Assistant Director / Director – Higher Education Sector

The Firm

My client is an independent corporate finance advisory firm based in the City of London, providing strategic advice to their clients across the Real Estate and Social Infrastructure industries and looking to build a footprint within the Higher Education Sector.

The Role

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an established platform where you will be able build, originate business and grow client relationships within the Higher Education sector and be able to demonstrate strong transactional and corporate finance experience. You will be expected to take a leading role in strategy formulation and both transaction origination and execution.

• Working closely with the broader team to lead development of robust evidence-based advice, deliver client engagements, and provide core advice to Higher Education clients.
• As and when required, you will also advise on adjacent and ancillary business opportunities across the Affordable Housing, Care, Regeneration and Student Accommodation and the intersection between this client base and other parts of the business (Infrastructure, Real Estate, Energy Transition and Transport)
• Take a lead on building upon our growing presence and market share in the Higher Education Sector through active business development and thought leadership efforts.
• Investigate, identify, and contribute to the leadership of opportunities to build strategic relationships with universities.
• Working closely with the existing advisory teams to originate new business and execute transactions.
• Managing and developing relationships with relevant financial sponsors, developers and existing portfolio owners to improve profile and support transaction origination.
• Developing industry and other professional advisory relationships and increasing the profile of the firm.

Competencies:

• An entrepreneurial mindset capable of operating in an adaptive and agile environment.
• Strong team ethic and a client focused and value additive approach to all that you do.
• Excellent ability to build key stakeholder relationships, with outstanding communication skills, including ability to raise external profile of the firm.

Skills Requirements:

• 7+ years’ corporate finance related experience with a minimum of 5 years’ transactional experience, with knowledge of the sectors covered within the Real Estate Social Infrastructure Team.
• Ability to lead, interpret and convey outputs of financial modelling and analysis.
• Strong financial sponsor, lender, investor, developer and corporate relationships, with a well-established network and strong profile within the industry.
• Ability to identify strategic opportunities, establish and grow key relationships, operating in an entrepreneurial and fast-growth corporate finance environment.
• Strong understanding of equity and debt capital and capital structuring, some derivatives knowledge helpful but not essential.
• Experience and willingness to lead/coach/mentor junior colleagues.
• Adaptable, able to pick up new assets, sectors and products, as well as prioritising and simultaneously working on multiple transactions.