Associate - Property Finance at Robert Walters

• A leading alternative investment firm is seeking an Associate Property Finance professional to join their Johannesburg-based team. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in the origination, structuring, and execution of property-related debt transactions across Africa and select emerging markets.

What you'll do:

As an Associate Property Finance professional in Johannesburg, you will immerse yourself in the full lifecycle of property debt transactions, from origination through execution, while collaborating closely with internal teams and external partners.

• Structure and execute vanilla and complex property-related debt transactions for internal funds and third-party investors, aligning with strategic goals.
• Build strong relationships with property investors, developers, syndication partners, and internal teams by leveraging your network and sourcing new deals.
• Prepare detailed proposals, funding presentations, term sheets, and RFP responses, ensuring compliance with tax and accounting standards.
• Perform financial modelling, cashflow analysis, and prepare documentation for credit applications and approvals.
• Negotiate loan terms, including amounts, interest rates, fees, and profit-sharing, with clients and syndication partners to optimise deal structures.
• Oversee transaction execution by coordinating with legal, credit, treasury, regulatory teams, and external advisors for smooth implementation.
• Repackage and distribute debt transactions—potentially using credit derivatives—to expand investor participation and enhance distribution strategies.
• Identify new opportunities through research, design innovative products, and structure solutions tailored to market needs to drive profitability.
• Act as a property credit expert within the organisation while supporting cross-functional initiatives.
• Manage and optimise a credit portfolio in line with mandates; ensure accurate reporting (e.g., daily P&L) and adherence to risk parameters.

What you bring:

To excel as an Associate Property Finance professional in this environment you will bring proven experience navigating complex debt origination processes within the structured property finance sector

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in debt origination or structured property finance, with a proven ability to design and execute complex transactions
• Relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g., CA(SA), CFA, MBA, BCom, LLB)
• Strong track record in deal-making within the debt market, supported by excellent negotiation skills for client and syndication partner contracts
• Exceptional interpersonal skills for effective client engagement and collaboration across large organisations or investment groups
• Established network among property investors or developers, combined with marketing acumen to proactively source new business opportunities
• Advanced tax knowledge and structuring expertise to accurately assess regulatory implications for transactions
• High proficiency in financial modelling and numerical analysis for preparing cashflows and credit application documentation
• Solid understanding of accounting standards relevant to financial instruments and securitisation processes in property finance
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for delivering impactful presentations to technical audiences or internal committees
• Hands-on capital markets experience across instruments such as corporate bonds, commercial paper loans, asset-backed finance, securitisation, and credit derivatives