in‑house Barista Bar in the London office.
- Volunteering time off to support causes that matter to you.
- Salary sacrifice schemes — cycle to work, nursery, gym and electric car scheme.
