Investment Banking Associate, Agency Front Office

About the role

Liberty's Investment Banking division is hiring an Investment Banking Associate for its Agency Front Office in Johannesburg. The role supports syndicated debt products across various product houses and contributes to business expansion by originating mandates in the countries where Liberty operates. It covers the full syndicated loan lifecycle, from financial close and condition precedent sign-off through to ongoing administration.

Key responsibilities

• Manage a wide range of debt products, including corporate loans, acquisition and leveraged financing, project financing, reserve-based lending, property financing, preference share financing, share-covered financings and subordinated debt.
• Handle administration such as cash flow coordination, waivers and amendments, events of default, restructurings, sell-downs and covenant monitoring.
• Follow internal policies and comply with regulators so that transactions and documentation meet high standards and mitigate financial, reputational and operational risks.
• Act as a communication hub between internal teams (Debt Structuring, Loans Administration, Distribution, Credit) and external parties (borrowers, sponsors, guarantors, legal counsel, lenders' technical advisors, owners' engineers, auditors, compliance and Global Markets).
• Review legal documentation, work with legal counsel to manage legal and operational risk, and ensure documentation meets Loan Market Association (LMA) standards.
• Coordinate security enforcement: receive and process security documents, manage lender instructions for security tracking and release, and inform stakeholders of operational impacts.

Required profile

• First degree in business, commerce or a related field.
• Minimum of three to four years of practical experience, ideally with a legal background and a solid understanding of legal agreements.
• Similar tenure of experience in investment banking, with knowledge of the sector's product services.
• Ability to build and maintain networks and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• Desirable: experience presenting debt products to clients, building complex financial models, familiarity with the debt solutions deal process, regulatory framework experience, and a background in credit risk.

Required skills

• Client relationship management and corporate legal services management.
• Deal appraisal: due diligence, industry analysis, company evaluation, cash-flow and growth analysis.
• Knowledge of the South African financial market, its opportunities, competition, regulations and risks.
• Risk identification and awareness of risk management practices.

The role suits someone who can work independently, manage several concurrent work streams and drive deals to completion with minimal supervision. Liberty, part of Standard Bank Group, offers career progression in a growth-oriented environment.