What are the responsibilities and job description for the Direct Lending Principal - Originations position at Verrus?
📍Location: NYC
🏦Firm: Middle Market Private Credit Platform
About the Role:
Our client, a well-established & rapidly growing private credit platform, is seeking a Principal-level Originator to join its direct lending team. This is a key front-office role focused on sourcing and originating senior secured credit opportunities across the U.S. lower-middle and middle-market.
You’ll develop & deepen relationships with private equity firms, intermediaries, and borrowers, while working closely with internal investment and underwriting professionals to drive the full transaction life-cycle. This is an opportunity to play a meaningful role in scaling an established platform with strong capital support and a collaborative culture.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead origination efforts targeting private equity sponsors, intermediaries, and corporate borrowers
- Build & manage a robust pipeline of proprietary and sponsor-backed lending opportunities
- Drive deal sourcing, initial screening, structuring, and term sheet negotiation
- Partner closely with underwriting and portfolio teams to advance deals through diligence, approval, and closing
- Represent the firm in the market through active networking, meetings, and conference participation
- Maintain deep knowledge of market dynamics, competitive trends, and sponsor activity
- Support brand-building and strategic business development initiatives
Qualifications:
- 10 years of experience in private credit origination / direct lending environment
- Established relationships with private equity sponsors and/or middle-market deal networks
- Proven track record originating and structuring senior secured loans (unitranche a plus)
- Strong understanding of credit fundamentals, deal structures, and underwriting standards
- Entrepreneurial mindset with a history of building pipelines and delivering results
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced credential a plus
Why Join?:
✅ Leadership role with meaningful visibility and influence
✅ Established platform with strong capital backing and long-term investor partnerships
✅ Ability to originate across diverse industries and structures (first lien, unitranche, stretch senior, subordinated capital)
✅ Highly collaborative culture with experienced senior leadership
✅ Compelling economics, competitive compensation, and performance upside
✅ Significant platform growth and career-advancement opportunity