HSBC
Head of Venture Debt Finance, HSBC Innovation Banking
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The Role
The Head of Venture & Growth Debt Finance is a senior leadership role reporting to the Head of Growth & Financing, HSBC Innovation Banking UK. The role is responsible for leading specialist Debt Finance sector teams covering Consumer, Deep Tech, Climate, Enterprise Software and Life Sciences across relevant life stages (venture-backed, growth), excluding FinTech. The role holder will set direction and ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across credit assessment, structuring, execution and ongoing portfolio management and review. This is a highly visible role requiring strong credit judgement, execution discipline, and an inclusive, high-performance leadership style to inspire and direct multiple teams. Success will depend on close partnership with Relationship Managers and sector coverage teams, Debt Finance colleagues, and second line Credit Risk alongside key partners in Risk and Operations to deliver “one team” outcomes for clients. The role holder will be accountable for balance sheet performance objectives, including asset growth and ECL, and will be comfortable operating at senior levels internally and externally, ideally bringing an established network in the innovation economy (investor, founder and CFO communities).
Principal Responsibilities
- Own and execute the Venture & Growth Debt Finance agenda for HSBC Innovation Banking UK’s Tech & Life Sciences portfolio (excluding FinTech), aligned to the wider growth strategy set by the Head of Growth & Financing, including prioritisation, clear success metrics, and consistent standards across sectors and life stages.
- Lead and develop a large, multi-layered Debt Finance organisation, including other leaders and people managers, setting clear expectations and accountabilities; coaching talent from graduate entry through Director level; embedding a high-performance culture that balances commercial delivery with disciplined credit, control and execution standards.
- Credit assessment leadership: ensure a robust, consistent approach to underwriting across specialist sector teams, including risk appetite alignment, assessment of business models and investor support, appropriate risk mitigants, and clear escalation and decisioning routines.
- Transaction structuring and execution leadership: drive consistent structuring and end-to-end execution discipline across debt transactions, ensuring strong judgement on covenant packages, documentation approach, pricing, tenor, and collateral/credit protections in line with risk appetite.
- Ongoing portfolio management and review: establish and maintain strong portfolio stewardship rhythms across sectors and life stages, including proactive monitoring, early risk identification, watchlist discipline, timely remediation actions, and appropriate review cadences.
- Second line partnership: forge a strong, constructive partnership with second line Credit Risk to support delivery of growth strategy within appetite, ensuring well-governed outcomes, efficient approvals and consistent risk standards and early escalation where needed.
- Balance sheet performance accountability: deliver against balance sheet objectives, including asset growth and ECL performance, through disciplined underwriting, portfolio construction, concentration awareness and active portfolio optimisation.
- Cross-leadership collaboration for consistent market approach: collaborate closely with peers including the Head of FinTech Debt Finance, Head of Sponsor Finance, Head of Late Stage Portfolio Management and Head of Strategic Debt & Distribution to ensure a consistent face to market and that policy, procedures and training are implemented across the Tech & LifeSci portfolio in a consistent manner.
- Pipeline discipline and MI: run effective routines for prioritisation and pipeline management (deal forums, pipeline reviews, execution check-ins and portfolio reviews), supported by clear management information on deal progress, returns, concentrations, early warning indicators and delivery against targets.
- Execution governance and control: ensure high-quality, well controlled execution by partnering with Risk and Operations to shape processes, ensure robust approvals, accurate documentation, and strong post-close hygiene (conditions, monitoring and operational readiness).
- Market presence and external credibility: represent HSBC Innovation Banking UK with senior founders, CFOs, investors and key ecosystem partners; maintain and grow an external network within the innovation economy to support sourcing, market insight and talent attraction.
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Requirements (Skills/experience)
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- Proven experience as a seasoned lender within the innovation economy, with deep expertise lending to venture-backed and growth Technology and Life Sciences clients (and adjacent innovation sectors such as Climate and Enterprise Software), and credibility with founders/CFOs and investors.
- Demonstrable track record of leading multiple teams and people managers to deliver commercial outcomes; ability to build capability at scale and manage performance with clear objectives and accountability.
- Strong experience in credit assessment, structuring and execution of innovation economy lending, with robust credit judgement and strong documentation standards.
- Proven capability partnering effectively with second line Credit Risk and operating in a well-governed environment, balancing growth with disciplined risk management and control.
- Strong portfolio leadership experience, including ongoing monitoring/review disciplines, proactive issue identification, and delivery against balance sheet objectives including asset growth and ECL.
- Strong collaborative style with experience partnering across Relationship Management, sector coverage teams, product peers and control functions; ability to deliver consistent standards and “one team” outcomes.
- Ideally an established external network across the innovation ecosystem (investors, founders, CFOs and key advisors).
Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.
If you have a need that requires accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk via hsbc.recruitment@hsbc.com.
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