Head of Venture Debt Finance, HSBC Innovation Banking

The Role:

The Head of Venture & Growth Debt Finance is a senior leadership role reporting to the Head of Growth & Financing, HSBC Innovation Banking UK. The role is responsible for leading specialist Debt Finance sector teams covering Consumer, Deep Tech, Climate, Enterprise Software and Life Sciences across relevant life stages (venture-backed, growth),
excluding Fin Tech
. The role holder will set direction and ensure consistent, high-quality delivery across credit assessment, structuring, execution and ongoing portfolio management and review
. This is a highly visible role requiring strong credit judgement, execution discipline, and an inclusive, high-performance leadership style to inspire and direct multiple teams. Success will depend on close partnership with Relationship Managers and sector coverage teams, Debt Finance colleagues, and second line Credit Risk alongside key partners in Risk and Operations to deliver “one team” outcomes for clients. The role holder will be accountable for balance sheet performance objectives, including asset growth and ECL
, and will be comfortable operating at senior levels internally and externally, ideally bringing an established network in the innovation economy (investor, founder and CFO communities).

The role encompasses and has the following principal responsibilities:

• Own and execute the Venture & Growth Debt Finance agenda for HSBC Innovation Banking UK’s Tech & Life Sciences portfolio (excluding Fin Tech), aligned to the wider growth strategy set by the Head of Growth & Financing, including prioritisation, clear success metrics, and consistent standards across sectors and life stages.
• Lead and develop a large, multi-layered Debt Finance organisation
  , including other leaders and people managers, setting clear expectations and accountabilities; coaching talent from graduate entry through Director level; embedding a high-performance culture that balances commercial delivery with disciplined credit, control and execution standards.
• Credit assessment leadership
  : ensure a robust, consistent approach to underwriting across specialist sector teams, including risk appetite alignment, assessment of business models and investor support, appropriate risk mitigants, and clear escalation and decisioning routines.
• Transaction structuring and execution leadership
  : drive consistent structuring and end-to-end execution discipline across debt transactions, ensuring strong judgement on covenant packages, documentation approach, pricing, tenor, and collateral/credit protections in line with risk appetite.
• Ongoing portfolio management and review
  : establish and maintain strong portfolio stewardship rhythms across sectors and life stages, including proactive monitoring, early risk identification, watchlist discipline, timely remediation actions, and appropriate review cadences.
• Second line partnership
  : forge a strong, constructive partnership with second line Credit Risk to support delivery of growth strategy within appetite, ensuring well-governed outcomes, efficient approvals and consistent risk standards and early escalation where needed.
• Balance sheet performance accountability
  : deliver against balance sheet objectives, including asset growth and ECL performance, through disciplined underwriting, portfolio construction, concentration awareness and active portfolio optimisation.
• Cross-leadership collaboration for consistent market approach
  : collaborate closely with peers including the Head of Fin Tech Debt Finance
  , Head of Sponsor Finance
  , Head of Late Stage Portfolio Management and Head of Strategic Debt & Distribution to ensure a consistent face to market and that policy, procedures and training are implemented across the Tech & Life Sci portfolio in a consistent…