Head, Country Risk & Credit Oversight

Job Description

• Accountable to the Chief Risk Officer to establish, implement, monitor and challenge the Country and Lending Risk Profile for the business. 
• Work in collaboration with Credit Teams to support the Risk function to play its framework, policy, standard, risk appetite, mandate & sale setting/formulation, portfolio quality management and independent oversight role over lending and credit risk.
• This role will also be responsible for developing, overseeing and executing the Country and Lending Risk Profile including:
• Ability to distil key Country and Lending risk issues impacting the business and to ensure that these are reported in a coherent manner to senior management together with remedial actions to address key concerns.
• Implement key risk measures that are used to identify material and emerging risks that could impact the business unit and/or the business’s Country and Lending Risk appetite.
• Provide regular updates on key macroeconomic forecasts, country risk landscape and microeconomic themes at various risk and business committees. 
• Responsible for evaluating and monitoring economic, political and social factors that could impact the business operations and investment. 
• Support Credit Teams define stress testing and scenarios that could influence the business risk profile.
• Ensure that Country and Credit Risk appetite is aligned to the business strategy.
• Define and maintain appropriate control processes for all items above.
• Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes and emerging risks to adapt and enhance the credit risk management framework.

Accountability: 

Country Risk, Credit Risk Oversight, Monitoring, Assessment & Reporting, Regulatory Compliance, Policy Development and Stakeholder Engagement

Time Split: 60%

               Country/Credit Risk Oversight & Monitoring 

• Responsible for managing Country Risk limits and Sovereign Risk limits as defined by the Bank.
• Ensure the delivery of a world class post sanction fulfilment management, effective monitoring control regime or a heightened risk control environment.
• Independently assess credit risk exposures across Retail Banking, Business Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking business lines
• Monitor adherence to credit risk policies, frameworks, procedures and credit approval limits
• Ensure compliance with the Bank’s credit risk appetite and limits as approved by the Board
• Provide effective review and challenge to country risk appetite proposals ahead of presentation to relevant Committees and/or the Board for approval
• Identify emerging credit risks, trendsand concentrations and escalate to senior management through the CRO
• Ensure the delivery of a world class post sanction fulfilment management, effective monitoring control regime or a heightened risk control environment.
• Monitor and analyse the performance of the lending portfolio, identifying trends and making recommendations for adjustments to lending strategies.
• Ensure that customer, product and/or industry concentration is well managed using M&S, sector caps, large exposure monitoring, and monitoring of exposure by sector.
• Participate in the monthly Portfolio Quality Reviews (PQR), Watchlist & Impairment Committees, Risk Assurance Forums, Early Warning List (EWL) Review Meetings, Monthly Risk Review (MRR), Credit Risk Management Committee (CRMC), etc.
• On a forward-looking basis monitor credit transaction amounts to ensure that there is no organic breach of single borrower limit (SBL)
• Work in collaboration with the CRO in defining the country credit risk triggers, lending framework, credit appetite and setting, mandate & scale limits, sector caps and the  Sovereign and Cross Border Risk Limits.
• Monitor credit portfolio trends, concentrations and early warning signals
• Stay current with local and global news, events and trends that could affect the credit risk operating environment and update senior management/stakeholders.
• Implement processes, procedures and systems required for an efficient and effective risk control, credit risk decision making and portfolio management.
• Contribute to the overall strategic plan of the business regarding country and lending risk.
• Ensure the impact of the macro-environment on the risk profile of the lending portfolio is considered (e.g., economic, political, social, competitor and regulatory).
• Highlight potential strategic and emerging lending risks in the portfolios (Retail & Wholesale) for evaluation.

           Risk Assessment & Reporting

• Perform thematic and periodic portfolio reviews
• Drive stress testing exercises (including reverse testing and back testing) and scenario analysis to assess portfolio vulnerabilities and proffer strategies thereof.
• Provide independent risk opinions for large and complex transactions.
• Prepare and present comprehensive credit risk reports to senior management and the Board.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting to CRO/stakeholders that compares the credit risk/lending risk appetite set for the business (by portfolio, product type, segment), against the actual risk profile of the business. 
• Prepare regular reports on lending portfolio risk profile to identify themes, potential concentrations and correlations between individual portfolios, products and risk types. 
• Independently review the results of the impairment model and challenge the movement of account stages (of IFRS 9) and classification of accounts within local GAAP dictates.

               Policy & Framework Development 

• Review and contribute to the development and maintenance of credit risk policies, frameworks, procedures and guidelines whilst ensuring that there is no overdue in review and or renewal of any of these documents.
• Ensure alignment with both local and Centre regulatory requirements by driving the localization of Centre credit-related policies within the defined timelines.

           Regulatory Compliance & Audit

• Support regulatory inspections and audits by ensuring appropriate documentation and timely responses
• Track the remediation of credit risk findings and ensure timely closure of issues raised by regulators, internal audit or external auditors.
• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise Risk Management Framework and internal Policies and Standards.

           Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration. 

• Work closely with Credit, Business Units, Governance and Control, Compliance, Legal and Internal Audit to ensure that credit risk is properly managed.
• Advise front office teams on the risk implications of complex credit structures or transactions
• Participate in Credit Committees as an independent oversight function.

Accountability:

Business Management

20%

• Build and maintain effective relationships with Business/Functional Heads.
• Develop risk professional relationships with other key stakeholders.
• Work closely with Credit Department and Business units to align lending risk management with broader organizational goals
• Support Chief Risk Offcier (CRO) in conducting policy formulation, policy defining the lending framework and  management of the portfolio(s).
• Support the Chief Risk Offcier (CRO) in setting of risk appetite and risk management strategies, as well as developing and adhering to business mandate and scale triggers for relevant products/sectors. 
• Setting of risk appetite and strategies as well as developing and adhering to business mandate and scale triggers for all products 
• Be responsible for providing information on the country risk issues and lending portfolio performance to senior management in country and at the centre.
• Responsibility for personal & teams’ adherence to governance, compliance and lending portfolio controls.

Accountability:

Staff Management

20%

• Working with the HR partner, drive the people management strategy for the area with a focus on talent management, development, resourcing and retention,
• Participate in leadership development activities within the risk function
• Lead and provide guidance or support and direction to credit risk teams on Country Risk related matters.
• General staff and or department administration including management of staff leave, absences, budgeting and cost control etc
• Ensure succession plan is in place for your role.
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching.
• Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members
• Setting objectives and scope of work, training & development and monitoring progress/delivery. Develop and agree individual performance objectives, standards and targets with all direct reports.
• Conduct periodic performance review with team members against agreed objectives and give regular feedback
• Determine the development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed
• Provide ongoing coaching, counselling and feedback to the team.
• Recruitment of staff to the team, including working with the Human Capital Function in determining appropriate compensation levels, where appropriate. Ensure succession plan is in place for all roles.
• Create affective workforce and recruitment demand plans to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Review and update the Unit’s organisation structure and role description on at least an annual basis to ensure that they fit for purpose and contain all the accountabilities of each team member.                 
• Contribute to the budget and cost control management processes.

KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Role / Person Specification

Knowledge & Skills: (Maximum of 6)

This role demands a comprehensive blend of technical expertise, analytical process, regulatory knowledge and leadership capabilities:Demonstrable understanding of credit assessment and risk management (entire spectrum of the credit process) especially credit decisioning. Knowledge of Local regulations as well as Absa Policies, Procedures, Standards and Frameworks as they pertain to credit risk management. Knowledge in the requirements of Basel Accords and IFRS 9 and ECL modelling framework Portfolio analysis that informs strategic decision-making Credit Risk Control/Audit capabilities Teambuilding and Stakeholder engagement  

Preferred Education and Experience Required 

• Education: Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Economics, Finance, Accounting or related field. Certification in Risk Management (especially Credit) will be an added advantage
• Experience: Minimum 7-10 years experience in risk with a 5years experience in senior management.
• Preferred: Exposure to senior Governance and Control Committees

Technical Skills 

• Good Credit Risk Management skills and experience within a Central Risk Management Department.
• Good knowledge  of key risk indicators for Country Risk and Credit Risk
• Good knowledge of Country Risk management best practices.
• Experciene and in Credit Lending decisions and Country risk management, Risk Transfer or mitigation measures.
• Knowledge of political, economic and social factors influencing country risk
• Bank Product knowledge
• Awareness of Basel II and IFRS9
• Knowledge of Governance & Compliance issues.
• Awareness of the legal issues, implications and consequences.
• Credit Audit

Essential

• Graduate caliber
• Detailed knowledge of the bank’s Performance Management approach
• Team leadership skills
• A good knowledge of the bank’s products and service standards.
• A good knowledge of the bank’s loan processing, booking and management systems.
• Good understanding of provisions and impairment accounting rules and logic.
• Good knowledge of the bank’s Wholesale and Consumer Lending framework, on-boarding criteria and lending rules.
• Good awareness of the bank’s Wholesale and Retail lending policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of Absa ARO Wholesale and Retail Risk Management strategies and processes.
• Experience within a central Risk Management Department.
• Knowledge of the Wholesale and Consumer Credit Risk systems and Lending strategies
• Knowledge of the Consumer Collection & Recovery processes, systems and strategies
• Strong credit risk analyst.
• Good Trouble shooting skills.

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)

• Good Credit Risk Management skills
• Good people and stakeholder management
• Good team builder and strong at people developing
• Effective time management and meeting deadlines
• Developing people
• Communication and presentation skills
• Personal Organisation
• Strategic Approach
• Information Gathering
• Analysis and Judgement
• Decision making
• Thoroughness
• Initiative
• Integrity
• Dependable and Reliable

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)