Director, Aircraft Trading

Peak Performance Recruitment; Dublin; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Peak Performance Recruitment seeks a commercially astute aviation professional to lead aircraft trading and portfolio transaction activity. You will build and manage relationships with aircraft owners, investors, leasing companies and asset managers to originate, evaluate and execute aircraft acquisitions, divestments and portfolio trades.

The role requires extensive experience in structured aviation finance, strong market connectivity and a track record of executing complex aircraft

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in structured aviation finance or aircraft trading.
• Extensive knowledge of aviation markets and aircraft leasing structures.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with aircraft owners, investors, leasing companies, asset managers and alternative capital providers to originate aircraft and portfolio trading opportunities.
• Lead buy-side sourcing activity for on-lease and off-lease aircraft opportunities, identifying assets that align with the client’s portfolio, return and strategic objectives.
• Identify and develop sell-side opportunities, including individual aircraft and portfolio divestments, in coordination with senior management and overall fleet strategy.
• Evaluate transaction opportunities through market analysis, valuation, lease cash flow review and return assessment to support disciplined investment decisions.
• Structure, negotiate and execute letters of intent, sale agreements, novations and related transaction documentation across complex aircraft trades.
• Partner with technical, legal, finance and other internal stakeholders to manage diligence, documentation, approvals and closing execution.
• Monitor market conditions, investor appetite, lease rate trends, aircraft values and capital markets developments to inform trading strategies and portfolio actions.
• Prepare clear commercial recommendations and transaction materials for internal review, ensuring opportunities are aligned with the clients underwriting and portfolio management discipline.

Skills

Aviation finance

Relationship management

Negotiation

Market analysis

Communication

Portfolio trading

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, aviation or related

Job description

Peak Performance Recruitment is seeking a commercially astute aviation professional to lead aircraft trading and portfolio transaction activity. This role is focused on building and managing relationships with aircraft owners, investors, leasing companies and asset managers to originate, evaluate and execute aircraft acquisitions, divestments and portfolio trades. The successful candidate will combine strong market connectivity, transaction execution capability and commercial judgement to support disciplined deployment and recycling of capital across the fleet and investment portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with aircraft owners, investors, leasing companies, asset managers and alternative capital providers to originate aircraft and portfolio trading opportunities.
• Lead buy-side sourcing activity for on-lease and off-lease aircraft opportunities, identifying assets that align with the client’s portfolio, return and strategic objectives.
• Identify and develop sell-side opportunities, including individual aircraft and portfolio divestments, in coordination with senior management and overall fleet strategy.
• Evaluate transaction opportunities through market analysis, valuation, lease cash flow review and return assessment to support disciplined investment decisions.
• Structure, negotiate and execute letters of intent, sale agreements, novations and related transaction documentation across complex aircraft trades.
• Partner with technical, legal, finance and other internal stakeholders to manage diligence, documentation, approvals and closing execution.
• Monitor market conditions, investor appetite, lease rate trends, aircraft values and capital markets developments to inform trading strategies and portfolio actions.
• Prepare clear commercial recommendations and transaction materials for internal review, ensuring opportunities are aligned with the clients underwriting and portfolio management discipline.

Requirements

• 10+ years of relevant experience in structured aviation finance or aircraft trading.
• Direct experience working with investors, lessors, airlines, asset managers or aircraft owners in evaluating and executing aircraft transactions.
• Bachelor’s degree required; finance, business, aviation or other relevant advanced qualifications are advantageous.
• Extensive knowledge of commercial aviation and aircraft leasing markets, with strong understanding of aircraft values, lease structures and portfolio trading dynamics.
• Proven experience sourcing, negotiating and closing aircraft sale, acquisition, lease novation or portfolio trading transactions.
• Strong relationships across the investor, lessor and aircraft owner community, with the ability to originate opportunities through market connectivity and credibility.
• Strong analytical and commercial judgement, including the ability to evaluate transaction economics, lease cash flows, residual risk and execution considerations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with investors, counterparties and internal stakeholders.
• Comfort operating across complex transactions and multiple workstreams, with a high degree of ownership and execution discipline.