Financial Controller, Real Estate Debt (Loan Asset Management)

Description

Financial Controller

Paris, France - Hybrid

Permanent Contract

At AXA IM our purpose, to act for human progress by investing for what matters, is central to every action we take as a business. As a responsible asset manager, we actively invest for the long-term to help our clients, our people and the world to prosper.

As a future Financial Controller, you will report to the Head of FMCG Private Debt, and you will be part of AXA IM Alts - Real Estate.

AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) is a multi-expert asset management company within the AXA Group, a global leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA IM is one of the largest European-based asset managers with approximately €830bn in assets under management as of the end of September 2020. AXA IM employs 750+ investment professionals around the world and operates out of 15 investment centers.

Given its growth prospects, the Commercial Real Estate & Infrastructure Fund Management Controlling Group team of AXA IM - Real Assets is looking for Financial Controller - Loan Asset Management (CRE) - to join either its London or Paris office. The team is a market leader in Commercial Real Estate debt with more than $24bn AuMs in Europe and US and a 15 years track record. We are looking for a dynamic, rigorous, motivated team-player to be part of our expanding fund management and controlling team. The candidate would have previous experience in real estate debt such as in a real estate loan servicer or in a loan portfolio or asset management team within a bank or a real estate debt fund.

The role will focus on the Loan Asset Management of loans in Europe across different real estate asset classes, geographies and risk profile (core to value add / development financings).

The candidate will follow the loans from closing through its entire life including restructurings, refinancings, extensions etc.

He/She will be part of a team of more than 10 professionals interacting with the Fund Management team and other internal teams (client relationships and risk teams) and third parties (banks, borrowers, facility agents, legal advisors etc).

The successful candidate will be required to adapt as the FMCG function evolves and to assist in the role-out of an ongoing systems/controls/processes upgrade in line with the growth of the platform.

What we offer

We are proud to foster a high-performance culture, which means that we seek to recruit and retain people who are not only technically-skilled but also globally-minded, innovative and able to leverage their unique perspectives and life experiences to support our success as a company. AXA IM is committed to building an inclusive culture, valuing diversity and supporting the career progression of all employees.

Your role and responsibilities will include

Loan Asset Management - You will monitor the performance and the evolution of the Commercial Real Estate Debt investments from origination until their repayment. The main tasks include: following up interest payments, utilisation requests and repayments, handling consents, modifications, and waivers from our borrowers in coordination with the Fund management team, review of the loans' performance through tracking of key financial covenants (LTV, LTC, DSCR, Debt Yield), review of asset valuations, update of cash flows and tenancy schedules and monitoring of operational aspects of the assets being financed (such as capex programmes, ESG metrics).

Main responsibilities are (but are not limited to):

• Deal Execution and Asset Management
  • Provide deal support, including financial analysis and execution of deal cashflows, create tailored cash-flows/valuation models to simulate various scenarios;
  • Monitor cash and manage cash distribution process;
  • Review capital call and distribution notices and cash allocation schedules;
  • Review property level reporting, budget, tenancy schedules, etc. from property managers and asset managers;
  • Liaise with deal team to ensure agreement of fundings/distributions;
  • Closings: guidelines check, validation of deal allocation, KYC preparation, ensuring payments/investments properly processed and received;
  • IPD Calculation, Covenant & Waiver analysis;
  • Review loan documentation including but not limited to drawdown, amortization, repayments and fees.
• Portfolio Management
  • Contribute to the valuation process, calculation of gross to net adjustments and preparation of valuation committee and Loan Reviews materials;
  • Support investment decision process by maintaining fund models, providing scenario/sensitivity analysis, key property and financial metrics and CRE Debt KPIs;
  • Support investment decision process with qualitative and quantitative fund data;
  • Investor/Client reportings and adhoc reports upon request;
  • Manage and keep the IT tools (incl. the new Asset Management tool) updated as to properly reflect portfolio composition but also proper reconciliation with service providers, liaise with a wide range of internal stakeholders and external service providers to ensure the quality and timely flow of financial data.

Qualifications

SHARE your unique expertise

We welcome different combinations of skills & experiences.

Your qualifications and experience:

• Business schools, engineering schools or universities.
• Previous experiences (2 to 5 years) in a financial institution will be appreciated (banks' loan portfolio management teams, asset management company or loan service providers).
• Proven financial, analytical and organizational skills.
• English (high proficiency required).

Your knowledges and skills:

• Appetite for/knowledge of Loan documentation.
• Appetite for/knowledge of the Real Estate Debt sector.
• Team player, multi-tasking, rigorousness, desire and flexibility to learn and grow in a fast-paced environment and capacity for synthesizing and prioritizing.
• Advanced skills in Excel/VBA. Knowledge of Simcorp Dimension and or Real Insight is a plus but not a must have.

We would love to know more about you. Let's connect! Send us your resume.

About AXA

The AXA Group is a global leader in insurance and asset management, with 160,000 employees serving 105 million customers in 62 countries.

We protect and advise our clients at every stage of their lives, offering products and services that meet their needs in the areas of insurance, personal protection, savings and asset management.

Our mission: To act for human progress by protecting what matters.

Our values: Customer first, Integrity, Courage and One AXA.

At AXA IM we are investing with a clear purpose - to make the world a better place. We act for human progress by investing for what matters. Our conviction-led approach enables us to uncover what we believe to be the best global investment opportunities across alternative and core asset classes. We are already entrusted by our clients with more than €887 billion in assets.

AXA IM is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we encourage candidates with disabilities or any other protected characteristic to apply. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, when needed, to apply for a position or to perform essential job functions.