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Case Studies

Junior Director

A growing LevFin business wanted to bolster their origination team with a promising future-talent. 

Single Hire Leveraged Finance Sponsor Finance
Junior Director

The Situation

In this case study, we examine the successful recruitment of a Junior Director for a  Leveraged Finance team within a mid-market / SME focused Challenger Bank. Future_find, were tasked with identifying a talented individual with experience in running deals and some experience of origination. The goal was to find a candidate capable of rising to a senior position within the team over a five-year period, displaying leadership potential.

Position: Junior Director

Product: Leveraged Finance

Location: London

Salary: £90,000 + Package

  1. 5+ years of experience in deal execution and some exposure to self-originating opportunities.
  2. Active network of introducers not necessary, but desire to grow one is key.
  3. Early-stage responsibilities of growing their own book, alongside assisting Senior Director's with incoming transactions.
  4. Must demonstrate the skill, drive and ambition required to develop into a future senior leadership figure. 

Challenges

Alongside finding a candidate with relevant transaction experience, this particular process presented two key challenges:

1. Finding someone with the correct balance of experience. These roles are often difficult to source as they bridge a talent-level between Associate and 'full' Director. It's an interesting blend of identifying someone at the right time in their career and also, identifying someone ambitious but self-aware enough to not think they're further developed than they are, i.e. demanding a 'full' Director position. 

2. This position suffered from macro-environmental factors as it was actually recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the market was significantly more hesitant to move. 

Building a strong relationship with the candidate and effectively illustrating the great opportunity presented by the role became vital in overcoming these challenges.

Method

Given that this was an early hire, we took a lot of care to ensure we were looking at the right culture match. With the pandemic running in the background, it also extended the process beyond it's usual length, thus providing an opportunity to: 

a) Closely collaborate with the hiring manager to set a clear message around the exceptional opportunity and career growth potential offered by this opportunity. 

b) Build a strong relationship with each shortlisted candidate. This was crucial to properly emphasise the benefits of the role, as well as addressing any concerns related to the pandemic and whether it was the "right time" to be changing jobs. 

By effectively illustrating the opportunity for growth and leadership within the team, we were able to focus on the positives that this opportunity could provide, rather than the potential risks of moving. This was very much a joint effort between ourselves and the hiring manager, and it is a practice we have repeated several times since. 


Outcome

We successfully identified an exceptional candidate who met all the desired deal experience and skill set. This candidate was quickly fast-tracked to Director. They are still employed today and now act as a key originator and senior figure within the team. 

This case study underscores the importance of strategic recruitment practices - as well as closely collaborating with hiring managers - in attracting top talent. It also illustrates the value of fostering career advancement within financial institutions.

Recruited in budget 

First time hire 

Quickly promoted to Director

Now a key originator and leadership figure within the team

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David was excellent. I felt a real connection with him throughout the process and we have continued to keep in touch since. 

Junior Director Hire