Dealmaker: Commercial Property & Term Lending

Merchant West; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Merchant West in Durban seeks a senior lending professional to originate, structure, and execute commercial property and term lending solutions. You will leverage client relationships and market insight to drive revenue growth and deliver tailored funding.

You will work with Credit, Legal and Operations to ensure compliant deals, manage risk, and grow a robust pipeline in KwaZulu-Natal, while identifying cross-sell opportunities and contributing to strategic growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualifications or relevant financial services certifications are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Source and originate new commercial property and term lending opportunities.
• Structure tailored funding solutions aligned to client needs and risk appetite.
• Manage the end-to-end deal process from origination to payout.
• Ensure efficient execution and turnaround of transactions.
• Generate revenue in line with targets and budgets; optimise pricing and structures.
• Build and maintain strong client and intermediary relationships.
• Collaborate with Credit, Legal, and Operations to enable deal flow.
• Monitor market trends and contribute to strategic growth initiatives.

Skills

Deal origination

Business development

Relationship management

Negotiation and closing

Credit and risk understanding

Pipeline management

Communication and presentation

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics

Job description

Role Purpose

To originate, structure, and execute profitable commercial property and term lending solutions by leveraging strong client relationships, deep market insight, and innovative deal structuring. The role is responsible for driving revenue growth through new business development, delivering tailored funding solutions to clients, and ensuring disciplined credit and risk alignment in line with Merchant West’s strategic objectives.

Main Accountabilities

Business Development and Origination

• Source and originate new commercial property and term lending opportunities through networks and client engagement.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified deals.
• Drive market penetration and new client acquisition in the KwaZulu-Natal region.

Deal Structuring and Execution

• Structure tailored commercial property and term lending funding solutions (could also include Working Capital Solutions) aligned to client needs and risk appetite.
• Manage the end-to-end deal process from origination to payout.
• Ensure efficient execution and turnaround of transactions.

Revenue Generation and Profitability

• Generate revenue in line with agreed targets and budgets.
• Optimise pricing and deal structures to maximise profitability.
• Drive sustainable growth through repeat and new business.

Credit and Risk Alignment

• Ensure all deals comply with credit, risk, and governance standards.
• Work closely with Credit to structure bankable transactions.
• Maintain quality of book and minimise impairments.

Client Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong, long-term client and intermediary relationships.
• Deliver responsive and professional client service.
• Identify opportunities for cross-sell and repeat business.

Stakeholder Collaboration and Deal Enablement

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (Credit, Legal, Operations) to facilitate deal flow.
• Ensure quality and completeness of deal submissions.
• Support efficient internal processes and communication.

Market Intelligence and Strategic Contribution

• Stay informed on market trends and competitor activity.
• Identify new sector opportunities and funding solutions.
• Contribute to strategic growth initiatives within the division.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field, with postgraduate qualifications or relevant financial services certifications being advantageous.

Experience

• 1+ years’ experience in the lending environment within Financial Services
• Origination and execution of finance deals with a proven revenue track record (advantageous)
• Proven success in a client-facing role within the Financial Services industry
• Structuring transactions and engaging with credit and risk teams.
• Building and managing client and intermediary relationships.
• Operating within credit, risk, and governance frameworks.
• Exposure to financial analysis, deal structuring, and lending principles.

Skills

• Deal origination and business development
• Financial analysis and deal structuring
• Negotiation and closing capability
• Relationship management and networking
• Commercial and business acumen
• Credit and risk understanding
• Pipeline management and execution
• Communication and presentation skills

Competencies

• Results-driven and performance-focused
• Strong commercial judgement
• Relationship building and influencing
• Resilience and tenacity
• Accountability and ownership
• Collaboration and stakeholder alignment
• Decision-making under pressure
• Strategic thinking and opportunity identification