About this role
Help Build the Team Behind One of the Most Ambitious Commercial LendersAt OakNorth, we don't just hire talent—we build the teams that help ambitious businesses grow.
Since launching in 2015, OakNorth has become one of the UK's leading commercial banks, deploying billions in lending to entrepreneurs and mid-market businesses. As we continue to expand our presence in the United States, we're looking for someone to build a market-leading talent intelligence capability that will help shape the future of our US Lending business.
We're hiring a Principal, Strategic Talent & Market Intelligence to partner with our US Lending leadership team and become our expert on the US commercial lending talent market.
This is not a traditional Talent Acquisition role.
You'll be embedded within our US Lending business, partnering closely with senior leaders to shape hiring strategy, provide market intelligence and build long-term relationships with exceptional talent across the industry.
At the same time, you'll be part of OakNorth's Global Talent Acquisition organization, collaborating with Talent Partners across the UK and US to share market intelligence, best practices and innovative sourcing strategies. This unique model combines the influence of an embedded business partner with the support and collaboration of a high-performing global team.
Using strategic talent advisory, competitive intelligence, AI-powered research and relationship management, you'll help OakNorth attract and retain exceptional lending professionals while building a sustainable competitive advantage.
The OpportunityYou'll build a strategic talent intelligence capability that supports the continued growth of OakNorth's US Lending business.
Rather than reacting to hiring needs, you'll identify market trends before they emerge, develop relationships long before vacancies exist and provide intelligence that informs workforce planning, succession planning and business strategy.
Using Ashby as your strategic Talent CRM, you'll build a living ecosystem of market intelligence, executive relationships and talent insights that enable smarter hiring decisions across the business.
What You'll Do
Strategic Talent PartnerPartner with US Lending leadership to develop long-term talent strategies aligned to business growth.
You'll:
Translate business objectives into strategic hiring plans.
Advise on organizational design and build versus buy decisions.
Support succession planning and workforce planning.
Provide market insight to inform strategic hiring decisions.
Partner with leaders to identify future capability needs.
Market IntelligenceBecome OakNorth's expert on the US lending talent market.
You'll build and maintain live intelligence across:
Organizational structures
Team moves
Promotions
Compensation trends
Reporting lines
Team stability
Succession risk
Market expansion
Office openings
Emerging talent
Our ambition is simple: build one of the industry's most comprehensive talent intelligence capabilities.
Competitive IntelligenceDevelop real-time insight into the competitive landscape.
You'll understand:
Which firms are hiring
Leadership movements
Growing and shrinking lending platforms
Compensation trends
Team stability
Market expansion
Emerging competitors
Industry trends
You'll translate market intelligence into actionable recommendations for business leaders.
Relationship ManagementBuild one of the strongest professional networks in the US lending market.
Develop trusted relationships across:
Commercial Banking
Middle Market Banking
Specialty Finance
Direct Lending
Private Credit
Asset-Based Lending
Sponsor Finance
Corporate Banking
These aren't recruitment conversations.
They're long-term career relationships built through networking, market insight, industry events and trusted advice.
Talent Intelligence & AshbyYou'll use Ashby as far more than an applicant tracking system.
You'll build a strategic Talent CRM that captures:
Executive relationships
Talent communities
Market intelligence
Competitor insights
Career history
Talent engagement
Pipeline health
Hiring trends
You'll develop dashboards and reporting that enable leaders to make informed talent decisions while ensuring valuable market intelligence is continually enriched.
AI & InnovationYou'll embrace AI to redefine how talent intelligence is delivered.
You'll leverage AI and modern talent technology to improve:
Talent mapping
Research
Market intelligence
Relationship management
Workflow automation
Reporting
Productivity
You'll continually explore new technologies that help OakNorth stay ahead of the market.
Talent BrandHelp position OakNorth as a destination employer for ambitious lending professionals.
Working alongside Marketing and business leaders, you'll help develop:
Lending market insights
Deal case studies
Leadership interviews
Videos and podcasts
Thought leadership
Industry events
Employer branding initiatives
Non-Obvious Talent DiscoveryExceptional talent isn't always visible through traditional sourcing.
You'll identify future leaders through:
Industry conferences
Speaking engagements
Professional associations
Market transactions
Advisory firms
Industry awards
Emerging leaders programs
Market referrals
Industry publications
Your curiosity and market knowledge will uncover talent long before competitors identify them.
What Success Looks LikeYou'll build intelligence that drives better business decisions.
Your outputs will include:
US Lending Talent Heatmaps
Competitor Intelligence Dashboards
Quarterly Opportunity Reports
Emerging Talent Reviews
Compensation Benchmarking
Succession Risk Analysis
Executive Relationship Mapping
Ashby Talent Dashboards
What We're Looking ForThis role is ideal for someone who already understands the US lending market and has built a strong network across it.
You may come from executive search, talent intelligence, commercial banking, private credit, strategy consulting, market intelligence or another commercially focused environment where understanding markets, talent and competitive dynamics is critical.
You'll bring:
An established network across the US lending market, particularly within New York, including commercial banking, middle market banking, private credit, direct lending, specialty finance and sponsor finance.
A deep understanding of the US lending landscape, key market participants and where exceptional talent is found.
The judgement to recognize outstanding talent and the credibility to build trusted relationships with senior professionals.
A genuine hunter mentality with exceptional research, networking and relationship-building skills.
Strong market mapping and competitive intelligence capability.
Excellent commercial judgement and executive presence.
Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
Experience using Ashby or another modern Talent CRM to build talent communities and generate strategic market intelligence.
A passion for leveraging AI and emerging technology to improve talent acquisition and decision making.
An entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action.
Why Join OakNorth?This is a rare opportunity to build a strategic capability from the ground up.
You'll work directly with senior leaders while being part of a high-performing Global Talent Acquisition organization. You'll influence the growth of OakNorth's US Lending business, help shape our broader talent strategy and build a talent intelligence capability that becomes a genuine competitive advantage.
If you're entrepreneurial, commercially minded, deeply connected within the US lending market and passionate about uncovering exceptional talent through intelligence rather than transactions, we'd love to hear from you.
Benefits and Perks
401k plan with Principal (ON match up to 4%)
Medical Care (managed through Insperity) - employees can add their family to their plan if needed
Dental & Vision bundle
Insperity Health Savings Account Program - this is a tax-advantaged employee benefit which can help manage health care costs by allowing employees to set aside some of their current earnings on a pretax basis for reimbursement of qualified health care expenses during the plan year
EAP
20 days Holiday