Senior Associate - Real Estate Debt Transactions in Manchester

Seaford Finance LLP is a leading provider of real estate funding solutions, with 28 years of expertise in the UK and European markets. As a client-driven business, we specialise in crafting bespoke financial solutions for transactions across all asset classes, ranging from SME to CRE, located in the UK and the EU. Leveraging a vast network of international lenders and institutions, we connect borrowers and lenders to support diverse financing needs, including development and investment projects. We operate in a space where reputation is the product, and every deal either builds or erodes it.

We are now expanding our execution team to meet growing demand across UK and European markets, with an increasing focus on international capital deployment into UK real estate debt. This is an execution role with genuine commercial exposure. You will work directly alongside the sales team and senior operational team to structure and close real estate debt transactions from mandate to drawdown. You will own deals and manage them with precision and pace, as the quality of your work shapes the quality of the firm's reputation.

Responsibilities will include:

• Gathering information from the extremely busy sales team about clients' needs.
• Breaking down complex investment scenarios and acting proactively to unlock financing options that attend clients' needs and foster their portfolio's growth.
• Preparing clients' pitch for the sales team.
• Monitoring lending transactions from credit approval to drawdown.

MUST HAVE Requirements

We are direct and transparent about what this role requires. If you do not have the following, this is not the right opportunity at this stage:

• Minimum 4 years of hands-on execution experience in UK real estate debt (structuring, underwriting, and advisory) with a proven track record of deals completed (mainly in the CRE arena).
• Solid working knowledge of the UK development and investment lending process: property valuations, HoTs, shopping lists, credit approval mechanics, and drawdown conditions.
• Proficiency in funding structures including SPVs and, ideally, syndication.
• Experience conducting KYC/AML due diligence on qualified investors, including overseas or cross-border counterparties.
• Ability to build robust financial models quickly and present deal economics clearly to varied audiences.
• Project Management Skills (Agile and Waterfall).

DESIRABLE Requirements

• Credit approval process experience gained from inside a real estate lender (bank, specialist lender, or debt fund).
• Exposure to EU real estate transactions or cross-border capital deployment.
• Experience structuring investment funds or vehicles in offshore jurisdictions.
• Knowledge of the US real estate investment market.
• Familiarity with international family office capital and how it moves into UK or European real estate.

Languages:

• Native or fluent (C2) in at least one of the following, in addition to English: French, Italian, Spanish, or German.

Qualifications

• Degree in Finance, Real Estate, Economics, Law, or a related field.
• A relevant professional qualification (CFA, RICS, or equivalent) is desirable, not a requirement.
• Legal training or background is genuinely valued.

Skills

• You take ownership of a deal and do not let it drift (pace and precision are non-negotiable).
• You communicate with clarity across counterparties: lenders, lawyers, and colleagues.
• You manage multiple live transactions simultaneously without losing detail on any of them.
• You are intellectually rigorous and commercially aware, so you understand what your analysis means for the deal, not just what the numbers say.
• You are comfortable with ambiguity and can make sound judgements when the brief is incomplete.

What We Offer

• Salary: £62,000– £78,000, set against demonstrated experience and deal track record.
• Bonus: Discretionary, reviewed yearly basis.
• Pension: Employer contribution scheme.
• Professional development: Discretionary support for relevant qualifications may be considered for the right candidate.
• Exposure: Full deal lifecycle visibility alongside senior leadership team on complex, cross-border mandates that are structurally inaccessible in a larger institutional environment.

Location: Full-time, on-site at our Prestwich office. This is a relationship-intensive role and we value proximity to the team. We are not in a position to sponsor work visas.

Applications: We recruit directly. We are not working with agencies on this position and will only consider direct applications. Seaford Finance LLP is committed to equal opportunity. We assess candidates on capability, character, and track record.