Who is hiring in Australia’s private credit market?

Leading financial services recruitment agency

The private credit boom in Australia has created a surge in demand for investment and credit professionals, yet finding the right talent is proving harder than expected.

Firms are racing to build private credit teams, but the local talent pool is limited, salaries are rising, and traditional hiring strategies aren’t keeping up.

Meanwhile, superannuation funds, asset managers, and non-bank lenders are doubling down on private credit investing, intensifying the competition for specialised talent.

The question isn’t "should we hire for private credit?" - it’s "how do we secure top talent before our competitors do?"

In this blog, we step you through:

What is private credit, and why is it booming in Australia?

Who’s hiring, and what roles are in demand?

How hiring managers can secure top private credit professionals in a competitive market.

No matter if you are a hiring manager looking for professionals with expertise in private credit, including credit analysts and lawyers or simply a business leader who wants to know about this space, we will ensure you walk away with a full understanding of where the current demand is coming from and how to build strong performing teams.

To help explain this trend, James Lindsay, specialised financial services recruiter provides his input. As a Senior Practice Director within Robert Half, he leads a team that specialises in the recruitment of Financial Services professionals across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Robert Half are the premier provider of recruiting solutions to financial institutions and other highly-regulated environments, you can count on James’ team to ensure your toughest recruitment challenges are met. He manages a team of experienced financial services talent specialists who work across legal, risk and compliance (interim and permanent) and accounting, Operations and Finance (permanent).

What is private credit, and why is it booming in Australia?

Private credit refers to non-bank lending, where institutional investors, superannuation funds, and private equity firms provide direct loans to businesses instead of relying on traditional bank financing.

Unlike public debt markets, private credit investing offers tailored financing solutions with higher returns, making it an attractive alternative for both borrowers and investors.

Why is private credit booming in Australia?

Stricter regulations have made bank lending less accessible, opening the door for private credit funds in Australia to fill the gap.

With trillions in assets, super funds are increasing allocations to private credit investing for diversification and stronger yields.

As traditional debt markets tighten, PE and VC firms are leveraging private credit structures to finance deals.

James says, “In my 8 years of financial services recruiting career, I have seen a shift in focus towards private credit. The boom in Australia is driven by banks retreating from certain lending areas due to stricter regulations, a growing demand for flexible and bespoke financing solutions particularly from mid-market corporates and property developers, and investor appetite for higher yields and portfolio diversification in a low-interest rate environment.”

“This boom significantly impacts hiring and talent by creating increased demand for professionals with expertise in credit analysis, deal origination, portfolio management, and risk assessment within non-bank lending institutions. As the sector expands, there's a greater need for specialised skills, potentially leading to more competitive salaries and a focus on attracting talent from traditional banking and other financial services sectors.”

The firms leading the private credit talent race

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As private credit funds in Australia expand, a wide range of financial institutions are looking for specialised talent:

Non-bank lenders – Scaling their private credit teams to offer alternative financing to mid-market businesses.

Superannuation & pension funds – Hiring investment professionals with expertise in private credit to manage growing allocations.

Asset management firms – Expanding private credit teams to deploy capital efficiently and manage risk.

Private equity & venture capital firms – Strengthening teams with credit analysts, deal structurers, and legal experts to support complex financing structures.

Law firms & advisory firms – Demand for private credit lawyers and structuring specialists is rising as deals become more complex.

James says, “Asset management firms are increasingly focusing on private credit funds, seeking to capitalise on opportunities in this growing area. This trend is mirrored by private equity and venture capital firms actively pursuing investment from the superannuation industry as traditional funding avenues have reduced. Consequently, there is a growing demand for professionals with expertise in private credit, including credit analysts and lawyers.”

With competition heating up, hiring managers must rethink their talent strategies to secure the best professionals before they’re snapped up.

To see the full list of sectors recruiting for financial services talent and more, visit our Salary Guide.

What roles are in high demand?

As private credit continues to expand, firms are actively hiring for specialist roles that blend credit expertise, structuring skills, and regulatory knowledge.

1. Credit analysts & investment analysts

Who’s hiring? Non-bank lenders, asset managers, super funds.

Skills needed:

Credit risk assessment

Financial modelling

Private credit deal structuring

2. Private credit portfolio managers

Who’s hiring? Investment firms and institutional investors.

Skills needed:

Portfolio construction

Loan monitoring & credit performance analysis

Risk mitigation strategies

3. Private credit origination specialists

Who’s hiring? Non-bank lenders, private equity, venture capital firms.

Skills needed:

Deal sourcing

Borrower relationship management

Structuring innovative financing solutions

4. Private credit lawyers & structuring experts

Who’s hiring? Law firms, investment banks, private credit funds.

Skills needed:

Regulatory compliance

Loan structuring & contract negotiation

Deal execution

Why private credit talent is hard to find?

Despite the rapid growth of private credit investing, firms face significant hiring challenges:

Private credit is still relatively new in Australia, meaning fewer professionals have direct experience.

Many of the skills required for private credit overlap with other financial sectors, leading to cross-industry competition.

With high demand and low supply, compensation for private credit roles is climbing.

Professionals with structuring expertise and compliance knowledge are in particularly short supply.

James says, “Firms that fail to act fast risk losing top talent to competitors willing to offer better salaries, career progression, and work flexibility.”

How hiring managers can secure top private credit talent

1. Look beyond traditional banking talent

Corporate bankers and leveraged finance professionals often have transferable skills.

Consider upskilling existing credit professionals into private credit roles.

2. Offer competitive compensation & non-monetary incentives

Salaries are rising, but career progression, deal exposure, and flexible work options can make roles more attractive.

Firms should highlight long-term growth potential to retain talent.

To see what fair compensation is for each role in your city, use the Salary Calculator in Robert Half’s Salary Guide

3. Expand your talent search internationally

With 48% of Australian financial firms already hiring internationally, looking overseas for private credit professionals is a viable strategy*.

Firms should explore relocating talent from the UK, US, or Asia, where private credit is more established.

4. Partner with specialist recruiters

Private credit is a niche field - hiring managers should work with recruiters who understand the complexities of the industry.

Moving quickly is crucial - the best candidates won’t stay on the market for long.

The private credit hiring race is heating up

Find your next hire

The rapid growth of private credit funds in Australia presents a huge opportunity for financial firms - but only for those who can secure the right talent in time.

If your firm is expanding into private credit, don’t wait until talent shortages get worse.

Start hiring now to position your team at the forefront of this booming asset class.

Need help finding private credit professionals? Connect with Robert Half today to build your private credit investing team before the market tightens.

*The data is derived from an online survey conducted by an independent research firm commissioned by Robert Half in November 2024. The survey gathered responses from 500 hiring managers and 1,000 full-time office workers in finance, accounting, business support, and IT and technology. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs to large private, publicly-listed and public sector organisations across Australia.