Commercial Real Estate Executive Director in London

About this role: As a senior member of the deal team, the Commercial Real Estate Executive Director is responsible for leading the underwriting, execution, and active management of a diversified CRE portfolio across direct lending and structured finance (including repo and note-on-note exposures) across the UK and Europe. This role combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership, requiring the ability to originate and execute complex transactions, proactively manage portfolio risk, and influence decision-making across senior stakeholders. The position plays a critical role in driving disciplined risk management, portfolio performance, and business growth across CRE EMEA within the Global Commercial Real Estate platform.

In this role, you will:

• Transaction Leadership & Underwriting
  • Lead the underwriting and execution of complex CRE transactions across property types (industrial, office, retail, hospitality, data centres, and living sectors) and facility types (construction, bridge, and term lending).
  • Own end-to-end transaction delivery, including structuring, due diligence, documentation, and closing, in partnership with legal, compliance, and capital markets teams.
  • Oversee and challenge detailed financial analysis, including cash flow modelling, leverage metrics, sponsor evaluation, and downside stress scenarios.
  • Provide critical oversight of third-party diligence (appraisals, environmental, insurance, property condition, tax), ensuring outputs are rigorously assessed and reflected in risk and structuring decisions.
  • Lead the preparation and presentation of investment and credit materials, advocating recommendations in governance forums (e.g., credit and investment committees).
  • Maintain deep market insight across CRE sectors and geographies, incorporating macro trends and local dynamics into underwriting decisions.
  • Experience in structured finance across repo and NoN platforms, with expertise in underwriting, asset eligibility, and the operational and regulatory frameworks governing these facilities.
• Portfolio Management & Risk Oversight
  • Provide strategic oversight of a portfolio of CRE loans and structured exposures, including repo and back-leverage positions.
  • Drive proactive portfolio risk management, identifying emerging risks, thematic trends, and opportunities across sectors and structures.
  • Actively manage risk-weighted returns and capital efficiency across the portfolio, incorporating capital allocation, return thresholds, and balance sheet optimisation into transaction and portfolio-level decision-making.
  • Lead portfolio reviews (quarterly and annual), with a focus on credit performance, covenant compliance, and asset-level developments.
  • Approve and oversee key portfolio events, including amendments, restructurings, extensions, and complex borrower requests.
  • Lead complex and often sensitive borrower negotiations, including restructurings, amendments, extensions, and consent requests, balancing relationship management with disciplined risk outcomes.
  • Ensure strong governance across portfolio processes (e.g., construction draws, waterfalls), maintaining robust risk and control standards.
  • Deliver clear, forward-looking portfolio reporting and insights to senior management, including watchlist and sector-level analysis.
• Stakeholder Management & Leadership
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to senior internal stakeholders across credit, risk, legal, and executive leadership.
  • Maintain and develop senior external relationships with sponsors, borrowers, investors, and counterparties.
  • Demonstrate strong executive presence and the ability to navigate challenging conversations across internal and external stakeholders.
  • Partner closely with coverage bankers and capital markets teams to align underwriting, structuring, and execution priorities.
  • Contribute to platform strategy, pipeline management, and broader business planning initiatives across CRE EMEA.
  • Mentor and develop junior team members, ensuring consistent underwriting standards and supporting talent progression.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Management, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, education.
• Management or leadership experience.
• Extensive experience in commercial real estate lending, structured credit, or investment banking, with demonstrated progression into senior roles.
• Deep expertise in CRE underwriting, credit structuring, and portfolio management across a range of asset classes and market cycles.
• Proven ability to lead complex transactions and influence credit decisions at senior governance levels.
• Advanced financial modelling capabilities, including the ability to review, challenge, and validate models.
• Strong commercial judgment and risk assessment capability, with experience managing stressed or complex credit scenarios.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting in senior forums (e.g., investment or risk committees).
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring and developing junior professionals.
• Experience operating across pan-European platforms, with an understanding of regional market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and cross-border execution.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience operating within a global platform, with cross-regional collaboration.
• Experience with structured finance products, including repo, CMBS, and securitisation structures.

Job Expectations:

This position is deemed to be a Certified Person function under the FCA and PRA Certification Regime. You must at all times remain fit and proper to perform your role, and this will be assessed on at least an annual basis.

In addition to the responsibilities summarised in your job description, you are also required to comply at all times with the FCA/PRA Conduct Rules:

• You must act with integrity.
• You must act with due skill, care and diligence.
• You must be open and cooperative with the FCA, the PRA and other regulators.
• You must pay due regard to the interests of customers and treat them fairly.
• You must observe proper standards of market conduct.