Director, Asset & Portfolio Management - CRE

Join OakNorth and help reshape the future of business lending in the US!

At OakNorth, we're on the hunt for exceptional talent to join our growing US team and help scale our lending business across the country. Since our launch in 2015, we've lent more than $18 billion to ambitious entrepreneurs in the UK - and over $1.5 billion in the US since summer 2023. Our lending has helped create 36,000 new jobs and 58,000 new homes - and we're only just getting started.

If you're ready to make an impact, challenge the status quo, and be part of a mission-driven team transforming commercial banking, we'd love to hear from you.

OakNorth Bank is redefining the way banks serve the lower-mid-market-providing fast, flexible, and data-driven debt financing to growing businesses. Our lending model combines deep sector expertise with advanced analytics to support commercial real estate developers, investors, and businesses with tailored financing solutions.

We are expanding our U.S. presence and seeking an experienced professional to join our New York office, focusing on the ongoing management, optimization, and performance monitoring of our commercial real estate lending portfolio.

Role Overview

This role sits within OakNorth's U.S. lending team[and is responsible for managing the ongoing performance and risk of our commercial real estate portfolio. The role combines hands-on asset management-managing borrower relationships, deal retention, and distressed loan situations-with portfolio management and monitoring, providing analytical insight into credit performance, portfolio health, and concentration risk.

The successful candidate will partner closely with the Origination (Debt Finance Directors) and Portfolio Monitoring teams to optimize loan performance, support refinancing and retention strategies, and ensure the portfolio continues to grow sustainably while maintaining OakNorth's strong credit standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Asset Management
• Partner with the Debt Finance Directors in the retention of high quality lending customers, including structuring and pricing; proactively identify opportunities for refinance, extension, or repayment discussions that strengthen OakNorth's portfolio.
• Lead negotiations and workouts for stressed or distressed credits, engaging with legal counsel and internal stakeholders to achieve optimal outcomes for both borrower and bank.
• Maintain deep knowledge of commercial real estate markets and capital flows, understanding competitor behavior and market shifts that impact pricing and retention strategies.
• Oversee the ongoing performance of real estate loans, engaging with borrowers and co-lenders throughout the loan life cycle on amendments, waivers, and covenants, as required.
• Portfolio Management & Monitoring[SS1]
• Support the safe and sustainable expansion of the loan book by effectively measuring and managing credit risk within existing relationships.
• Evaluate portfolio data to identify trends, concentration risks, and sector exposures; form views on whether underwriting assumptions have proven conservative, accurate, or optimistic.
• Provide input and direction on portfolio initiatives, frameworks, and monitoring processes, working closely with credit and monitoring teams across geographies.
• Deliver process improvements and risk management enhancements that enable growth while maintaining portfolio quality and compliance with regulatory frameworks.

Candidate Profile

$170,000 - $215,000 a year

Benefits & Perks :

401k plan with Principal (ON match up to 4%)

Medical Care (managed through Insperity) - employees can add their family to their plan if needed

Dental & Vision bundle

Insperity Health Savings Account Program - this is a tax-advantaged employee benefit which can help manage health care costs by allowing employees to set aside some of their current earnings on a pretax basis for reimbursement of qualified health care expenses during the plan year

EAP

20 days Holiday

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.