Associate Director, Credit Risk Sub-Saharan Africa & Iraq  

Purpose of Job

Independently analyse and appraise risks of EBRD’s new and existing portfolio FI debt transactions. Identify required due diligence, recommend appropriate risk mitigation measures and transaction structures, including security, covenants, and pricing. Advise bankers and the Bank’s Committees to ensure that banking projects comply with the Bank’s sound banking mandate. The Associate Director, Senior Risk Officer reviews portfolio projects, assigns credit ratings and communicates trends in the portfolio and lessons learned to management and peers for their broader strategic decision-making and bottom-up stress-testing. The Associate Director, Senior Risk Officer may be responsible to lead, coach and manage junior Credit Managers, analysts and junior bankers rotating through Country and FI Credit Risk Management Team. The Associate Director, Senior Risk Officer may be required to deputise in the absence of the Director, Country and FI Credit Risk Management Team.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• As part of their on-boarding, initiate risk-based analysis of the proposed new EBRD countries of operation, namely Iraq, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin and Senegal.

• Ensure that the EBRD understands the country’s risk, operating environment, banking sector, financial stability, corporate business environment and general market structure issues in each of these seven countries.

• Drive the preparation of a credit risk appetite for each country, secure its approval and ensure that it is communicated within the Bank and adhered to.

• Once these countries are on-boarded take responsibility for the independent and unbiased view on projects proposed to the Operations Committee / SBIC (Small Business Investment Committee) / under Delegated Authority and make clear recommendations or approvals on each proposal. 

• Take responsibility for the credit risk of each country’s portfolios of FI transactions, including agreeing on the annual Financial Institution Credit Risk Envelope and defining the credit risk appetite for each country’s risk portfolio.

• Take responsibility for the credit risk assessment of any international banking groups located in Africa with which we do business (for instance any South African banks we on-board for their subsidiaries in our new countries of operation)..

• Take responsibility for any new product approvals and management of those products needed to do business in Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.

• Take responsibility for ensuring that the team has adequate information data feeds to fully understand the environment in Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq. 

• Take responsibility for ensuring that enough portfolio analytics is available (for example via Tableau) to ensure that our new business in SSA & Iraq can be monitored holistically.

• Analyse the key risks of each proposal and advise on risk mitigation measures, structures, tenors, security, covenants and condition precedents, to the project teams and, via credit notes. Review integrity and anti-money laundering issues to ensure compliance with internal guidelines and advise on referral to the Office of the Chief Compliance Officer as required. Appraise the validity and reliability of key assumptions of each proposal, including via involvement in the commissioning and review of independent due diligence and travel.

• Ensure projects comply with any relevant risk guidelines, prudential limits set by the Bank, and that appropriate ratings are assigned for the probability of default and loss given default. Have the ownership of Risk data in the area of responsibility.

• Exercise independent delegated authority regarding portfolio actions (including certain waivers and amendments), and recommendations to senior management on matters requiring higher level approval (including transfers to corporate recovery, provisions and more significant restructuring, etc.). 

• Lead proactive and regular monitoring of the assigned portfolio counterparties, countries and market developments.  Actively and constructively engage with Banking and other relevant staff to ensure the adequacy of front-line monitoring and coach Banking when appropriate (including through Banking staff rotation in the Country and FI Credit Risk Management).

• In liaison with Risk Policy and Analytics and other Credit teams lead FI sector portfolio input to any FI sector portfolio stress-tests or other periodic portfolio reviews for senior management. Collaborate with other members of staff; especially in the Banking Department, Finance, the Office of the General Counsel and Impact to ensure effective cross-departmental and business functioning.

• Participate in various executive Bank committees – including the Operations Committee, SBIC, Risk Committee etc.

• Participate and contribute positively to various initiatives within Risk Management or bank-wide. 

• Be an agent of credit culture dissemination, including managing and mentoring bankers on rotation.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Qualifications

• Prior knowledge of operating risks in Sub-Saharan Africa, and if possible Iraq, as well as other emerging markets.

• Experience managing Sub-Saharan African, and if possible Iraqi, risks against the risk appetite of a major international organisation operating both outside and inside that region.

• Influencing skills in challenge to the Banking team’s selection, structuring and portfolio management of the transaction and ability to articulate different views.

• Extensive experience in analysing financial institutions, and corporates, knowledge of country risk and sovereign creditworthiness analysis. 

• Act as the risk expert for all projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq, provide operational guidelines to the Banking teams as well as sector risk managers and provide input into project selection and prioritisation. 

• Deliver clear authoritative conclusions in the context of large volumes and tight timescales. Proven skills and track record in autonomous decision-making capacity at a senior level in credit and equity risk in high-risk environments.

• Strong written and spoken communication skills.

• Strong experience of using datafeeds, third-party models, construction of in-house models to ensure good quality credit analysis in the team, even in the absence of data which might be encountered in Sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq.  Good Excel knowledge, ideally coupled with experience in Python and Tableau.

• Advanced degree in finance, business, economics or equivalent on-the-job training.

• Have the required people management skills for junior staff under his/her responsibility.

What is it like to work at the EBRD?

Our agile and innovative approach is what makes life at the EBRD a unique experience! You will be part of a pioneering and diverse international organisation, and use your talents to make a real difference to people’s lives and help shape the future of the regions we invest in. 

The EBRD environment provides you with:

• Varied, stimulating and engaging work that gives you an opportunity to interact with a wide range of experts in the financial, political, public and private sectors across the regions we invest in;
• A working culture that embraces inclusion and celebrates diversity;
• An environment that places sustainability, equality and digital  transformation at the heart of what we do.

Diversity is one of the Bank’s core values which are at the heart of everything it does.  A diverse workforce with the right knowledge and skills enables connection with our clients, brings pioneering ideas, energy and innovation. The EBRD staff is characterised by its rich diversity of nationalities, cultures and opinions and we aim to sustain and build on this strength. As such, the EBRD seeks to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and given equal opportunities and works in an inclusive environment. The EBRD encourages all qualified candidates who are nationals of the EBRD member countries to apply regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious and cultural background, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities.  As an inclusive employer, we promote flexible working and expecting our employee to attend the office 50% of their working time.

Please note, that due to the high volume of applications received, we regret to inform you that we are unable to provide detailed feedback to candidates who have not been shortlisted (for further consideration).

Right to Work in the UK: Swiss nationals (and all other non-UK employees) can work in the UK without a Visa – working at the EBRD gives all employees “exempt status”. The Bank however encourages all non-UK employees to obtain an Exempt Vignette (EV) prior to relocating to the UK, as without an EV you may face more questions at Border Control and when required to show evidence of their exempt status when renting accommodation under the Right to Rent legislation. The application process may take 3 – 4 weeks approx. outside of the UK. 

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