Clay D2C Club - Associate - D2C Lending

Job Title:

Associate - D2C Lending

About Clay D2C Club:

Clay D2C Club (clayd2c.club) is India's exclusive capital platform for Direct-to-Consumer founders a joint venture between Clay Capital and The FundingKart. We connect early-stage and growth-stage D2C brands with the right debt and equity capital to scale. Our debt programmes currently serve brands raising 25L25Cr across bridge loans, revenue-based financing, venture debt, and working capital. We're building the infrastructure layer that D2C founders never had and lending partnerships are at the heart of it.

The Role:

We're looking for an Associate / Analyst Lending Partnerships to build and deepen Clay D2C Club's lending network across NBFCs, debt funds, alternative lenders, and fintech platforms in India with a specific focus on structuring programmes for early-stage D2C brands raising 1Cr3Cr. This is a relationship and product role in equal measure. You will identify the right lending partners, pitch them our deal flow and borrower profile, negotiate programme terms, and own the ongoing relationship ensuring our founders get fast, founder-friendly capital.

What You'll Do:

Partnership Development:

- Identify, approach, and onboard NBFCs, debt funds, alternative credit funds, and fintech lenders with appetite for early-stage D2C borrowers (1Cr3Cr ticket size)

- Build and maintain a structured lender panel mapping each partner's risk appetite, eligible borrower profile, ticket size, pricing, and turnaround time

- Negotiate lending programme terms: interest rates, collateral requirements, processing timelines, and co-lending structures

- Develop exclusive or preferred-lender arrangements with 23 anchor NBFC/debt fund partners in Year 1

Programme Structuring:

- Work with the founding team to design lending products suited to D2C cash flow cycles seasonal inventory lending, revenue-linked repayment, invoice-backed credit

- Build a scorecard and eligibility framework for D2C borrowers that lenders can underwrite efficiently

- Identify gaps in the current product suite and bring in new lender partners to fill them

Relationship Management:

- Own ongoing lender relationships regular check-ins, deal flow updates, performance reporting

- Coordinate between the deal team and lenders during due diligence and disbursement

- Resolve friction points in the lending process and continuously improve turnaround time for founders

Market Development:

- Track the NBFC and alternative lending landscape in India new entrants, regulatory changes, risk appetite shifts

- Represent Clay D2C Club at lending industry forums, NBFC summits, and fintech events

- Build a referral pipeline from CAs, CFOs, and financial advisors who work with D2C brands

What We're Looking For:

- 25 years of experience in NBFC lending, debt capital markets, financial institutions coverage, fintech partnerships, or credit structuring

- Existing relationships with NBFCs, debt funds, or alternative lenders in India a warm network is a strong advantage

- Understanding of SME/startup credit underwriting and what makes a D2C borrower lendable

- Comfortable with both relationship-building and structured negotiation

- Strong written and verbal communication you'll be pitching the Clay D2C Club thesis to risk and credit teams

- Genuine interest in the D2C and consumer startup ecosystem

- Bonus: experience at an NBFC, a credit-focused fintech, or a lending-focused VC/family office

Why Join:

- Own an entire function from the ground up you'll define how Clay D2C Club's lending network is built

- Direct access to a growing pipeline of D2C deal flow lenders you onboard immediately see live mandates

- Performance-linked incentives tied to lending programmes activated and capital deployed

- Work at the intersection of consumer brands and institutional capital a rare and valuable vantage point

- Early team your work shapes the platform's product, reputation, and growth

(ref:iimjobs.com)