Head of Public Finance

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ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Public Finance Managing Director is a leader on Fifth Third’s Public Finance platform, accountable for achieving strategic priorities, driving enterprise growth, and ensuring the platform remains a market leader. The Managing Director serves as ambassador for the Bank’s public finance capabilities, representing Fifth Third in high-profile forums and cultivating relationships with key stakeholders across the public sector and the financial industry.

Please see below for specific responsibilities and requirements for this role.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:

The responsibilities for this role are below; you will lead projects of moderate to high complexity and provide guidance to junior team members.

Strategic Vision & Governance

• Execute the vision for Fifth Third’s Public Finance platform, aligning with enterprise objectives.
• Establish geographic and industry coverage strategies to maximize market penetration and revenue growth.
• Contribute to defining annual goals for the department and ensure alignment with organizational priorities.

Revenue Growth & Market Leadership

• Drive fee income growth through origination of marquee transactions and strategic advisory services.
• Cultivate relationships with senior public sector executives, industry partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Represent Fifth Third at industry conferences, client forums, and regulatory engagements.

Enterprise Collaboration & Integration

• Partner with Capital Markets, Trading Desk, Institutional Brokerage, and Commercial Banking to deliver integrated solutions.
• Champion cross-sell initiatives that leverage public finance insights to support broader enterprise products.

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure strict adherence to MSRB, EMMA, and all applicable regulatory requirements.
• Develop and maintain policies and procedures to mitigate risk and uphold governance standards.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, develop, and retain senior banking talent to build a world-class team.
• Oversee succession planning, incentive compensation systems, and diversity initiatives.
• Provide candid feedback and foster a culture of performance, collaboration, and integrity.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• MBA, MPA, or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in public finance banking or related investment banking roles, including leadership of senior banking staff.
• Proven track record of driving revenue growth and managing complex transactions at scale.
• Securities Industry Essentials (SIE), Series 52, 63 and SIE required
• Series 24 preferred.
• Thorough knowledge of compliance and regulatory requirements for public finance activities.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

Qualified candidates will bring professional proficiency, generally acquired through 15 years of relevant work or internship experience in finance, accounting, or a related field.

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to set direction and drive growth for the public finance platform.
• Enterprise Leadership: Ability to set strategic direction and lead a large, complex organization.
• Executive Relationship Management: Proven ability to influence senior decision-makers and industry leaders.
• Advanced Transaction Expertise: Deep understanding of public finance markets, products, and complex deal structures.
• Regulatory & Risk Acumen: Comprehensive knowledge of compliance standards and risk management practices.
• Communication Excellence: Exceptional presentation and negotiation skills for high-profile engagements.
• Talent Development: Skilled in building bench strength and fostering a high-performance culture.

Please refer to the “Skills for Success” section to learn how to stand out as an applicant.

SKILLS FOR SUCCESS:

Successful candidates will demonstrate advanced proficiency (typically from 15 years of experience) in the following areas:

• Vision & Governance: Ability to identify strategic priorities and ensure alignment with enterprise goals.
• Market Influence: Recognized as a thought leader who drives industry dialogue and secures premium opportunities.
• Enterprise Impact: Skilled in leveraging public finance insights to drive cross-sell and enterprise revenue growth.
• Risk & Regulatory Leadership: Ability to anticipate and manage complex regulatory requirements and exposures.
• Organizational Leadership: Proven ability to lead senior teams and drive succession planning.
• Executive Presence: Capacity to represent Fifth Third as a trusted advisor and industry leader.

DOING THE RIGHT THING: Our employees take pride in doing the right thing for customers and colleagues as well as being accountable for risk by openly exchanging ideas and opinions, elevating concerns, and following policies and procedures that protect all our valuable assets —including you​.

Head of Public Finance

At Fifth Third, we understand the importance of recognizing our employees for the role they play in improving the lives of our customers, communities and each other. Our Total Rewards include comprehensive benefits and differentiated compensation offerings to give each employee the opportunity to be their best every day.

Compensation for this position is largely incentive-based. Incentive compensation is combined with either a base salary or a draw to determine total cash compensation, and incentive compensation is based upon company, line of business and/or individual performance. More information can be obtained upon request.

Our extensive benefits programs are designed to support the individual needs of our employees and their families, encompassing physical, financial, emotional and social well-being. You can learn more about those programs on our 53.com Careers page at: https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/careers/benefits.html or by consulting with your talent acquisition partner. 

LOCATION -- Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Attention search firms and staffing agencies: do not submit unsolicited resumes for this posting.  Fifth Third does not accept resumes from any agency that does not have an active agreement with Fifth Third.  Any unsolicited resumes – no matter how they are submitted – will be considered the property of Fifth Third and Fifth Third will not be responsible for any associated fee.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture and to promote and ensure equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.