Relationship Management - Sponsor Coverage - Vice President

SMBC Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Private medical insurance

Life and disability insurance

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

SMBC Group is seeking a Sponsor Coverage Vice President in London to lead coverage of Financial Sponsor clients in Europe and assist senior members on larger global sponsor deals. The role spans origination, product coordination, and cross-regional collaboration with SMBC teams.

The successful candidate will bring deep sponsor coverage experience, knowledge of LBOs, M&A, ECM, and related products, and the ability to manage budgets and pipelines across regions.

Qualifications

• Degree level with higher financial qualifications (eg accountancy, CFA) preferred.
• Language skills also desirable.

Responsibilities

• Drive origination and assist in execution across product areas and deal teams.
• Coordinate client interface across SMBC and across regions.
• Provide guidance on pricing, credit and structuring decisions for sponsor transactions.

Education

Degree level / CFA

Job description

Relationship Management - Sponsor Coverage - Vice President

9 Sept 2026

London, LND, GB, EC2M 2AT

SMBC: A trusted partner for the long term

Here at SMBC Group, we want to help you find the next step in your career so read on to discover if this opportunity is the one for you. We like to recognise potential in our people, so we welcome your application even when your experience doesn’t perfectly align with the job description. Whilst we’ll always strive to be better, we’re proud of our inclusive culture, and encourage our applicants and colleagues to be their authentic, unique selves.

Who we are

As one of the world's largest banks, headquartered in Japan, SMBC combines the strength of its Japaneserootswith the reach of a truly global network. Operating across key markets worldwide, we connect clients to opportunities, broad range of capabilities, and capital across borders. Our growing EMEA franchise offers ambitious growth plans,deep expertiseand the opportunity to work on complex, international initiatives across corporate and investment banking, transaction banking and global capital markets.

Role Summary

Is the next step in your career atSMBC Group EMEA? We’re looking for a Sponsor coverage Vice President within the Specialised Products Department.

As a member of the Financial Sponsor Coverage Team in EMEA, you will be responsible for dedicated coverage of select Financial Sponsor clients in Europe, and for assisting senior members of the team with coverage of larger global sponsor clients.

Responsibilities also include:

• Driving origination and assisting in execution alongside all product areas and deal teams across multiple transactions, and co-ordinating client interface across SMBC.
• Ensuring close co-ordination for clients across all regions.
• Be involved in development and launch of new products to client accounts as required.
• Be responsible for budget and pipeline for clients.

The successful individual must have long-standing knowledge and experience of Financial Sponsor clients and types of transactions, notably LBOs, M&A and ECM. Preferable prior knowledge/experience also of associated Financial Sponsor products such as NAV financing, subscription financing, securitisation, Structured Finance, Infrastructure and Project Finance, Real Estate, Hedging and Derivatives.

Business Area

SMBC is growing its Sponsor coverage team globally to help co-ordinate coverage of Financial Sponsor clients across products and regions, and is hiring experienced sponsor coverage staff in Europe.

SMBC is one of the largest financial institutions in the world, with a balance sheet of c. $2.2 trillion andhas built a large business with Financial Sponsor clients, with global relationships with all top tier Financial Sponsors and considerable balance sheet exposure.

Position Description

• Oversee andassist with client management & marketing for select Financial Sponsor clients.
• Responsibility for C-Suite relationship management for some clients. Participate in industry conferences / panels to raise SMBC profile. Build awareness of Financial Sponsor clients and products across other SMBC teams.
• Provide guidance and Front Office opinion on key pricing, credit & structuring decisions on transactions for clients as required.
• Owning and assisting with key processes for coverage of select Financial Sponsor clients (eg account planning, portfolio tracking, marketing, data capture, budgets, pipeline and global co-ordination).
• Oversight for select Financial Sponsors in respect of management of respective portfolios across SMBC product teams. Management to optimise commercial & risk performance of loan book for select Financial Sponsor clients.
• Relevant knowledge and in depth experience is required of Financial Sponsor clients and types of transactions, notably LBOs, M&A and ECM.
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience also preferred of associated Financial Sponsor products such as NAV financing, subscription financing, securitisation, Structured Finance, Infrastructure and Project Finance, Real Estate and Hedging and Derivatives.
• Experience with communicating and influencing a broad range of senior individuals and groups, ranging from internal committees to senior Financial Sponsor partners at clients. Must also be able to communicate vision and strategy for sponsor coverage team across SMBC.
• Must be able to support and develop junior team members.
• Qualifications:Degree level, higher level financial qualifications (eg accountancy, CFA) – preferred.
• Language skills also desirable

Customer Focus

Driving Change

Driving Results

Judgement and Decision Making

Strategic and Visionary

Trust and Integrity

What we offer

For all the expertise and experience you bring to help us make a difference, it’s only sustainable if we support you to build your career and be your best self so we offer competitive company benefits, centred around promoting positive well-bring and work-life balance. We also believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, where all team members perspectives and contributions are valued. Initiatives in place which promote a diverse and inclusive culture and healthy work life balance include hybrid working, Sport & Social Clubs and Diversity and Inclusion networks.

As an employee of SMBC you have access to a host of both useful and exciting benefit offerings. See below some of the benefits on offer to you:

• Hybrid and flexible working
• Competitive paid leave days
• Benefits to support your physical wellbeing, including private medical insurance and life and invalidity insurance
• Various policies to support your mental wellbeing, including a robust behavioural health network with counselling and coaching services
• Access a wide range of learning and development opportunities and career progression opportunities

We recognise our role as a bank to support social change and welcome all applications, including those from groups often under-represented in financial services. We value the uniqueness of professional and personal, backgrounds and perspectives as they play a vital role in continuing the sustainable growth of our organisation. We’ll ensure reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process are offered due to a disability or long-term condition whenever requested.

We are committed to transparent and equitable pay practices. Compensation is determined using objective criteria, including skills, experience, and role responsibilities, and applied consistently throughout our recruitment processes. We do not request candidates' pay history and are committed to preventing unjustified pay disparities.

About SMBC

A trusted partner for the long term
United by a sense of purpose towards our customers - to be a trusted partner for the long-term - and our universal banking platform in EMEA, we deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers, including corporate, structured and trade finance, leveraged finance, loan market and treasury products. We can also provide investment banking and advisory services and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets.
Find out more about what we do and who we are at https://www.smbcgroup.com/emea/careers