Associate Director | Credit - Trading Business

At OakNorth, we're on a mission to empower ambitious businesses and the communities they serve. Since 2015, we've lent over $21 billion across the UK and US, helped create more than 58,000 new homes and 36,000 new jobs, and supported hundreds of thousands of personal savers — all while driving economic growth in the markets we serve.

 

 

 

We need a credit professional ready to move the needle on how we lend to the UK's most ambitious trading businesses. 

As an Associate Director in Credit Risk, you're not just reviewing papers — you're the quality filter for growth. You'll sit at the intersection of our Debt Finance and Credit Analytics teams, shaping how we structure deals for trading businesses across multiple sectors, making sure every decision we make supports the safe growth of the bank’s balance sheet. 

What you'll do 

From first credit paper to drawdown, you own the full deal lifecycle. Your analysis lands in front of Credit Committee, your voice shapes which businesses get funded, and your judgement is central to the bank supporting the right growing businesses. Central to the role is to challenge and collaborate with Debt Finance, Credit Analytics and senior members of the UK Credit team to produce high-quality credit papers — pushing back when something doesn't stack up. 

• Review FDD, financial accounts, and covenant models — and be able to explain and mitigate key risks, including proposing key terms and conditions.  

• Write focused, incisive credit recommendations for Credit Committee: clear on risk, rationale for support, and proposed structural enhancements. 

• Attend Credit Committee and question borrowers directly — you're not a silent reviewer. 

• Oversee loan execution alongside Debt Finance and the Transaction Execution Team: security, documentation, conditions precedent, controls etc. 

• Support Portfolio Management with in-life increases, extensions, covenant resets and annual reviews. 

• Assist in ad hoc team or bank initiatives and projects to help the bank scale and reach its ambitious growth targets, including increased adoption of AI as a key pillar 

What you'll bring 

• Experience: Minimum 7 years of relevant experience, of which at least 5 years should have been in in a credit risk or corporate lending role. SME cashflow lending is core to what the team does, and experience across a range of sectors, loan types and sponsor and leveraged finance is a real advantage. 

• Technical knowledge: Strong grasp of credit risk models (RWA, PD, LGD), working capital mechanics, covenant setting, and financial analysis.  

How you work  

• You move fast, focus on what matters, and write with precision. You're tenacious but pragmatic, confident challenging deal teams, and strong enough to hold a position under scrutiny. 

Nice to have  

• Real estate lending exposure (residential development, investment or commercial property) is welcome but not essential. What matters most is quality of credit thinking.