Assistant Director – Development Finance

Public Sector Resourcing; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 86,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension

Hybrid 50/50 working

Public-sector benefits

Job summary

Homes England | National Housing Bank in Leeds is seeking an Assistant Director for Development Finance to lead a team of 40 and deliver the operator's ambitious housing finance programmes.

This role oversees development finance deals, shapes investment strategy, and partners with government bodies to deploy £1.5bn of SME lending over five years and £16bn of capital, with hybrid 50/50 working and strong public‑sector benefits.

Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in finance, banking, investment, or real estate or equivalent experience.
• Qualified Banker, Accountant, Surveyor or similar professional designation is expected.

Responsibilities

• Lead a geographically diverse team, setting objectives and managing performance.
• Participate in leadership activities and governance committees.
• Oversee development finance programmes and fund risk management.
• Develop and drive marketing plans to increase market awareness.
• Manage operational, delivery, and credit risk across the team.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand risks and issues in the fund.
• Negotiate development finance deal structures and pricing.
• Support and present proposals to Risk Committees and boards.
• Develop and adapt investment strategy to market needs and government requirements.
• Ensure investment processes remain fit for purpose and recommend changes.

Skills

Team leadership

Coaching

Performance management

Stakeholder liaison

Strategic planning

Risk management

Education

Degree in finance/banking/investment/real estate

Professional qualification (e.g., Chartered Banker/CA/Chartered Surveyor)

Job description

Assistant Director - Development Finance

Homes England | National Housing Bank

£85,862-£114,417 | Location: Hybrid 50/50 | Leeds only

As we are headquartered in Leeds our preference is to appoint to this location and priority will be given to applicants based within commuting distance of the Leeds office.

Homes England has launched theNational Housing Bank, a government-backed investment platform to accelerate housing delivery across England.

With £16bn in capital, it will unlock private investment, support regeneration and accelerate housing delivery across the UK. Joining now offers a rare opportunity to shape a major new national investment platform from the ground up.

This is a rare chance to shape the future in a fast growing, national organisation with real social purpose. Working with key stakeholders and leading a professional team of 40 colleagues, you will be a confident leader with a focus on delivery and able to efficiently, consistently and effectively resolve challenges which arise.

The role will support the deployment of £1.5bn of new SME lending over the next 5 years supporting a very important cohort of smaller builders which typically complete projects of 5-50 homes across England. This is an excellent opportunity to balance day to day delivery whilst bringing innovative solutions to the SME builder community.

Responsibilities

• Lead a geographically diverse team, maintaining recruitment plans, setting objectives, coaching, supporting, and performance managing.
• Participate in leadership activities and attend various committees, including Programme Boards and Risk Fora.
• Effectively manage and distribute the Programmes development finance element of the relevant fund.
• Develop, drive, and manage marketing plans to increase market awareness and penetration.
• Act as the first line of defence in managing operational, delivery, and credit risk across the team.
• Liaise with the relevant stakeholders to fully understand the risks and material issues in respect of the relevant fund/scheme.
• Oversee negotiations of development finance deal structures, including pricing according to organisational guidelines and assessing borrowers’ credit quality.
• Support and present larger proposals to Risk Committees, Board and wider government bodies.
• Develop and adapt investment strategy to meet market appetite and Government requirements, leveraging excellent knowledge of current market dynamics and development funding.
• Ensure investment processes and implementation remain fit for purpose, reviewing policies and procedures, and generating recommendations for change.

Candidate profile

• Degree level qualification or equivalent experience in finance, banking, investment, or real estate.
• Qualified Banker (e.g., Chartered Banker), Accountant (e.g., Chartered Accountant), Surveyor (Chartered Surveyor), or similar.
• Specialist knowledge of the UK housing market, key UK investors and lenders, regeneration, development, and land investment.
• Understanding of current market dynamics, public policy, public financing, or regulatory experience, especially land and property.
• Significant, relevant experience in a senior role in a Financial Services Organisation.
• Proven track record of team-building, leadership, and coaching.
• Successfully led and managed a large team involved in lending products to the house-building and residential development sector, particularly in the SME sector.
• Extensive experience in scoping, structuring, pricing, and assessing property development proposals, optimising risk/reward, and mitigating risks.
• Experience working with professionals to analyse development proposals, consider options, and implement appropriate investment structures.
• Track record of building external professional networks.
• Experience in designing, launching, and marketing new financial products and/or funds.

Why join?

• Help build a new national investment institution
• Work on complex housing and regeneration transactions
• Deploy £16bn of government-backed capital
• Hybrid 50/50 working across multiple national locations
• Defined benefit pension and strong public-sector benefits

Closing date: 18th September

Right to Work in the UK is required.