Managing Director

Citizens is currently seeking a Director/Managing Director, Strategic Advisory, to join our Capital Markets & Advisory (CM&A) -Markets team. The role serves as a senior strategic advisor to internal partners and middle‑market business owners, including family‑held and entrepreneur‑led companies. In this role, you will source, originate, and execute investment banking transactions by leveraging deep internal partnerships, industry expertise, and long‑standing client relationships. As the primary liaison for Middle Market Commercial Banking, you will partner with CM&A to identify, originate and execute strategic opportunities for Middle Market corporate customers.  You will deliver holistic transaction guidance across M&A, capital raising, recapitalizations, and other strategic alternatives, while representing Citizens in client‑facing and internal educational settings. This role is ideal for a seasoned strategic advisor with strong middle‑market experience, exceptional relationship instincts, and the ability to translate commercial banking activity into actionable CM&A opportunities.

Primary responsibilities include

• Serve as the primary liaison between Commercial Banking and CM&A to ensure tight alignment, clear communication, and consistent qualifications of potential opportunities. 

• Vet and qualify leads originating from Commercial Banking, evaluating strategic fit, client readiness, and transaction feasibility before connecting opportunities to the CM&A platform. 

• Partner with commercial banking and wealth teams to deliver strategic guidance to middle‑market business owners exploring growth, succession, and liquidity planning. 

• Build strong, trust‑based relationships with family‑owned, entrepreneur‑led, and privately held businesses to understand goals, transition needs, and long‑term objectives. 

• Advise clients on a broad suite of strategic alternatives, including M&A, recapitalizations, minority and majority capital solutions, and capital‑raising options. 

• Drive new advisory opportunities through proactive outreach, thought leadership, and targeted client engagement.

• Maintain an active, transparent pipeline to support ongoing deal flow and ensure alignment across internal partners. 

• Provide market insights, valuation perspectives, and subject‑matter expertise to internal partners and clients. 

• Collaborate with product specialists to identify qualified buyers, investors, and Capital partners and support execution through the full deal lifecycle. 

• Ensure an exceptional client experience through strategic advocacy, high‑touch engagement, and clear, consistent communication.

Qualifications, Education, Certifications and/or Other Professional Credentials

• 8+ years of experience advising middle‑market companies on strategic transactions, including M&A, capital raising, and other corporate finance solutions. 

• Strong understanding of commercial banking, relationship management models, credit dynamics, and how strategic opportunities emerge within banking portfolios. 

• Experience presenting market insights, developing educational content, or acting as a subject‑matter expert. 

• Proven ability to vet, qualify, and prioritize inbound opportunities within a large financial institution or investment banking environment. 

• Exceptional relationship‑building and influencing skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across Commercial Banking, Wealth, and CM&A teams. 

• Excellent communication skills; comfortable engaging with business owners, executives, internal partners, and external stakeholders. 

• Series 79 & 63 licenses required

Hours & Work Schedule

• Hours per Week:  40 +
• Work Schedule:  Monday to Friday

Pay Transparency 

The salary range for this position is $250,000 to $300,000 per year, plus an opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. Actual pay is based on various factors including but not limited to the work location, and relevant skills and experience.  ​

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more. Note, Citizens’ paid time off policy exceeds the mandatory, paid sick or paid time-away policy of very local and state jurisdiction in the United States. For an overview of our benefits, visit https://jobs.citizensbank.com/benefits.