Director, Corporate Lending

First Abu Dhabi Bank; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 400,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

First Abu Dhabi Bank is seeking a Senior Corporate Finance professional to originate and support the execution of Vanilla and Structured Finance transactions for Wholesale Banking clients. The role collaborates with senior Corporate Banking Finance members, coverage teams, and GCF to identify lending opportunities in line with FAB risk appetite.

The candidate will analyze deal structures, build financing models, and negotiate terms with borrowers and co-lenders, contributing to portfolio growth

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance or related field; MBA and/or CFA advantageous.
• 5-10 years of client relationship management and structured financing experience.
• Strong credit assessment skills including cash flow modeling and accounting principles.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, structure and execute deals with relationship managers and credit risk teams.
• Support pitching, originating, structuring, and executing vanilla and structured transactions (Leveraged & Acquisition Finance, Project Finance, Asset-Backed Finance, Real Estate Finance).
• Assist in managing and reviewing the loan portfolio to identify new lending opportunities.
• Analyze deal structures and conduct due diligence with appropriate sensitivity testing.
• Negotiate terms with borrowers and other lenders during discussions and documentation.
• Prepare inputs for internal reporting and support strategic initiatives.

Skills

Client relationship management

Structured financing

Credit assessment

Cash flow modeling

Accounting principles

Corporate valuation

Financial analysis

Negotiation

Communication

Leadership/mentoring

UAE/GCC regional experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance/business or related discipline

MBA (advantageous)

CFA (advantageous)

Job description

Key role within Global Corporate Finance (GCF) team focused on originating and support executing Vanilla and Structured Finance transactions with a primary focus on Wholesale Banking clients. The individual will work closely with the senior Corporate Banking Finance members along with relationship managers across coverage and GCF business lines, as well as other internal stakeholders. The role focuses on assist in identifying and structuring lending opportunities across various sectors within the corporate banking space, ensuring alignment with FAB's risk parameters and strategic objectives.

The role shall require:

• Evaluating, structuring and executing of deals along with the relationship managers and credit risk team.
• Take a proactive approach in supporting the team with pitching, originating, structuring, and executing deals both vanilla and structured transactions including Leveraged & Acquisition Finance, Project Finance, Asset-Backed Finance, and Real Estate Finance in collaboration with GCF deal teams where applicable, coverage, credit teams, and other stakeholders.
• Assist in managing and review the existing loan portfolio, including the existing client plans to identify new lending opportunities.
• Analyze and assess deal structures and underlying businesses by developing the financing models where required with the appropriate sensitivity testing, preparing independent reports, and conducting due diligence to ensure transactions are robust and meet the Bank's criteria
• Assist in negotiating terms with borrowers and, where applicable, other lenders alongside the senior team members both during initial discussions and at the definitive documentation stage
• Prepare and provide inputs for internal reporting accurately and timely, and support on strategic initiatives where required
• Help contribute to the department and wider Coverage teams budgets by identifying cross selling opportunities for other capital markets products like Debt Capital Markets, Equity Capital Markets, Agency, Securities Services as well as Global Market and Transaction banking mandates.

Internal Collaboration:

• Build and maintain strong internal relations and collaborate with Coverage partners in order to maximize revenue and deepen FAB's relationships

Policies, Systems, Processes, & Procedures

• Support the development and use of departmental policies, systems, and procedure so that all relevant procedural/ legislative requirements are fulfilled while delivering a quality and cost-effective service.

MIS and Reports

• Where required, provide inputs in the preparation of timely and accurate sub-departmental statements and reports to meet FAB's and departmental requirements, policies, and standards

Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in finance / business or related discipline. MBA and/or professional qualification such as CFA advantageous.
• 5 - 10 years of experience in client relationship management and structured financing.
• Strong credit assessment skills, including cash flow modeling, with solid knowledge of accounting principles.
• Experience in corporate valuation methodologies and financial analysis.
• Ability to multitask with sound understanding of legal concepts, loan agreements documentation transactions
• Exposure into projects with multi-party financing transactions and negotiating commercial terms.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex transactions clearly and concisely.
• Ability to perform under pressure, tight timelines, and adapt quickly to changing priorities.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships across the organization, with clients, and market participants.
• Willingness to develop leadership capability, including mentoring and training fresh graduates and associate level team members
• Ideally, prior experience working in the UAE/GCC region.