Head of Financial Sponsors Coverage

Barclays Corporate is seeking an experienced individual to lead the new Barclays Financial Sponsors Coverage team as part of enlarged responsibilities of the Large Corporate Lending (“LCL”) team within UK Corporate Banking (“UKC”).

The LCL team is at the heart of the delivery of UKC’s asset growth agenda and through its Financial Sponsors Structuring team, has a meaningful share in providing financing into the sponsor backed UK mid-market, with ambitions to do more.

This newly created role is focused on proactively managing relationships with mid-market Private Equity firms (“Sponsors”), leading a newly established team to serve as a bridge between these Sponsors and UKC together with the wider Barclays Group.

Role Purpose

The Head of Financial Sponsors Coverage will lead UKC’s engagement with Sponsors, support Relationship Directors in optimizing relationships with Sponsor’s portfolio companies, and coordinate activities across internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Relationship Management: Lead a relationship-based approach to deepen connections with selected Sponsors, ensuring consistency and effective coordination
• Revenue Growth: Drive sustainable revenue growth from Sponsor’s portfolio companies contributing to UKC’s growth targets
• Collaboration: Foster proactive collaboration across frontline teams to enhance customer relationships, championing internal cooperation with teams such as LCL’s own Financial Sponsors Structuring team, Large Corporate Coverage, NBFI, M&A, Trade and Working Capital, Risk Solutions, Payments & Cash Management, and the Private Bank.
• Pipeline Development: Identify, define, and drive a pipeline of opportunities
• Customer Experience: Deliver market-leading customer experience by generating a consistent and high-quality idea, solutions and service culture
• Connectivity: Enhance connectivity to Barclays among the target Sponsor universe.

Requirements

To be successful in this role, candidates should possess the following experience and attributes:

• Leverage Finance experience: Extensive Leveraged Finance experience with a broad understanding of the Private Equity market
• Coverage Mindset: Proven track record in developing client account plans, identifying product penetration ideas and dynamically covering clients according to the opportunity set
• Product knowledge and Sales achievement: Deep understanding of the needs of Sponsors across both debt and non-debt banking products and services. A demonstrable track record of generating product sales leading to safe and sustainable revenue growth and sales targets being met through a client-centric approach across multiple product streams
• Market presence: Knowledge and familiarity of, and a positive reputation within,  the relevant Sponsor and Debt advisor community
• Financial Skills: Strong financial analysis and financial modelling skills, with the capability to teach and coach others
• Leadership: Proven experience in leading and managing teams. Ideally with a background in building teams of coverage and/or product bankers
• Risk Management: Ability to anticipate and identify risks, implementing appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Interpersonal Skills: Excellent influencing skills with the ability to build positive working relationships with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders
• Market Insights: Experience in pricing, product propositions, and competitive positioning to enhance UKC’s offerings and market share
• Communication: Exceptional organizational, written, and verbal communication skills
• Business Development: Experience in building new businesses and sustainable new to firm revenues
• Analytical Skills: Capability to gather, interpret, and analyze information to effectively respond to customer and stakeholder needs

Purpose of the role

To identify and capitalise on business opportunities, expansion of the customer base, relationship management, and driving of revenue growth.  

Accountabilities

• Execution of market research and analysis to support the identification of potential new opportunities, market trends, and customer needs, to develop strategies for business growth.
• Identification of leads through various channels such as networking, referrals, cold calling, and attending industry events.
• Development and execution of strategies to acquire new business and expand the customer base, including preparation of proposals, presentations, and negotiation of contracts.
• Collaboration with relationship teams, product managers, credit analysts, operations, and other internal stakeholders to ensure seamless delivery of banking products and services to clients.
• Forecasting of sales targets and tracking progress against goals, including regular reports on business development activities, pipeline status, and sales performance to management.
• Contribution to the development of business development strategies and initiatives to drive revenue growth and achieve business objectives.

Director Expectations

• To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
• They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
• Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
• Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
• Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
• Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
• Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
• Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
• Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
• Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
• Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
• Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.