Head of Project Finance & Capital Raising | Meridian One

Reading, Berkshire | Full-time | Office based

Help finance the next stage of a major UK digital infrastructure project.

MERIDIAN ONE is recruiting a Head of Project Finance & Capital Raising for a planned 100 MW data centre campus in Hickstead, West Sussex. The anticipated development programme is approximately £1 billion across its phases, and we need a hands-on finance leader to help structure and secure the capital required to deliver it.

Working directly with Yassin El Naggar and the project leadership, you will own the financial model, funding strategy and investor and lender process. This is a project finance and capital raising role with responsibility for taking funding discussions towards executable transactions and financial close.

The Opportunity

Join at the development stage and help shape the capital structure, funding sequence and investment case. Your base will be our Reading office at Enterprise House, 95 London Street, with investor, lender and adviser meetings as required. The approximately £1 billion figure describes the anticipated development programme; funding will be structured around the project's phases and requirements.

What You Will Own

• Build and maintain the integrated project financial model, including capital expenditure, revenue assumptions, operating costs, cash flow, funding requirements and sensitivities.
• Develop a phased financing strategy and assess appropriate equity, debt, joint venture and strategic investor structures.
• Originate and manage relationships with infrastructure funds, private capital, banks, institutional investors and other relevant funding partners.
• Prepare investor presentations, investment memoranda and lender materials that accurately explain the project, its stage, assumptions and risks.
• Establish and manage the financial data room, investor pipeline and due diligence process.
• Assess funding proposals and term sheets; coordinate commercial negotiations with leadership, legal counsel and specialist advisers.
• Work with the commercial team to reflect customer commitments, revenue visibility and contract structures in the financing plan.
• Work with technical and project teams to validate budgets, contingencies, milestones and cash requirements.
• Coordinate transaction workstreams, approvals, conditions precedent and the path to financial close.
• Report clearly on funding progress, cash requirements, open issues and decisions needed.