Corporate Infrastructure & Project Finance - Leveraged Finance, Senior Director - Chicago

As one of the world’s top three credit ratings agencies, Fitch Ratings plays a critical role in global capital markets by providing supplementary credit analysis, ratings, research, and commentary to financial market participants. For over 100 years, Fitch Ratings has been creating value for global markets through its rigorous analysis and deep expertise, which have resulted in a variety of market leading tools, methodologies, indices, research, and analytical products. Fitch Ratings is part of Fitch Group, a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries, which also includes Fitch Solutions. With dual headquarters in London and New York, Fitch Group is owned by Hearst.

At Fitch Ratings, credit analysts play a pivotal role in moving markets, as quality credit analysis is the lifeblood of our organization. With a legacy of over a century, our unique approach to credit ratings offers unmatched opportunities for professional growth. Embracing a “challenger mindset,” you'll join a team dedicated to innovating service to our clients. Our people-driven analysis thrives on collaboration across all levels and locations, surpassing traditional financial modeling. Lastly, as part of our global community, you'll find inspiration, challenge, and support, with ample opportunities for visibility and influence in the global financial marketplace.

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Role Overview

This role is a senior analytical, market-facing position focused on leveraged finance issuers primarily across broadly syndicated loans (BSL) and high yield bonds. 

The Senior Director, Leveraged Finance will be a key thought contributor to our analytical ratings teams, providing deep credit expertise and judgment on complex and highly leveraged issuers. The role involves close collaboration with analysts to help shape credit views, particularly on more challenging credits and leveraged finance structures, while serving as a senior and visible representative of Fitch to issuers, bankers, private equity sponsors, and other market participants.

About the Team

You would join a senior leadership group and manage a small team within Leveraged Finance. Analysts in the team range the junior to senior spectrum and are currently based in New York, Chicago in the U.S. and Monterrey in Mexico. You will have the opportunity to use your excellent communication skills and knowledge at external client-facing functions and internal team up-skilling. 

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Extensive experience across leveraged finance markets, particularly in BSL and high yield bonds.
• A strong credit-oriented background, ideally from a buy-side, sell-side, or ratings-adjacent advisory platform.
• Demonstrated experience with leveraged loan structuring, syndication and documentation. 
• Understanding of distressed debt, restructurings, and liability management transactions, and the ability to assess credit implications across stressed scenarios.
• A track record of providing analytical judgment on complex credit situations.
• Familiarity with ratings agency frameworks, methodologies, and workflow is a strong plus.
• Credibility and relationships across leveraged finance market participants, including issuers, PE sponsors, and arranging banks.
• Working familiarity with CLO market dynamics and investor considerations as they relate to the leveraged loan ecosystem (deep structuring experience not required).

You Would Need to Demonstrate:

• Excellent knowledge of the broadly syndicated loan market and its participants
• Excellent knowledge of loan syndication, structuring, and documentation of leveraged loans
• Clear speaking and writing communication skills
• Working knowledge of CLOs

Why Choose Fitch:

• Hybrid Work Environment: 3 days a week in office required
• A Culture of Learning & Mobility: Dedicated trainings, leadership development and mentorship programs designed to ensure that your time at Fitch will be a continuous learning opportunity
• Investing in Your Future: Retirement planning and tuition reimbursement programs that empower you to achieve your short and long-term goals
• Promoting Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive healthcare offerings that enable physical, mental, financial, social, and occupational wellbeing
• Supportive Parenting Policies: Family-friendly policies, including a generous global parental leave plan, designed to help you balance career and family life effectively
• Inclusive Work Environment : A collaborative workplace where all voices are valued, with Employee Resource Groups that unite and empower our colleagues around the globe
• Dedication to Giving Back: Paid volunteer days, matched funding for donations and ample opportunities to volunteer in your community

Fitch is committed to providing global securities markets with objective, timely, independent and forward-looking credit opinions. To protect Fitch’s credibility and reputation, our employees must take every precaution to avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance of a conflict of interest. Should you be successful in the recruitment process at Fitch Ratings you will be asked to declare any securities holdings and other potential conflicts prior to commencing employment. If you, or your immediate family, have any holdings that may conflict with your work responsibilities, you may be asked to divest yourself of them before beginning work.

Fitch is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.

FOR CHICAGO: Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $180,000 and $210,000. Actual salaries will be determined on an individualized basis and may vary based on factors including but not limited to education, training, experience, past performance, and other job-related factors. Base pay is one part of Fitch’s total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, discretionary bonuses, long-term incentives, and other benefits sponsored by Fitch.

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