Director, Specialty Finance

About the Role

Willow Wealth is seeking a Director, Specialty Finance to lead our investing strategy across private credit, specialty finance and other opportunistic areas of credit. This individual will report directly to the CIO and serve as a key member of the investments team. This role is a strategic hire at this moment in our company’s journey and will be responsible for setting long-term investment vision and driving new originations in direct investments. Additionally, given Willow Wealth’s retail orientation, this individual will play a critical role in earning investor trust through consistent performance, clear communication, and ongoing education.  

Willow Wealth is undergoing a strategic evolution to becoming a marketplace for retail investors to locate and evaluate private investments across the risk spectrum. This role will be instrumental in populating the marketplace through sourcing, evaluating, and closing direct deals. This requires forging and deepening relationships with top-tier managers, identifying and structuring differentiated investment opportunities and ensuring the platform delivers on both performance and accessibility for Willow Wealth’s retail investor base. The Director will additionally be tasked with managing both internal and sub-advisory teams in connection with the ongoing management of Willow Wealth’s existing portfolio of assets.

Key Responsibilities

The Director, Specialty Finance will be responsible for leading and shaping Willow Wealth’s private credit and specialty finance investment strategy. Core responsibilities include: 

• Investment Strategy & Leadership 

• Develop and execute a plan to bring private credit and specialty finance transactions to the platform across asset classes

• Participate in the firm’s investment committee and help evaluate its tactical investment decisions

• Partner with the CIO, CEO, President, CFO and others to align investments with company and investor goals

• Represent the firm externally with investors and industry partners

• Sourcing, Underwriting and Execution

• Foster deep relationships with best-in-class asset managers to source investment opportunities for the platform

• Lead due diligence, structuring and evaluation of new investment opportunities

• Drive the execution of investment ideas into offerings on the platform, partnering with internal teams through the investment committee process

• Portfolio Management & Asset Allocation 

• Oversee deal allocation and portfolio construction

• Manage sub-advisory relationships relating to Willow Wealth’s existing portfolio of private credit and specialty finance assets

Qualifications

The ideal candidate possesses 8 -12 years’ experience in investment management, in increasingly senior roles with a demonstrable track record of delivering investment impact. Deep familiarity across private credit, specialty finance and asset-based lending, is essential, along with the ability to navigate the complexities of investment structuring and execution. The candidate must bring strong private market knowledge and an extensive network to source high-quality opportunities for Willow Wealth’s portfolio.

• Deep familiarity and connectivity with private market investment managers is essential, along with the ability to navigate the complexities of investment structuring and execution

• Strong private market knowledge to source high-quality managers across specialty finance and private credit while maintaining robust sourcing pipelines is critical

• A degree from a recognized university or institution of higher education is required 

• An MBA, CFA, or equivalent experience is highly preferred

What's in it for you

Competitive compensation package, including equity

Health, dental & vision coverage with FSA/HSA options

Unlimited PTO

401k match

Commuter benefit

Life insurance

Wellness stipend

This is a New York-based role. The base salary range for this position is USD 200,000 to 230,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications. This role is eligible for a discretionary bonus and equity compensation as part of the total compensation package.