Credit Director – Trading Businesses

OakNorth; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a confident and experienced Credit Director to join their Credit Risk team. This pivotal role involves reviewing and challenging lending proposals from various trading businesses, ensuring decisions align with the bank’s risk appetite. You will actively engage with clients and lead discussions to shape strategic lending outcomes. With a focus on beneficial results, you will leverage your expertise in credit risk analysis and relationship management to drive success. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a significant impact in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Equity stake in the business

25 days holiday

Personalized benefits options

Subsidised Private Medical Insurance

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Wellbeing and social events

Volunteer time off

Salary sacrifice schemes

Qualifications

• 5+ years in credit risk role or transferable skills.
• Experience with SME and larger cash flow lending.

Responsibilities

• Review and challenge new lending proposals from trading businesses.
• Provide recommendations to Credit Committee for informed lending decisions.

Skills

Credit Risk Analysis

Negotiation Skills

Relationship Management

Time Management

Understanding of SME Product Lifecycle

Education

Degree in Finance or related field

Tools

Credit Risk Models (RWA, PD, LGD)

Job description

Join to apply for the Credit Director – Trading Businesses role at OakNorth

Since 2015, we’ve backed entrepreneurs with over £12.5bn in funding, helping create 56,000+ jobs and 34,000+ new homes across the UK and US. 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 Responsibilities:

1. 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 Bank's credit appetite.
2. Quickly grasp transaction details and focus on key risks, presenting findings concisely and effectively.
3. Collate and distribute committee decisions on new loan requests clearly and responsibly, ensuring follow-up conditions and analyses are satisfied.
4. Support the Legal/Loan Execution team during loan completion by scrutinizing security requirements, documentation, and compliance with controls, conditions, and covenants.
5. Meet clients early with the Debt Finance team, providing guidance on structuring and credit appetite.
6. Assist the Portfolio Management team post-drawdown in annual reviews, loan increases, extensions, restructures, or covenant resets.
7. Review key information supporting credit decisions and ensure deal teams meet all conditions, including financial due diligence and covenant analysis.
8. Ensure data used for risk assessment is accurate and comprehensive.
9. Undertake strategic projects as requested by the Head of Credit Risk.

Key Requirements:

1. Experience with SME and larger, sponsor-backed cash flow lending, with sector-specific knowledge preferred (e.g., Healthcare, Hospitality, Financial intermediaries, Manufacturing, Structured/Leveraged Finance, M&A, etc.).
2. Minimum 5 years in a credit risk role or demonstrated transferable skills.
3. Knowledge of credit risk models such as RWA, PD, LGD.
4. Focus on beneficial outcomes, with tenacity and pragmatic approach.
5. Understanding of full SME product lifecycle risks.
6. Experience with risk and control techniques, including covenant setting.
7. Strong negotiation and relationship skills.
8. Effective time management.

Benefits & Perks:

• Equity stake in the business.
• 25 days holiday.
• Personalized benefits options.
• Subsidised Private Medical Insurance with Bupa.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
• Wellbeing and social events.
• Volunteer time off for causes you care about.
• Salary sacrifice schemes (Cycle to work, nursery, gym, electric car).

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Finance and Sales