Senior Manager, Structured Capital

About the Role

Liberty is seeking a seasoned professional to join their team as a Senior Manager, Structured Capital, based in Johannesburg. This is a pivotal role focused on identifying, developing, and executing complex financial solutions for clients. The successful candidate will be instrumental in driving the growth and success of the Structured Capital division, contributing significantly to revenue targets and enhancing Liberty's reputation as a leading financial partner. This position demands a strategic thinker with a robust understanding of the financial landscape and a proven ability to manage transactions from inception to completion.

This role involves taking ownership of the entire lifecycle of structured capital transactions. You will be responsible for originating new business opportunities, meticulously structuring deals to meet both client requirements and Liberty's risk appetite, and conducting thorough due diligence to ensure the viability and soundness of each transaction. A key part of your remit will be preparing comprehensive credit papers and investment proposals, presenting these to senior management and approval committees for sign-off.

Beyond the initial execution, your responsibilities extend to post-investment monitoring, ensuring that ongoing transactions perform as expected and that risks are managed effectively. You will lead client engagements, fostering strong relationships and acting as a trusted advisor. The aim is to deliver sustainable returns, grow Liberty's market share within the structured capital space, and solidify the organisation's position as a premier provider of lending solutions. This involves not only understanding existing market needs but also anticipating future trends and developing innovative approaches.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this position, candidates will need a strong academic background, ideally a post-graduate degree in a relevant field such as Finance, Law, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Economics. A Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification is highly preferred, demonstrating a strong foundation in financial acumen.

Significant experience is a prerequisite, with 5-7 years in leveraged finance or a comparable lending environment being essential. You must possess a deep and nuanced understanding of both local South African and international lending products and solutions. The ability to translate this knowledge into innovative and commercially sound client proposals is critical.

Key skills include:

• **Deal Origination and Structuring:** Identifying opportunities and crafting bespoke financial solutions.
• **Due Diligence and Credit Analysis:** Conducting rigorous assessments of financial health and transaction risks.
• **Financial Modelling and Valuation:** Developing accurate financial models and performing valuations to support decision-making.
• **Credit Paper Preparation:** Articulating complex financial information clearly and persuasively for approval.
• **Client Engagement and Negotiation:** Leading discussions and reaching favourable agreements with clients.
• **Post-Investment Monitoring:** Tracking performance and managing risks of concluded transactions.
• **Business Acumen:** Understanding the broader business context and market dynamics.
• **Data Analysis:** Interpreting financial data to inform strategy and decision-making.
• **Behavioural Competencies:** The ability to convince others, embrace change, empower individuals, generate ideas, and interact effectively with people are crucial for success in this leadership role.

In South Africa, senior roles in structured finance typically command competitive remuneration packages, reflecting the specialised skills and experience required. Employers often include large banking groups, investment firms, and specialised lending institutions. Career progression can lead to more senior management positions, heading up divisions, or moving into broader corporate finance or investment banking roles.

Type of Qualification: Post Graduate Degree
Field of Study: Any relevant Post Graduate degree (e.g. Finance, Legal, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Economics)
Preferred: Chartered Accountant (CA)

Experience Required

• 5-7 years' experience in Leveraged Finance or a related lending environment.
• Strong understanding and knowledge of local and global lending products and solutions to develop and present innovative and commercially viable client solutions.
• Leading client engagements and Structured Capital transactions from cradle to grave, including origination, structuring, due diligence, credit approval, negotiation, execution and post-investment monitoring.
• Conducting detailed financial analysis, financial modelling, valuation and credit assessment to determine transaction viability and risk.
• Preparing high-quality credit papers, investment proposals and recommendations and presenting findings to senior stakeholders and relevant approval committees.