Director of Ship Financing

We are looking for a senior ship-finance professional for an established and expanding international shipping group entering an exciting phase of fleet growth and vessel acquisition. The senior ship-finance professional will lead its vessel financing and capital-raising activities. He/she will be expected to open doors, build investor confidence and convert financing discussions into successful commitments. This is a strategic leadership appointment with direct access to the Group CEO and senior decision-makers.

The ideal candidate will have proven track record in playing a central role in securing debt and equity funding, developing relationships with banks and investment institutions, and structuring financing solutions to support the acquisition of additional vessels.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the company's financing strategy for vessel acquisitions and fleet expansion.
• Arrange and structure vessel loans, asset-backed financing, leasing, hire-purchase and sale-and-leaseback transactions.
• Originate and secure funding from banks, financial institutions, private-equity firms, investment funds and other capital providers.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with ship-finance banks, private-equity investors, lessors, family offices and funding institutions.
• Prepare financial models, investment memoranda, loan proposals and investor presentations.
• Negotiate financing proposals, term sheets, covenants and commercial terms.
• Evaluate vessel-acquisition and chartering opportunities from a financial and investment perspective.
• Advise senior management on capital structure, cost of funding and appropriate financing instruments.
• Monitor financing covenants, repayment obligations and asset valuations.
• Represent the company in discussions with financiers, investors and relevant industry stakeholders.

Requirements

• Proven track record in ship or vessel financing.
• Demonstrated success in raising funds for shipping companies or maritime asset acquisitions.
• Direct experience securing debt financing from banks and financial institutions.
• Proven involvement in raising equity or securing investment commitments from private-equity firms, funds or institutional investors.
• Hands-on experience negotiating loan proposals, financing term sheets and investment structures.
• Strong existing network within ship-finance banks, leasing companies, private-equity firms and investment institutions.
• Strong financial-modelling, transaction-analysis and investor-presentation capabilities.
• Ability to independently originate, negotiate and close financing transactions.
• A recognised professional qualification such as CA, CMA, CIMA or CFA, or an MBA in Finance, would be advantageous.