Debt Financing Specialist

THE ROLE

The role is to lead relationships with lenders and manage the debt facilities of funds (listed and private) that invest in Solar PV assets internationally.

The successful candidate will ensure consistency and accuracy of outputs, as well as delivering and maintaining a high degree of customer service (internal and external). In view of this, they will need to analyze complex financing documents, flag issues and support their resolution through to completion, and proactively drive continuous improvement within the Debt Management team.

The Debt Financing Specialist is expected to be able to undertake operational management of solar plants, with the responsibilities outlined below with minimum supervision.

It is requested an advanced knowledge of financial modelling, with extensive experience in managing and updating bank models, and strong financial analysis skills with the ability to review, understand project finance and other forms of debt facility agreements, audited financial accounts, management accounts and financial forecasts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ownership of responsibility for debt facility periodic reporting and covenant compliance. Updating lender financial models and calculating financial ratios to ensure compliance. Preparing waiver and consent requests, as well as event driven lender communications. Managing relationship with lenders, legal advisors as well as other relevant external parties.
• Interpreting and mapping of complex financing documents (facility agreements, security documents, accounts agreements) and advising internal teams and clients on requirements and restrictions.
• Analyzing and reporting potential risks and upsides for debt facilities under management. Participating in periodic meetings and providing status updates and analysis results to client.
• Coordinating internal providers of inputs (e.g. financial controllers, engineers, PPA teams) to consolidate information on asset performance for timely lender reporting.
• Providing support to investment teams on analysis of debt facility and ad-hoc requirements (i.e. facility amendments, renewal, refinancing) as and when necessary.
• Work in conjunction with fund management teams on market reporting requirements.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Time management & prioritization skills - things can get a little hectic, so the ability to effectively manage yourself and your workload is critical.
• Excellent communication skills (in English or/and other European languages) - you must be able to organize your thoughts in a way that others find clear and compelling. You will be expected to together well-written, grammatically correct emails and other communications. When communicating verbally – whether over the phone, on video calls, in person or in meetings – you will need to be articulate, warm and engaging.
• Flexibility - being an effective team player means being flexible in your approach and open to getting involved with new things, even if they are not spelled out in your job description.
• Intellectual Curiosity – Debt Management is a broad and nuanced field, and we are looking for someone who is truly interested in our profession and has the intellectual curiosity to delve deep into topics and bring fresh ideas into the team.
• IT Literacy - you need to be comfortable with IT systems and working with data (you should have at least intermediate-level excel).
• Delivery focus – it may sound obvious, but the ability to proactively churn through work at pace and deliver quality outputs really matters!
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Passion for our mission ‘to generate a more sustainable future by leading the transition to clean energy.
• Our values: be a leader, build trust, be responsible, be innovative and ‘bring your alpha’.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS 

• Minimum 2 years or more experience in a similar role as a financial advisor, bank or asset manager covering infrastructure is a strict requirement.
• Bachelor's or master’s degree is required.
• Exposure to project and structured finance facilities, renewable energy financing, energy markets in EU jurisdiction is desirable.
• Having or progressing a finance related professional qualification (i.e. CFA, CIMA, ACA, ACCA) is desirable.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office packages (with key focus on Excel) is required.
• Fluency in English is required, Italian or Spanish are desirable.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A busy role in a supportive team, with plenty of opportunities to learn.
• International scope – we operate in over 8 countries.
• Hybrid working – we will need you in the office at least twice a week, but you will normally be able to work remotely for the remainder of the week.
• Annual discretionary bonus.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in this opportunity, please follow the link to apply or send your application to careers@nextenergygroup.com. If you have been shortlisted for the next stage, we will be in contact within 14 days. 

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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Our approach to diversity and inclusion is a natural extension of our values. Our entrepreneurial culture inspires us to try new things, be open to different viewpoints and be bold. Our Group is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of connectedness that values difference and gives space for individual expression. The collective sum of our individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent and hard work form the bedrock of who we are and who we aspire to be.

We are committed to equal employment and advancement opportunity irrespective of race, color, ancestry, social background, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability and gender identity.

ABOUT US

NextEnergy Group was founded in 2007 to become a leading market participant in the international solar sector.  Since its inception, it has been active in the development, construction, and ownership of solar assets across multiple jurisdictions.  NextEnergy Group operates via its three business units: NextEnergy Capital (Investment Management), WiseEnergy (Operating Asset Management), and Starlight (Asset Development). 

NextEnergy Capital manages the Group's investment activities and has invested in over 520 solar plants, exceeding 2GW in capacity across its institutional funds.

• NextEnergy Solar Fund (NESF): Listed on the London Stock Exchange, NESF manages 102 solar and energy storage assets in the UK and Italy, with a total installed capacity of 983MW and a gross asset value of £1,014m.
• NextPower II (NPII): A private fund of 105 solar plants (149MW) focused on Italy, successfully divested in January 2022, delivering net IRRs exceeding its 10-12% target.
• NextPower III ESG (NPIII ESG): A private fund targeting solar infrastructure in OECD countries (e.g., US, Spain, Italy), with $896m raised, exceeding its $750m target.
• NextPower UK ESG (NPUK ESG): A private fund dedicated to new-build solar plants in the UK, with ~£600m raised.
• NextPower V ESG (NPV ESG): A private OECD solar fund investing in solar and adjacent technologies like battery storage. To date, it has raised $745m, targeting $1.5bn ($2bn ceiling).

WiseEnergy® is NextEnergy Group’s operating asset manager.  WiseEnergy is a leading specialist operating asset manager in the solar sector.  Since its founding, WiseEnergy has provided solar asset management, monitoring, technical due diligence and under construction services to over 1,500 utility-scale solar power plants with an installed total capacity in excess of 3.4 GW.  WiseEnergy clients comprise leading banks and equity financiers in the energy and infrastructure sector.  

Starlight is NextEnergy Group’s development company that is active in the development phase of solar projects.  It has developed over 100 utility-scale projects internationally and continues to progress a large pipeline of c.10GW of both green and brownfield project developments across global geographies. 

NextSTEP is the venture capital fund of NextEnergy Group, dedicated to investing in innovative startups in the field of environmental sustainability. The fund primarily focuses on investments in Italy and the United Kingdom but also extends its reach to the rest of Europe and the United States, targeting startups in the pre-seed and seed stages. NextSTEP pays particular attention to emerging entities from incubators, startup accelerators, universities, and research centers, supporting projects that address global challenges in crucial areas such as Climate Change, Energy Transition, CO2 Capture and Sequestration, Circular Economy, Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Mobility, Sustainable Fashion, Waste Management, Water and much more. 

NextEnergy Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 2016 by the NextEnergy Group that operates internationally and whose mission is to proactively participate in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions by providing clean energy sources in regions where they are not yet available and thereby contributing to poverty reduction. As the main sponsor of this foundation, the NextEnergy Group donates at least 5% of its consolidated net profits each year. The NextEnergy Foundation has no overhead costs and therefore 100% of the funds raised go to donations for the various projects. Since 2016, in 8 years of operation the foundation has donated more than £1.2 million, supporting over 30 projects in 27 different countries around the world.