Assistant Director - Local Authority Lending & Advisory

Job Description

About UK Infrastructure BankWe are the new, government-owned policy bank - launched in June 2021 - providing £22bn of infrastructure finance and partnering with the private sector and local government to finance a green industrial revolution and drive growth across the United Kingdom.We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the UKIB into an industry-leading institution.Job PurposeThe Assistant Director will provide expert financial and commercial guidance to local authorities on how local infrastructure is financed and delivered.Proactively build relationships across the sector to identify advisory and lending opportunities with a portfolio of local authorities.Working with local authorities to enter successful arrangements with delivery partners, discuss challenges and develop solutions to help bridge financing gaps in sustainable ways.Core Role Accountabilities

• Deliver advisory mandates either working with the Local Authority function sector directors or as the lead. The Assistant Director will provide advice and support to local authorities in delivering infrastructure projects and propagate best practice ininfrastructure delivery. This may include scoping advisory assignments, participating and leading workshops, delivering presentations, developing advice notes, undertaking sector research, and reviewing documentation and business cases.
• Assist successful lending transactions by working with the sector directors to deliver lending opportunities through the Bank’s governance process through to loan signature and funds drawdown. This will involve review of the financial and commercial aspectsof projects from a lending perspective as well as managing the internal engagement with key teams within the Bank (Legal, Risk, Portfolio Management, Policy and Impact).
• Work as part of an advisory project team or lending deal team with responsibility for the management of junior staff.
• Build relationships across the local authority community by proactively networking and engaging with internal and external senior stakeholders, to create future advisory mandates and lending opportunities, and to enhance the Bank’s reputation in the market.
• Ensure that local authorities receive robust advice enabling them to best identify and facilitate the most commercially sustainable and appropriate outcomes.
• Utilise industry experience to advise and partner with local authorities through legal and commercial negotiations.
• Interface in an open, constructive, and collaborative manner with colleagues across the Bank to share expert knowledge and experience, develop sector strategies and to fulfil the strategic mission of the Bank.
• Represent the Bank – reinforce the Bank’s reputation as a centre of excellence in local authority infrastructure financing. Act as an ambassador for the Bank by participating at industry events and conferences, promoting the Bank’s role in the transitionnet zero and the delivery of regional and local economic growth.

Knowledge, Skill and Experience Requirements Experience:

• Financing or delivering local infrastructure investment in one of the Local Authority function’s sectors (transport, clean energy and mixed regeneration).
• The risks associated with such investment and how these impact on a project and may be managed or mitigated.
• Working with, or knowledge of:Local Authorities and central Government bodies, and/or finance/infrastructure transactions.
• Managing infrastructure advisory projects and / or deals (and the supporting team) from inception through to successful conclusion.
• Reviewing business cases and the ability to understand quickly and challenge key assumptions.
• Working with project financial models and financing / project legal documentation.
• Working with formal governance processes and, in particular, the approval process for bank lending.
• Solving complex problems, through the ability to draw on personal expertise and identify solutions efficiently.

Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present confidently, and develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Be a skilled communicator and passionate about contributing to the positive culture of the Bank.
• Be commercially astute, with experience of deal negotiation.
• Ability to take a leadership role on projects, working autonomously to drive projects forward, dealing with uncertainty.
• Business development and originating new opportunities.
• Positive attitude towards gaining additional experience and knowledge as part of continued professional development.

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do.We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience.