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Credit Director – Trading Businesses

OakNorth
Full-time
On-site
London, United Kingdom
Management & Leadership
We are currently looking for a confident, experienced and commercially minded Credit Director to join our Credit Risk team—a central part of our mission to support ambitious UK trading businesses.

In this important position, you’ll take a hands-on approach to reviewing and challenging new lending proposals from a wide variety of Corporate/SME trading businesses. You’ll provide clear, thoughtful recommendations to our Credit Committee, ensuring lending decisions are both well-informed and aligned with the Bank’s credit risk appetite.

You won’t be behind the scenes—you’ll be actively involved in meetings and Credit Committees with borrowers, leading the right questions and getting to the core of each proposal to help shape sound, strategic lending decisions.

Key Responsibilites:

    • Work with and professionally challenge our Debt Finance Origination team and Credit Analytics team to achieve high quality Credit papers and deliver high-quality Credit recommendations to Credit Committee(s) including suggestions to improve the deal structure to facilitate positive outcomes for our customers while remaining within the Banks Credit appetite 
    • Strong ability to quickly grasp the transaction and focus on the key risks, presenting findings in a concise yet focused manner. 
    • Collate and distribute the committee decision to new loan requests in a concise yet clear fashion and be responsible for any satisfying all follow up conditions and analysis
    • Support the internal Legal/Loan Execution team in the loan completion process through close scrutiny over the bank’s security requirements, documentation and ensuring they comply with all controls, conditions and covenants, as agreed at Credit Committee  
    • From time to time, meet clients early with our Debt Finance team, providing guidance on structuring and early steer on credit appetite
    • Support Portfolio Management team post facility drawdown in the annual review process, and with any in life loan increases or extensions, restructure or covenants resetting
    • Review all key information in supporting the credit decision and be instrumental in ensuring deal teams satisfy conditions precedent. This may include Financial Due Diligence, overview of financial accounts and understanding of covenant models. Ability to explain and deliver rationale behind setting thresholds and definitions.
    • Ensure that the data used by the firm to assess its risks is fit for purpose in terms of quality, quantity, and breadth
    • Undertake any strategic projects as necessary, as requested by the Head of Credit Risk

Key Requirements:

    • A working knowledge and experience of both SME and Larger, Sponsor-Backed cash flow based lending and financial analysis. A detailed understanding of certain key sectors is preferred e.g. collateralised lending in Healthcare, Hospitality and Leisure and typically non-collateralised sectors such as Financial intermediaries, Manufacturing; Assets classes such as Structured/Leveraged Finance including M&A activity, Financial sponsors, MBO/MBI. A strong grasp of working capital mechanics is also required. Ideally (but not essential) knowledge of Real Estate lending, primarily residential property development but also investment and commercial property too
    • Ideally a minimum 5 years in a credit risk function or be able to demonstrate transferable skills.
    • A good knowledge of credit risk models associated with the analysis of SME clients, such as RWA, PD, LGD
    • A focus on achieving beneficial outcomes for the Bank and our customers. Tenacity yet pragmatic and strong willingness to strive for quality
    • Understanding of wider risks associated with full SME product lifecycle, including origination, optimisation, collections, and recoveries
    • Strong experience of risk and control techniques, including covenant setting, as applied to Sponsor-Backed Corporate and mid-market SME credit processes, including both the theory and application in practice
    • Strong negotiation skills and ability to deal with challenge in a professional manner.
    • Ability to relate well to customers and colleagues
    • Effective time management is key.

Benefits & Perks:

    • Equity. We want people to have a stake in the business so that all our interests are aligned.
    • 25 days holiday
    • Personalized benefits – opt-in to what matters to you
    • Subsidised Private Medical Insurance with Bupa
    • Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
    • Wellbeing and social events
    • Support causes that matter to you – Volunteering time off
    • Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to work, nursery, gym, electric car scheme)
Apply now
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