Director, Lender Coverage

Role purpose

The Director, Lender Coverage will provide authoritative loan-market insights and thought leadership, both ahead of and between corporate and leveraged financing events. Working closely with clients, Relationship Directors, product partners and senior stakeholders across Barclays Corporate and Barclays Investment Bank, the role will support the origination of lending opportunities, including refinancings, and hand over to the relevant execution Directors, while helping to develop the Corporate Debt Finance franchise.

Key responsibilities

• Inform clients and internal stakeholders on loan-market conditions, pricing, investor appetite, transaction structure and execution strategy.
• Provide early input on indicative underwriting, hold and distribution strategies for corporate and leveraged lending transactions, handing over to the relevant Director to lead from mandate.
• Provide senior judgement on transaction viability, including proposed structures, pricing, flex, marketability and execution risk.
• Gather and share lender and investor feedback to inform client advice, with formal market soundings led by the execution team.
• Support Relationship Directors and product partners in originating, developing and converting a high-quality pipeline of bank lending opportunities.
• Position Barclays ahead of financing events by tracking client maturity profiles, refinancing windows and covenant headroom, and keeping Barclays front of mind between transactions.
• Support Relationship Directors on refinancing and amend-and-extend situations, advising on timing, structure and bank group dynamics.
• Prepare and deliver regular client-facing market updates, and provide market input into Relationship Director pitches and meetings.
• Act as the bridge between Relationship Directors and execution teams, handing over to the transaction Director at mandate and remaining available as a market adviser during execution.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with borrowers, investors, debt advisers and relevant internal stakeholders.
• Provide timely intelligence on developments in the primary and secondary loan markets, including comparable transactions, liquidity, investor behaviour and emerging revenue opportunities.
• Coordinate closely with teams across Barclays Corporate and Barclays Investment Bank, including Coverage, Debt Finance, Credit, Legal, Sales and Trading, to deliver joined-up client solutions.
• Deliver a market-leading client experience through consistently high-quality ideas, execution and service.
• Mentor and develop junior colleagues, and design and deliver training that strengthens debt-market knowledge and execution capability across the business.
• Contribute to the strategy, commercial development and continued growth of the Corporate Debt Finance platform.

Ideal background

• Significant experience at Director or Vice President level within Lender Coverage, Debt Finance, Credit Origination, Debt Capital Markets or Debt Advisory.
• Strong technical understanding of corporate and leveraged loan markets, credit, underwriting, syndication, documentation and transaction management.
• Demonstrable knowledge of debt structuring, borrower and lender dynamics, pricing, market flex, distribution strategy and secondary market considerations.
• Proven ability to originate and convert opportunities, develop senior client relationships and influence commercial outcomes.
• Experience presenting market views and refinancing options to CFOs and treasurers.
• Strong judgement, with the confidence to challenge constructively and make recommendations in complex or time-sensitive situations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to operate credibly with client c-suite, board members, investors and internal decision-makers.
• Entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset, with a willingness to take ownership and help grow a developing business.
• Comfortable operating independently while contributing effectively within a broader, multidisciplinary team.

Risk and control

• Take ownership of credit, conduct, operational and reputational risks arising from transactions and client activity as required.
• Ensure that all activity is undertaken in accordance with applicable regulation, internal policies, governance standards and approval processes.
• Identify, assess and escalate material market, underwriting or execution risks in a timely manner.
• Promote a strong control culture and consistently demonstrate sound judgement and accountability.

Why this opportunity?

• A high-profile role with significant visibility across Barclays Corporate and the wider capital financing franchise.
• The opportunity to shape and grow a strategically important part of the Corporate Debt Finance business.
• Broad exposure to mid-cap, large corporate, sponsor-backed and leveraged borrowers across a range of sectors.
• A mandate combining senior client engagement, market leadership, transaction execution and platform development.

Purpose of the role

To raise capital and manage the financial risk of clients in collaboration with multiple financial institutions, including financial advisory services, identification of market opportunities, research, economic analysis.  

Accountabilities

• Development and maintenance of strong relationships with corporate and institutional clients to understand their financing needs and objectives and to develop fixed income syndicated capital market offerings.  .
• Development and maintenance of complex financial models to assess the value of assets, companies, or securities and identify the most appropriate structuring of capital raising initiatives, including loan, bond or derivatives syndications.  .
• Identification, assessment, and management of risks associated with syndicated fixed income capital markets transactions and development of risk mitigation strategies in alignment with regulatory requirements, including the increase in complexity and potential conflicts of interest.  .
• Research, financial data analysis and continued development of market insights and investment recommendations.  .
• Collaboration with cross functional and cross institution teams to ensure successful execution of syndicated fixed income capital market transactions.  .

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.