Senior Director - Growth Finance, Strategic Finance

Growth Finance is our UK-wide venture debt proposition, providing senior debt and transactional banking facilities to innovative, high-growth businesses.

This Senior Director role sits within our origination team, where you’ll be responsible for driving growth by sourcing and delivering complex debt-led transactions. You’ll use your existing network across venture capital, private equity, debt advisory and other key business introducers (KBIs) to generate new lending opportunities and then lead the origination process from end-to-end through structuring, credit report writing, approval and negotiation to completion.

This role within our Growth Finance team is focused on deal origination and is a specialist lending role under Strategic Finance. The successful candidate will be required to use their market knowledge and external KBI network to originate and deliver debt-led transactions that generate strong income and returns within our risk and regulatory framework.

We are a well-established and respected participant in the UK venture debt market, with a strong and proven track record of supporting high-growth businesses that are fast-scaling, innovation-led and technology-enabled and our non-dilutive capital plays a critical role in enabling growth. We work closely with management teams, investors and wider stakeholders to help businesses navigate key inflection points, extend their cash runway and maximise long-term value while protecting founder and investor equity.

We are happy to consider flexible working approaches to help you perform at your best.
 

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job, you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part-time, you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at our London office. If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works. You can also find out more about our approach to hybrid working here. 

Virgin Money is now part of Nationwide

Nationwide acquired Virgin Money in October 2024. Virgin Money continues to serve customers on the high street, and there will be a phased and considered integration over the coming years.

You’ll be employed by Nationwide from day one, delivering real impact and benefitting from a highly competitive range of benefits. We’re a workplace where you’re rewarded, recognised and celebrated.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll be focused on building and strengthening relationships with key business introducers from the across the market (venture capital, private equity, debt advisory) to identify and generate new lending opportunities.

You’ll also be reviewing information memorandums to screen new lending opportunities, carefully selecting the right opportunities to progress, working closely within a deal team to ensure that transactions are well structured and in line with risk appetite.

Leading a deal process from inception to completion, including preparation of skilled and diligent credit papers, leading conversations and negotiations with internal and external stakeholders, analysis and interpretation of complex financial statements, management information and financial models, and overseeing legal documentation will all be key parts of this role.

Alongside this, you’ll stay informed, knowledgeable and connected to the market, keeping up to date with trends and use this insight to find and shape new lending avenues and opportunities. 

About you

As a minimum, you’ll have:

• Proven experience originating and delivering venture debt transactions from initial sourcing through to completion
• Excellent credit and financial analysis capability, including the ability to interpret financial information and produce high-quality lending proposals
• A demonstrable track record of managing complex deal processes, including negotiations, due diligence, and legal documentation
• An established network of external contacts (venture capital, private equity, debt advisory, corporate finance) with the ability to extract new business opportunities from these relationships
• Deep knowledge and understanding of the venture debt market and its participants, with an up-to-date understanding of lending and risk considerations
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders and deliver outcomes
• The ability to manage multiple transactions simultaneously, delivering to tight deadlines while maintaining quality and compliance with risk standards

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers’ shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind

• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we’re honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand

• Push for better - We don’t settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development

• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

The extras you’ll get

There are all sorts of employee benefits available at Nationwide, including:

• 30 days holiday, pro rata

• Access to private medical insurance

• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement

• Access to an annual performance-related bonus

• Training and development to help you progress your career

• A great selection of additional benefits through our salary sacrifice scheme

• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones in the event of your death

• Wellhub – access to a range of free and paid options for health and wellness

• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we’re owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don’t see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you’re inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you’re one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community, we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the ‘Apply Now’ button. You’ll need to attach your up-to-date CV and answer a few quick questions for us. 

We respond to everyone, so we will be in contact shortly after the closing date to let you know the outcome of your application. 

Please note that should you be successful in securing this role the job title on our internal systems will be Senior Director.