Senior Director, Global Private Debt

Canada Life; Winnipeg; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education reimbursement up to $2,000

Flexible health & dental benefits

$5,000 mental health benefit

Volunteer day

Company pension

Job summary

Great-West Lifeco, through its Global Private Debt Investments team, oversees a $40 billion portfolio and originates, structures, and underwrites over $4 billion of investments annually across North America and Europe. The Senior Director will independently source and evaluate opportunities, set portfolio strategy, and drive value creation on a global platform.

This role requires deep credit expertise, sector knowledge, and the ability to partner with regional investment professionals,

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, Business Administration, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science or related analytical discipline.
• MBA or CFA considered an asset.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in corporate credit, private debt, leveraged finance, or related fields.

Responsibilities

• Originates and evaluates both new issue and secondary private placement debt investment opportunities.
• Oversees portfolio performance, minimizes credit losses, and identifies risks.
• Builds relationships with investment banks, issuers, and other stakeholders.
• Presents recommendations to senior leadership and investment committees.

Skills

Strong credit judgment

Analytical rigor

Commercial mindset

Relationship building

Negotiation

Leadership

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, or related analytical field

MBA

CFA

Tools

Microsoft Office

Bloomberg

Capital IQ

AI-enabled tools (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT)

Job description

Permanent Full Time

The Global Private Debt Investments team oversees a $40 billion portfolio of private debt investments on behalf of Great-West Lifeco. Focused on the Canadian, U.S., and European private placement markets, the team originates, structures, and underwrites more than $4 billion of investments annually across corporates, infrastructure, project finance, and structured finance transactions.

This role offers the opportunity to play a key leadership role in sourcing and executing investments, influencing portfolio strategy, and contributing to long-term value creation across a global platform. The Senior Director will independently originate and evaluate both new issue and secondary private placement debt investment opportunities. The role requires deep expertise in assigned sectors, along with the ability to quickly develop knowledge of new industries and areas of the portfolio as market opportunities evolve.

Assigned sectors may include industrials, real estate, consumer goods, financials, transportation, energy, technology, telecommunications, structured finance, or other areas of strategic focus. The successful candidate will evaluate investment opportunities across North American and European markets, partnering with investment professionals across multiple regions to identify and execute attractive risk-adjusted investment opportunities.

In addition to origination responsibilities, the incumbent will oversee the performance of an assigned portfolio with a focus on minimizing credit losses, identifying emerging risks, and recommending tactical purchase and sale decisions. The position also involves managing relationships with sell-side counterparties and other key industry stakeholders to maximize deal flow, enhance market intelligence, and improve investment allocation outcomes.

What You Will Do

• Work with the Head of Corporate Private Debt and regional Portfolio Managers to understand and deliver on global portfolio needs.
• Lead origination efforts within designated sectors, leveraging industry relationships and intermediary networks to source, evaluate, and execute attractive investment opportunities.
• Complete legal due diligence in conjunction with inside and outside counsel to understand and negotiate the terms of governing transaction documents.
• Present investment recommendations and portfolio updates directly to senior leadership and investment committees, defending credit views, transaction structures, and relative value assessments.
• Assist in executing bid strategies to maximize transaction economics and allocations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with investment banks, placement agents, issuers, sponsors, and institutional market participants to enhance market access and origination opportunities.
• Perform ongoing surveillance of portfolio investments and meet internal/external compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Work with issuers, inside and outside counsel, peers and advisors to effectively manage prepayments, waivers, amendments, workouts, and restructurings.
• Develop loss mitigation strategies for deteriorating investments.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and mentorship to analysts, associates, and other junior investment professionals, supporting their technical development and career growth.
• Contribute to team initiatives, process enhancements, portfolio strategy discussions, and talent planning efforts, and other duties as assigned.

What You Will Bring

• Undergraduate degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, Business Administration, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, or another related analytical discipline.
• An advanced degree (MBA) or CFA is considered an asset.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in corporate credit, private debt, leveraged finance, institutional fixed income investing, investment banking, private placements, or related fields. Experience in the private placement market and/or structured finance transactions is strongly preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and complete tasks within deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while exercising sound judgment in a fast‑paced investment environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Bloomberg, and Capital IQ.
• Experience using AI-enabled tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Power BI, Python‑based analytical tools, or similar technologies) to enhance productivity, research, analysis, or reporting is considered an asset.

Key Competencies for success in this role

• Strong credit judgment and analytical rigor
• Commercial mindset with an origination focus
• Relationship‑building and networking capability
• Investment committee presentation and influencing skills
• Negotiation and transaction execution expertisePortfolio risk management and restructuring experience
• Leadership, coaching, and talent development
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Additional Details

• Travel between 10-20% may be required.

Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Grow with Great-West Lifeco

Great-West Lifeco Inc is a Canadian headquarter, international financial services holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management, and reinsurance businesses. We operate in Canada, the United States, and Europe under the brands: Canada Life, Empower and Irish Life. At the end of 2024, our companies had over 32,250 employees, 106,000 advisor relationships, and thousands of distribution partners – serving approximately 40 million customer relationships.

Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker symbol GWO and is a member of the Power Corporation group of companies.

What we offer

Career Development

Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to$2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.

Health & Wellness

Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well‑being.

Time Off

In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.

Financial Security

Company-matching pension plan,share ownership program and additionalinvestment options.

Rewards and Recognition

Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!

Emphasis on Community

We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

Learn more about Great-West Lifeco.

We’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to employment. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process may contact [e-mail]. All information provided will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and Great-West Lifeco policies.