Director, Regional Project Accelerator - Transport

Shape the Future with the National Wealth Fund

At the National Wealth Fund, our mission is to swiftly and effectively mobilise trusted sector insights and investment expertise to unlock billions in private finance for projects across the United Kingdom. Providing £27.8bn of capital and an expanded mandate, we are ready to help the market invest with confidence, continue to drive forward the Government's growth ambitions.

We are looking for skilled and results oriented individuals who are motivated to help us build the National Wealth Fund into an industry-leading institution.

The National Wealth Fund has a strategic mission to support net zero transition and drive local and regional economic growth. It’s £28bn capital is deployed through its Investment and Advisory (I&A) team, which includes sector-focused private investment and the Regional Project Accelerator (RPA) functions.

The RPA function supports local government to successfully implement technically complex, innovative and essential infrastructure financing with an ambitious aim to accelerate and improve how public infrastructure is delivered. Within the RPA function, Directors work seamlessly across advisory and lending, which has £4bn of lending capacity, including close working with the private investment sector teams in the wider I&A team to deliver commercial opportunities through our Strategic Partnerships (SPs) with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), City Regions and other local authorities undertaking Regionally Significant Projects (RSPs). Specific sector areas of focus for local authorities are building decarbonisation and heat networks (net zero), transport and place-based infrastructure & regeneration. This role focuses on transport with subsectors including rail, mass transit, bus, roads and airports.

The Director, Transport role in Investment and Advisory requires a senior transport infrastructure specialist, bringing significant experience of delivering transport projects from inception through planning, design development, procurement, construction and completion.

The Director will lead advisory and lending engagements, working with colleagues and partners to identify and develop investable propositions for the National Wealth Fund, lead due diligence, provide robust commercial challenge and help build internal capability in the transport sector.

Location: Hybrid working with a minimum of 3 days per week in the Leeds office.
Deadline to Apply: 17th November 2026. Early submission is encouraged, and applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Core Responsibilities

• Represent the Fund - Cement the Fund’s reputation as a centre of excellence in local authority infrastructure financing. Act as an ambassador for NWF by participating at industry events and conferences, using these opportunities to influence the broader infrastructure agenda, and successfully showcase NWF’s mission and purpose.
• Build relationships across local authority executive community. Proactively network and engage with both internal and external senior stakeholders, to include investors, developers, banks and leading industry experts to create future commercial opportunities to enhance NWF’s reputation in the market.
• Strategically solve complex problems, draw on own sector expertise and identify solutions efficiently. Ensure that NWF’s clients receive expert advice enabling them to best identify and facilitate the most commercially sustainable and appropriate outcomes which effectively align to the Fund’s principles
• Support the Managing Director/Head of the RPA team in shaping the function within the Fund, helping to attract and retain high performing talent and expertise within infrastructure finance and delivery, and establish NWF as a market leader in the provision of trusted, expert advice on infrastructure investment and delivery in NWF’s mandated sectors.
• Utilise expert knowledge to support local authorities in delivering financially sound investments, including any NWF strategic partnerships with Combined Authorities, and advise them on how to manage their specialist technical input, including and due diligence and advisory reports to encourage and engender best practice project delivery.
• Utilise industry experience to advise and support local authorities through legal and commercial negotiations and ensure all affiliated risks are clearly identified and communicated to the appropriate levels within the local authority.
• Interface in an open, constructive, and collaborative manner with senior colleagues across NWF to share expert knowledge and experience, draft sector strategies and to fulfil the strategic mission of the Fund.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Significant experience in financing, advisory or consultancy, with a particular focus on delivering large-scale public sector infrastructure, particularly in relation to transport infrastructure investment (the sub-sectors being rail, mass transit, bus, roads and airports).
• Extensive experience of the financing landscape of the property and regeneration sector, familiarity with government finance (e.g. grant programmes and support mechanisms) and knowledge of commercial lending.
• Knowledge of clean energy technologies and investment characteristics is also desirable.
• Substantial experience of leading client engagements (public or private sector clients), specifically on transport infrastructure projects and able to demonstrate knowledge or experience of lending transaction processes or investment committee governance.
• Must be commercially astute and able to fashion solutions tailored towards the specific needs of complex public sector infrastructure delivery.
• Be a skilled communicator, comfortable operating at a senior level across all stakeholder groups and passionate about contributing to the positive culture of the organisation.

A career with us offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact and work on cutting-edge technologies that will drive the UK’s future. We value diversity in our people and inclusion is at the heart of what we do.

We offer competitive benefits and unique learning opportunities from combining both private and public sector skills and experience. Please note, referencing and background checks are carried out for all roles here at the National Wealth Fund.

About us

The National Wealth Fund encourages a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified people. Inclusion is at the heart of what the Fund does. Diversity in the Fund's people and their ideas will be vital to the National Wealth Fund's success. Appointments will be made on merit, with regard to maintaining the breadth of experience and expertise required and reflecting diversity in the broadest sense, to embrace different perspectives, characteristics and experience, as well as being broadly representative of the nations and regions of the UK.

Our roles are open to full-time, part-time or job-share applicants. Job-share applicants should supply individual CVs and a joint cover letter submitted with both applications.

As part of our standard hiring process, please be informed that a background check will be conducted for successful candidates in accordance with our company policy and industry best practices. Please note, that successful candidates will be offered a salary that is appropriate to their relevant experience and performance during the selection process.