Senior Credit Officer - Loan Documentation & Distressed Assets

An established international bank is seeking a Senior Credit Officer to join its London-based Credit Management function. This is a specialist role for an experienced loan documentation professional who can combine robust pre-drawdown legal review with informed advice on distressed and underperforming assets. You will play a key part in protecting the bank's position across syndicated and bilateral lending transactions, ensuring documentation, security and conditions precedent are complete, enforceable and aligned with approved credit terms before funds are released.

Key Responsibilities

• Review, negotiate and scrutinise lending documentation, including LMA/LSTA-style facility agreements, guarantees, security documents, intercreditor agreements and conditions precedent.
• Confirm that transaction documents accurately reflect internal approvals, policy requirements and agreed credit terms before drawdown.
• Assess the legal robustness, perfection and enforceability of security, including relevant Companies House and Land Registry registrations.
• Evaluate participation structures, lender-of-record risk, transfer restrictions and voting rights within syndicated facilities.
• Review legal conditions precedent, including board resolutions, directors' certificates, constitutional documents and legal opinions.
• Identify documentation weaknesses, including covenant gaps, events-of-default issues and cross-default thresholds, escalating material or non-standard risks.
• Conduct independent legal viability reviews of deteriorating, underperforming and defaulted loans.
• Advise senior stakeholders on contractual leverage, acceleration, restructuring, debt-to-equity solutions, enforcement and recovery pathways.
• Work closely with external legal counsel, Front Office, Credit Risk and other banking teams on complex transactions and distressed situations.
• Maintain complete, accurate and audit-ready credit files, supporting reporting, archiving and records-retention requirements.

Candidate Profile

• Approximately 5-7 years' experience in loan documentation, credit administration or a banking and finance legal team.
• Strong experience gained within corporate, commercial or institutional banking.
• Detailed knowledge of syndicated and bilateral lending documentation, ideally including LMA and/or LSTA standards.
• Sound understanding of UK corporate law, security structures, perfection requirements and enforceability considerations.
• Experience reviewing conditions precedent and identifying legal or structural credit risks.
• Exposure to distressed debt, workouts, restructurings, recoveries or enforcement would be highly advantageous.
• Strong judgement, attention to detail and the confidence to challenge and escalate complex issues.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to manage senior internal stakeholders and external counsel.

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