Senior Credit Officer, Specialised Finance Risk

Full Job Description

Job Summary

The role holder will be responsible for:

• Managing credit risk within the second line of defence (“2LoD”) within the Specialised Finance (“SF”) Risk for Corporate and Commercial and Institutional Bank (“CCIB”) Financial Markets (“FM”) businesses (“1LoD”).  
• This opportunity will suit a Senior Credit Officer / Executive Director profile with the relevant background and proven expertise in SF, specifically, asset-backed lending (asset-backed securitisation, commercial real estate, share-back margin financing); fund financing (NAV); and corporate cashflow lending in leveraged finance, and direct lending.

The role will require you to:

• Early-stage deal screening and due diligence of new transaction requests, with the ability to unpack complex situations or niche sectors to find out-of-box solutions, and value creation for clients.
• Influence structuring for best-in-class underwriting and to achieve successful and timely transaction execution and syndication.
• Champion business initiatives which promote revenue growth whilst protecting against the downside risk by identifying the short- to medium-term risks. 
• Credit approve 1LoD prepared credit applications and rating assessments using subject-matter expertise and manage a portfolio of unique counterparties with early-stage detection of credit deterioration (Early Alert Ratings), which includes stress testing.
• Prepare and present periodic portfolio monitoring reviews with senior 1LoD stakeholders and senior 2LoD Risk partners.
• Ensure that the relevant 1LoD and 2LoD owners understand and accept their risk management responsibilities, where risks are managed and risk-return trade-offs are made, in line with Credit Risk frameworks.
• Proactively seek for improvements in 2LoD and lead associated internal initiatives related to governance, regulatory, policy, or risk driven reporting.
• Act as the Credit Risk control owner under the Group’s Risk Management Framework (including relevant Operational Risk Framework ownership for Credit Risk) and ensure a full understanding of the risk and control environment in area of responsibility. 
• Ensure a robust effectiveness review process to Credit Risk and escalate significant matters and / or gaps in implementation to senior management and the relevant committees. 
• Monitor compliance of approved risk appetite using the risk information reporting and highlight significant matters to the attention of senior management and senior risk committees.
• Maintain and influence a culture of good conduct in the Risk function and embed the Risk culture statement.
• Represent SF Risk in business meetings, client due diligence and conferences, seminars 
• People leader, team player and solid independent professional.  Highly adaptable to cross-cultural environment and working closely with a multitude of professionals from various geographies and nationalities.
• Promote Risk to the wider organization and partner Risk peers (including market risk, policy and governance, and enterprise risk management) for risk wide initiatives. 
• Awareness and understanding of regulatory framework in which the bank operates, and the regulatory requirements and expectations relevant to the role.

Responsibilities

Strategy

• Awareness and understanding of the Group’s business strategy and model appropriate to the role.
• Assist in the development of FM’s’[1] plans with the provision of cost and impairment forecasts and a balanced judgement on the external environment.

Business

• Awareness and understanding of FM and wider businesses, economic and market environment in which the Group operates.
• Maintain and develop risk capabilities, and skills to meet ongoing business needs and plans.

Processes

• Ensure effective management of the operational risks within the Risk and compliance with applicable internal policies, and external laws and regulations.
• Continuously improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of Risk management processes. 

Risk Management

• Ability to take credit decisions / views with semi-complete information, but sufficient to form a sound, well-grounded credit view, in a compressed time schedule.
• Confident with stakeholder management and ability to express and communicate a credit opinion (written and orally).  This will require getting their buy-in on credit recommendations (including the case when it is a negative recommendation).
• Independently recommend / approve transactions after reviewing credit and rating proposals in line with defined risk parameters, negotiated credit terms and documentation review.  
• Uphold the integrity of risk/return decisions, by challenging business to demonstrate that risk origination and control decisions are properly informed and consistent with strategy and risk appetite .
• Dynamically manage a portfolio of asset classes and credit risk counterparties (often bespoke) in the global portfolio, understanding each client by geography, industry, and structural differences 
• Pro-actively manage transactions ahead of credit deterioration (Early Alert ratings) with detection through portfolio reviews, adhere to industry strategies, market monitoring, and lessons learned
• .
• Act as the Credit Risk control owner under the Group’s Risk Management Framework (including relevant Operational Risk Framework ownership for Credit Risk) and ensure a full understanding of the risk and control environment in area of responsibility.
• Design, maintain and effectively communicate risk control parameters across the Business, including policies, control standards, risk exposure limits and other control levers to maintain the risk profile in line with the Group’s risk appetite.
• Obtain assurance regarding the effectiveness of the business controls and compliance with applicable laws & regulations.
• Approve breaches of Local Portfolio Standards, to the extent permitted by Credit Policy. 

Governance

• Actively participate in key committees through standing membership / invites.
• Lead engagement with local Executive Risk Committees (“ERC”) on SF Portfolio booked in the region. Represent Specialised Financing at the Regional Risk Committee.
• Formulate and obtain approval of Portfolio / Underwriting Standards which are supportive (from credit risk perspective) of the business strategy of various segments.
• Ensure effective implementation of Group Policies / Circulars / Procedures. 
• Ensure timely submission and accuracy of Specialised Finance credit portfolio data to the Risk Committee. These include, but may not be limited to, the following:  
  • Risk MI reports.
  • Details of approved breaches of Group and Local Credit Policy (including details of mitigating circumstances).

Regulatory & Business Conduct

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct .
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct.   This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of applicable PRA and local regulatory requirements.
• Risk capabilities are objective, consistent and compliant with PRA and applicable regulations.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate, and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key stakeholders

Internal

• Members of Group Chief Risk Office, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Bank’s (“CCIB”) Risk teams
• Regional & Country Business, Product, Client Coverage Heads
• Regional & Country CEOs
• Group Heads of Control functions
• Group and country Internal Audit
• Group Operational Risk
• Treasurer (Country) and various GM Head of Sales
• Head, Stressed Asset Group (Country and Regional)
• Head, Legal Affairs and Compliance (Country)
• Other Senior / Credit Officers (Region) 

External

• Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) 
• Key regulators in relevant locations 
• Group and country’s external auditors 
• Economic and Industry Associations
• Counterparts in major financial institutions

Other Responsibilities

• Embed the Group’s brand and values in Specialised Finance Risk.
• Perform other responsibilities assigned under Group, Country, Business or Risk policies and procedures.

Our Ideal Candidate

• Seasoned credit professional with 12+ years of extensive experience in asset-backed lending (asset-backed securitisation, commercial real estate, share-back margin financing); fund financing (NAV); and corporate cashflow lending in leveraged finance, direct lending and HoldCo finance.
• Strong understanding of credit risk, financial analysis and structuring, and their application in lending decisions for single counterparty credit risk appetite.  This would be gained from an investment bank or a structured finance group of a major international organisation.
• Relevant degree from a top-tier university and associated professional qualifications.