Director, Real Estate Debt & Financing

Our client is a well-established and highly diversified real estate investment and operating company with a substantial portfolio spanning Canada and the United States. The organization is actively involved across a broad range of real estate activities, including acquisitions, development, redevelopment, repositioning, refinancing, and ongoing portfolio management. With a sophisticated ownership group and an entrepreneurial approach to real estate investment, the company operates with a long-term perspective while remaining highly responsive to market opportunities. This is an environment where senior professionals have meaningful exposure to major transactions, direct access to decision-makers, and the opportunity to make a measurable impact on the company's capital strategy.

The company is seeking an experienced Director, Real Estate Debt & Financing to lead debt financing activities across its Canadian and U.S. real estate portfolio. Reporting directly to the Chief Investment Officer and ownership, the Director will be responsible for developing financing strategies, sourcing and negotiating debt, structuring transactions, and overseeing financing execution across acquisitions, refinancings, development and redevelopment projects, and other strategic initiatives.

This is a highly visible and hands-on leadership position. The Director will serve as a key point of contact with banks, insurance companies, credit funds, private lenders, mortgage brokers, and other capital providers while working closely with the company's accounting and finance teams, acquisitions team, legal advisors, and other internal departments. The Director will also lead a team of three analysts, providing direction, mentorship, and oversight while remaining directly involved in the analysis and execution of transactions.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of both the lender and real estate owner/operator perspectives, coupled with the commercial judgment to identify opportunities, negotiate favorable terms, and structure creative financing solutions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute debt financing strategies across the Canadian and U.S. portfolio.
• Structure financing for acquisitions, refinancings, development, redevelopment, and repositioning projects.
• Source and negotiate financing with banks, insurance companies, credit funds, private lenders, mortgage brokers, and other capital providers.
• Evaluate and negotiate pricing, leverage, amortization, covenants, guarantees, security, and other financing terms.
• Lead underwriting and financial analysis, including cash flow, NOI, valuation, LTV, DSCR, debt yield, and interest-rate exposure.
• Manage transactions from initial lender discussions through due diligence, documentation, closing, and funding.
• Maintain oversight of the company's debt portfolio, including maturities, covenants, interest rates, and refinancing requirements.
• Identify opportunities to refinance, restructure, consolidate, or otherwise optimize existing debt.
• Work with the acquisitions and investment teams to evaluate financing structures and transaction economics.
• Provide ownership and senior management with clear recommendations regarding leverage, financing risk, cost of capital, and alternative structures.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of three analysts.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of commercial real estate finance experience with an owner/operator, bank, lender, insurance company, private credit fund, or institutional investor.
• Significant experience financing commercial real estate transactions.
• Strong knowledge of mortgages, acquisition financing, construction financing, bridge loans, refinancing, and other CRE debt structures.
• Experience with Canadian and U.S. real estate financing markets strongly preferred.
• Established lender and capital-provider relationships are a significant asset.
• Strong financial modeling, underwriting, valuation, and credit-analysis skills.
• Proven negotiation and transaction-management capabilities.
• Fluent in English and French.
• Strong commercial judgment and communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial, hands-on, highly responsive, and comfortable managing multiple transactions in a fast-paced environment.
• Previous experience managing or mentoring junior finance professionals is preferred.

Compensation

• $200,000–$250,000 base salary
• Senior leadership position with direct access to the CIO and ownership
• Management responsibility for three analysts
• Significant involvement in major Canadian and U.S. real estate transactions and capital strategy