Assistant Director - Regional Project Accelerator, Transport

Shape the Future with the National Wealth Fund

At the National Wealth Fund, our mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilise trusted sector insights and investment expertise to unlock billions in private finance for projects across the United Kingdom. Providing £27.8bn of capital and an expanded mandate, we are ready to help the market invest with confidence, continue to drive forward the Government's growth ambitions.

We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the National Wealth Fund into an industry-leading institution.

The National Wealth Fund has a strategic mission to support net zero transition and drive local and regional economic growth. Its £28bn capital is deployed through its Investment and Advisory (I&A) team, which includes sector-focused private investment and the Regional Project Accelerator (RPA) functions.

The RPA function supports local government to successfully implement technically complex, innovative and essential infrastructure financing with an ambitious aim to accelerate and improve how public infrastructure is delivered. Within the RPA function, Assistant Directors work seamlessly across advisory and lending, which has £4bn of lending capacity, including close working with the private investment sector teams in the wider I&A team. They deliver commercial opportunities through our Strategic Partnerships (SPs) with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), City Regions and other local authorities undertaking Regionally Significant Projects (RSPs). Specific sector areas of focus for local authorities are building decarbonisation and heat networks (net zero), transport and place-based infrastructure & regeneration. This role focuses on transport with subsectors including rail, mass transit, bus, roads and airports.

The Assistant Director, Transport is a senior, client-facing position, and the role holder will bring together excellent relationship management skills, delivery knowledge and financing excellence to enable local government to enter into successful commercial and financial arrangements with delivery partners and to bridge financing gaps in sustainable ways.

The Assistant Director will work as part of team led by two Directors to deliver advisory and lending engagements with SPs, MSAs and other local authorities.  The Assistant Director will lead projects, and through working with colleagues and partners to identify and develop investable propositions for the National Wealth Fund, lead due diligence, provide robust commercial challenge and help build internal capability in the transport sector (rail, mass transit, bus, roads and airports).

Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the Leeds office.
Deadline to Apply: 17th November 2026. Early submission is encouraged, and applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Core Responsibilities

• Represent the Fund - cement the Fund’s reputation as a centre of excellence in local authority infrastructure financing and the transport sector more generally. Act as an ambassador for the NWF by participating at industry events and conferences.
• Build relationships across Local Authority executive community. Proactively network and engage with both internal and external senior stakeholders, to include investors, developers, banks and leading industry experts to create future commercial opportunities to enhance NWF’s reputation in the market.
• Strategically solve complex problems, draw on personal expertise and identify solutions efficiently. Ensure that these clients receive expert advice enabling them to best identify and facilitate the most commercially sustainable and appropriate outcomes that align to the Fund’s principles.
• Deliver advisory mandates – either working with the Advisory Directors or as the project lead, the Assistant Director will provide advice and support to Local Authorities in developing and delivering transport infrastructure projects and engender best practice in infrastructure delivery.  This may include participating and leading workshops, presentations, the development of advice notes, research, documentation review etc.
• Utilise expert knowledge to support local authorities in delivering financially sound investments, including any NWF strategic partnerships with MSAs, and advise them on how to manage their specialist technical input, including and due diligence and advisory reports to encourage and engender best practice project delivery.
• Interface in an open, constructive, and collaborative manner with colleagues across the Fund to share expert knowledge and experience, draft sector strategies and to fulfil the strategic mission of the Fund.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential

• Experience in financing or delivering local infrastructure investment.  Ability to understand the risks associated with such investment and how this impact on a project and may be managed or mitigated particularly in relation to transport infrastructure investment (the sub-sectors being rail, mass transit, bus, roads and airports).
• Specific experience working with, or knowledge of:
  • Local Authorities and central Government bodies; and/or,
  • project finance/infrastructure transactions.
• Knowledge and experience of one of the Fund’s priority sectors
• Must be commercially astute and demonstrate excellent negotiation skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present confidently to and develop relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Be a skilled communicator and passionate about contributing to the positive culture of the organisation.
• Ability to take a leadership role on projects, working autonomously to drive projects forward, dealing with uncertainty.

Desirable

• Experience of business development and originating new opportunities
• Experience of working with formal lending processes
• Positive attitude towards gaining additional experience and knowledge as part of continued professional development
• Experience dealing with internal and external risks and implementing action where necessary

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do.

We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience. Please note, referencing and background checks are carried out for all roles here at the National Wealth Fund.