Commercial and Development Investment Manager

Company Description

At Octopus, we’re entrepreneurs and we’re investors, on a mission to back the people, ideas and industries that will change the world.

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Job Description

Role summary

We are looking for an ambitious, commercially minded Investment Manager to originate, structure and execute commercial and development debt opportunities across the UK. This is a senior, front-line role with direct accountability for generating new business, converting opportunities and delivering agreed lending targets.

The successful candidate will bring a strong network of brokers, borrowers, advisers and market contacts, together with a credible track record in UK real estate finance. They will be expected to independently assess opportunities, identify the key risks, structure appropriate lending solutions and take viable transactions from initial enquiry through Credit Committee and completion.

The role is highly client-facing and relationship driven, but requires a strong level of transaction ownership. Alongside individual origination. The Investment Manager will contribute to market strategy, support the development of junior colleagues and help ensure the investment team maintains a high-quality, well-converting pipeline.

What is in it for you

• A senior front-line investment role with autonomy, established funding lines and direct responsibility for originating and executing transactions.
• The opportunity to help grow a commercial and development debt strategy within an established real estate debt platform.
• Direct exposure to borrowers, brokers, advisers, Credit Committee and senior decision makers.
• Competitive base salary with performance-related bonus linked to individual origination and wider team results.
• Access to the wider Octopus benefits package, including pension, flexible working, wellness support, family leave policies, private medical insurance and other employee benefits.

What you will be doing

Origination, sales and relationship management

• Achieve and exceed agreed lending, origination and deployment targets across commercial and development debt.
• Independently source and originate new lending opportunities through an established network of brokers, borrowers, advisers and other market contacts.
• Act as a senior focal point for key relationships within the target market, building trusted long-term relationships and generating repeat business.
• Develop and maintain a high-quality introducer panel, with a disciplined rhythm of meetings, follow-ups and pipeline reviews.
• Spend significant time in the market meeting brokers, borrowers and professionals, and represent Octopus at relevant industry events, conferences and market meetings.
• Take ownership of progressing new enquiries and converting viable opportunities into completed transactions.

Market coverage and pipeline development

• Source new lending opportunities across commercial real estate, development finance and living sectors, including residential-for-sale, PBSA, co-living, build-to-rent, retirement living, care and other operational residential sectors where appropriate.
• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, market liquidity, borrower requirements and broker feedback to identify areas where Octopus can win attractive, risk-adjusted business.
• Share market intelligence internally and contribute to the development of origination strategy, product positioning and credit appetite.
• Maintain clear and accurate pipeline information, with ownership of expected timings, conversion risk, borrower feedback and forecast completions.
• Work closely with the Head of Investment and wider team to prioritise opportunities and allocate resource to the strongest prospects.

Deal assessment and execution

• Take the lead in assessing new opportunities, including borrower quality, asset type, location, business plan, exit strategy, leverage, planning status, pricing and overall fit with lending appetite.
• Structure transactions and negotiate commercial terms with borrowers and advisers, including term sheets and key transaction parameters.
• Own transactions from initial enquiry through due diligence, Credit Committee approval, documentation and completion.
• Prepare and present high-quality investment papers, deal summaries and recommendations for Credit Committee.
• Work closely with Credit, Legal, Operations, Asset Management and other internal stakeholders to resolve issues and deliver transactions efficiently.
• Challenge assumptions and information constructively, identify downside risks early and propose appropriate mitigants or alternative structures.
• Remain close to transactions after completion, maintaining borrower relationships and identifying refinancing, follow-on lending and repeat-borrower opportunities.

Team contribution and leadership

• Mentor and support junior members of the investment team, providing guidance on opportunity assessment, transaction execution and market engagement.
• Support the Head of Investment in improving origination processes, pipeline discipline, team efficiency and conversion.
• Contribute positively to a collaborative, high-performance culture across the wider real estate debt platform.

Qualifications

Experience and technical knowledge

• 3+ years of relevant experience in UK real estate debt, lending, finance or an equivalent transactional role, ideally gained with a lender, debt fund, bank, broker, alternative lender or real estate finance platform.
• A demonstrable track record of originating and executing real estate debt transactions.
• A strong and active network across brokers, borrowers, advisers and other market participants, with the ability to generate new opportunities immediately.
• Strong understanding of commercial real estate lending, development finance and the living sectors, including the key risks that influence lender appetite and transaction structure.
• Ability to assess opportunities quickly, form a clear commercial view and identify appropriate lending structures and risk mitigants.
• Experience negotiating terms and managing transactions through due diligence, Credit Committee and legal documentation to completion.
• Good financial analysis skills, with familiarity with financial models, development appraisals, cash flows, valuations and credit papers.

Personal qualities

• Entrepreneurial, proactive and results-oriented, with a strong focus on origination, conversion and delivery.
• Commercially minded and able to balance the needs of borrowers with appropriate risk-adjusted lending decisions.
• Confident and credible communicator with strong influencing and negotiation skills.
• Highly organised and disciplined, with the judgement to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Committed to delivering an excellent service to brokers, borrowers and internal stakeholders.
• Straightforward, helpful and bold in approach, with good judgement and a collaborative mindset.

Qualifications

• Degree educated or equivalent professional experience is preferred.
• RICS, CFA, CAIA or other relevant professional qualification would be an advantage, but is not a requirement for this role.

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick every box. What’s the worst that can happen?

This role will evolve as we grow and develop. So, if you are looking for a challenge in a fast paced and dynamic business, we can deliver on that.

Additional Information

What we offer

A competitive salary, bonus, pension and share incentive plan

• Take what you need holiday
• Flexible working
• Anchor (our wellness hub) which includes Headspace, one to one coaching through Sanctus, Parent Cloud, Digital GP, Shout & more
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection
• Private medical insurance for you and your family
• Electric vehicle leasing
• The option to work overseas up to a month per year

Our Values

At our core, we believe that how a company behaves is just as important as what it does. That’s why we chose to become an accredited B Corp (the equivalent of a Fairtrade coffee stamp but for companies) and to change our Articles of Association so that the interests all our stakeholders – employees, customers, communities, environment and shareholders – are considered in every decision we make.

We are committed to building a workplace where diversity is valued, and inclusion is a priority. By providing equal opportunities for growth and development, we embrace and celebrate all races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, ages, disabilities, and socio-economic backgrounds. We believe teams achieve their best when every member feels safe, respected and empowered to be their authentic selves.

We're proud to be disability confident and are committed to supporting candidates with a disability, including neurodiversity and mental health conditions, throughout the recruitment process. Applicants are welcome to opt-in to the disability confident scheme as part of our application process. If you require any adjustments to the interview process, we’ll be happy to accommodate where possible.