The Head of Project Finance & Aerospace Restructuring will be responsible for managing a team of 6 (1x G7, 3x SEO and 2x HEO exact composition may change) reporting to the Head/Deputy Head of Restructuring, Claims & Recoveries.
The role involves reviewing, analysing, presenting, negotiating, documenting and closing complex restructurings on UKEFs project finance and aerospace (asset backed) portfolios, some of which include large-scale sophisticated insolvency workouts (Chapter 11 or equivalent). These negotiations are prolonged, detailed, intensive and complex involving sophisticated counterparties who are very well represented and advised. The role involves liaising with and marshalling the policy position of the finance parties such as the borrower, other obligors, covered banks (agents, trustee and lenders) and external lawyers and financial advisers. The role involves the articulation and presentation of the financiers position (UKEF as guarantor of a portion of the underlying lending) in negotiation often in adversarial and hostile situations not just with the borrower but with intercreditor parties whose interests may and will diverge from UKEFs. The role demands an ability to reconcile commercial positions as well as to lead, influence and persuade the negotiation and to make reasoned and justifiable decisions in time pressured circumstances where the postholder will be the ultimate decision-maker.
The team will develop the UKEF capability in this area where Project Finance. Aero and EDG (Export Development Guarantee) restructures are relatively rare but increasing. The responsibilities in project finance and aerospace restructuring require a blend of technical expertise , judgment-making, and professional development in the execution of complex restructuring in a pressurised and sensitive environments given counterparties and amounts at risk. Postholder will be expected to help junior team members understand intricate deal structures, credit dynamics, and stakeholder negotiations, while contextualising lessons from live transactionssuch as restructuring processes, covenant negotiations, and multi-creditor dynamicsinto a bank of practical learning and succession planning. Postholder will play a critical role in teaching and mentoring analytical rigour in reviewing models, challenging assumptions, and reinforcing best practices in risk assessment and documentation. In restructuring scenarios postholder will guide juniors through uncertainty, demonstrating how to manage distressed borrowers, navigate competing creditor interests, and maintain disciplined communication under pressure. Equally important is fostering soft skillsjudgement, resilience, and collaborationensuring that SEO and HEO cohort can contribute effectively across cross-functional teams and engage confidently with senior stakeholders as their responsibilities grow.
The job holder is required to deal with and retain the trust and confidence of various external stakeholders such as borrowers, exporters, Agent banks, and external counsel.
The role also involves dealing with (persuading, influencing and leading) our counterparts in other Export Credit Agencies worldwide either in the capacity as lead insurer or re-insurer.
The role is the point person for UKEF on deal teams consulting with and leading internal stakeholders such as the underwriters (in UKEFs Business Group), as well as colleagues form our Risk Divisions (Risk Assessment Division, Analysis Division and the performing Portfolio Management Division), Policy (UPP) and the LCD team.
Main Activities
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Overseeing the restructuring of distressed PF /Aero cases.
- Meetings with Banks/ECAs/Borrower/Sponsors/Financial and External Legal Advisers
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Shadowing cases in the Performing portfolio showing initial signs of stress and providing advice to PMD.
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Working in conjunction with PMD colleagues to shadow manage transactions that are showing signs of credit deterioration/distress.
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Senior stakeholder engagement presenting restructuring proposals to ERiCC.
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Leading on making recommendations to ERiCC on restructuring proposals and other internal and cross-government stakeholders including HMT.
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Policy input, governance support, continuous improvement.
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The jobholder will be responsible for providing input into UKEF policy on both new and existing products (from both a PF and Aero perspective) as well as other areas of governance including lessons learned on an iterative basis.
This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.
