Director of Real Estate Origination

Director of Real Estate Origination

Location(s): Edinburgh or London

Hours: Full-time

Our work style is hybrid. It involves spending at least 50% of our time at one of our office sites.

Why join us?

Join us and give us your best, and we'll give you ours.

This position provides the chance to engage in prominent commercial real estate and housing investments within an expanding investment platform. You will support important investment decisions and contribute to long-term value for clients, communities, and the broader economy. You can build a rewarding career where you can be authentic and collaborate with excellent colleagues. With hybrid working, an emphasis on development, and attractive career paths, there is ample opportunity for growth.

What you'll be doing

The Director of Real Estate Origination leads the origination, structuring, and delivery of commercial real estate lending. You will identify investment opportunities, manage commercial negotiations, perform investment and credit analysis, prepare recommendations, build market relationships, and work closely with credit, risk, legal, and portfolio management partners to ensure positive investment outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Originating, structuring, negotiating and completing commercial real estate lending transactions.
• Recognising new investment opportunities within the real estate and housing sectors.
• Leading transaction pricing, commercial negotiations and deal structuring activities.
• Conducting investment analysis and assessing transaction risk and return profiles.
• Building and maintaining relationships with borrowers, sponsors, developers, advisers, investors and other market participants.
• Preparing and delivering investment proposals to governance and investment approval forums.
• Collaborating closely with credit, risk, legal, portfolio management, and investment colleagues to achieve successful results.
• Monitoring market activity, industry trends and macroeconomic developments to find opportunities and risks.
• Supporting the development of junior colleagues and encouraging a collaborative and inclusive team culture.
• Representing the business externally to improve market profile and develop strategic relationships.

What we're looking for

Essential Skills & Experience

• Extensive background in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Debt, Structured Finance or Real Estate Investment.
• Proven track record of originating, structuring, negotiating, and completing complex commercial real estate lending or investment transactions.
• Experience gained within a bank, insurer, asset manager, debt fund, pension fund or other institutional investor.
• Extensive background in credit risk evaluation, commercial real estate underwriting, investment assessment, due diligence, transaction structuring, and investment appraisal.
• Strong financial modelling, cash flow forecasting, and investment evaluation skills.
• Experience presenting investment recommendations to senior collaborators, investment committees, or governance forums.
• Strong collaborator management and commercial negotiation skills, with the ability to build relationships across clients, sponsors, investors, advisers and internal functions.

And any experience of these would be great

• Understanding of UK commercial real estate debt markets.
• Understanding of rating agency methodologies and rating frameworks.
• Knowledge of insurance investment frameworks, housing finance or residential investment markets.
• Experience mentoring junior investment professionals and analysing macroeconomic or credit market trends.

We know that great talent comes from many backgrounds. Whilst this advert may reference specific experience, skills can be developed in many ways. Applicants with relevant transferable experience are encouraged to apply.

This is a place for you

Our ambition is to be the leading UK business for diversity, equity and inclusion, supporting our customers, colleagues and communities. We're committed to crafting an environment where everyone can thrive, learn and develop.

We offer reasonable workplace adjustments, such as flexible office attendance, location, and working hours. As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee interviews for a fair number of applicants with disabilities, long-term health conditions, or neurodivergent conditions who meet the minimum role criteria.

Reasonable adjustments can be provided throughout the recruitment process to reduce or remove barriers.

Benefits

• Pension contribution of up to 15%
• Annual performance-related bonus
• Share schemes including free shares
• 30 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• Flexible lifestyle benefits
• Wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies

Apply

Ready to make an impact? This role invites you to develop opportunities, influence investment decisions, and handle complex transactions across the commercial real estate and housing sectors. Apply today and do the best work of your career!