Director | Debt Finance - Real Estate & Trading Businesses
OakNorth · London, United Kingdom · 2mo ago
ABOUT US
At OakNorth, we're on a mission to empower the UK's most ambitious businesses. Since 2015, we've lent over $21 billion across the UK and US, helped create more than 58,000 new homes and 36,000 new jobs, and supported hundreds of thousands of personal savers — all while fuelling the UK economy. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic, fast-growing bank known for challenging the status quo. We're not looking for just another cog in the wheel — we want bold thinkers and proactive self-starters who are eager to shape their own careers while supporting the UK's most driven business leaders.
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'LL BE A GREAT FIT IF YOU HAVE…
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