Director – Origination Location: London
Sector: Special Situations / Asset-Backed Investments / Real Estate Credit & Equity
Compensation: Highly Competitive + Bonus

About the Opportunity We are partnering with a highly entrepreneurial and well-capitalised European investment platform focused on mid-market, complex and special situations opportunities across debt and equity. The firm invests across the capital structure with a particular focus on asset-backed opportunities, real estate-backed transactions, stressed / dislocated situations, and operational turnarounds across the UK and wider Europe. The business has built a strong track record deploying flexible capital into situations requiring speed, creativity and certainty of execution. (Zetland Capital)

As part of its continued growth, the firm is seeking to appoint a Director – Origination to help source, structure and execute new investment opportunities across Europe, with a particular emphasis on sponsor-led, proprietary and off-market situations.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a commercially minded originator to join a nimble, high-performing platform where individuals can make a direct impact on deal flow and investment outcomes.

The Role Reporting directly to the Partners / Investment Committee, the successful candidate will be responsible for leading origination activity across targeted sectors and geographies.

Key Responsibilities

• Originate new investment opportunities across special situations, real estate-backed credit, structured capital and opportunistic equity transactions.
  
  
• Build and maintain relationships with:
  
  
  • Sponsors / private equity firms
    
    
  • Borrowers / owner-operators
    
    
  • Advisers (debt brokers, investment banks, lawyers, accountants)
    
    
  • Banks, alternative lenders and restructuring professionals
    
    
• Source proprietary and limited-auction opportunities across the UK and Europe.
  
  
• Assess transactions at a high level and determine strategic fit, downside protection and execution pathway.
  
  
• Work closely with investment and underwriting teams to progress live opportunities through diligence and committee approval.
  
  
• Lead commercial negotiations including term sheets, exclusivity processes and financing structures.
  
  
• Maintain detailed pipeline reporting for senior management.
  
  
• Represent the firm externally across the market and at industry events.
  
  
• Help shape sector strategy and new market penetration initiatives.
  
  

Ideal Candidate Profile We are seeking a senior, relationship-driven investment professional with an established track record in origination and execution.

Likely Backgrounds Include:

• Private credit / direct lending funds
  
  
• Special situations / opportunistic investment firms
  
  
• Real estate private equity platforms
  
  
• Investment banking / structured finance / debt advisory
  
  
• Alternative lenders / asset-backed capital providers
  
  

Experience Required

• 10+ years’ relevant experience in principal investing, lending, advisory or acquisitions.
  
  
• Demonstrable track record originating and closing transactions in the £50m–£500m+ range.
  
  
• Strong network across UK and European sponsors, lenders, advisers and intermediaries.
  
  
• Experience across one or more of:
  
  
  • Real estate-backed lending
    
    
  • Corporate carve-outs / stressed situations
    
    
  • Operational turnarounds
    
    
  • Structured equity / preferred equity / rescue capital
    
    
  • Platform or portfolio acquisitions
    
    
• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to quickly assess risk / reward.
  
  
• Highly numerate and comfortable discussing underwriting, structuring and downside cases.
  
  
• Cross-border transaction experience across Continental Europe strongly preferred.
  
  
• Additional European language skills advantageous.
  
  

Highly Relevant Candidate Profile The ideal individual may currently be operating in a Director / Senior VP capacity and have experience such as:

• Deep exposure to living sectors, operational real estate, asset-backed platforms or complex corporate situations.
  
  
• Strong lender relationships and prior responsibility for debt sourcing / capital markets processes.
  
  
• Experience presenting to Investment Committees and working directly with senior stakeholders.
  
  
• Ability to combine relationship-led origination with hands-on execution discipline.
  
  

Why Join?

• High-profile and well-capitalised investment platform.
  
  
• Genuine autonomy and visibility with senior leadership.
  
  
• Broad mandate across debt and equity.
  
  
• Ability to lead transactions rather than simply originate leads.
  
  
• Strong compensation upside including discretionary bonus and long-term incentive potential.
  
  
• Entrepreneurial culture with meritocratic progression.
  
  

To Apply Please submit your CV in confidence. All discussions will be handled with strict discretion.