Senior Specialist Business Support at Barclays Africa Group Limited

Job description

Overall Job Purpose:

The jobholder is responsible to carry out quality risk assessments, due diligence reviews, internal client reviews, deep-dive portfolio assessments, strategy formulation, client interaction and delivery of turnaround and managed strategies to a portfolio of customers experiencing financial stress, which are defined as Early Warning List (EWL) clients, within Wholesale Credit (Business Banking and CIB) for Rest of Africa (ROA).

Key Accountabilities:

CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT:

• Perform due diligence reviews and internal client reviews on existing clients showing signs of distress or potential distress. These assessments would include (but not be limited to) preparation of cash flow and liquidity projections, assessment of client’s cash flow and liquidity models and assessment of client income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement forecasts.
• Lead and/or support detailed negotiations with Wholesale Credit ROA customers, other lenders, creditors and 3rd party advisors regarding the agreement to and implementation of strategy, to ensure properly mitigated credit risk for the Bank, based on continued bank support.
• Where appropriate, obtain Wholesale Credit ROA customer’s agreement to the use of professionals including accountants, turnaround professionals, attorneys and property professionals
• For Wholesale Credit ROA turnaround customers/clients, agree critical success factors in liaison with Relationship Managers, Regional Credit Managers and other Credit teams to ensure credit risk normalisation and relationship preservation. Obtain customer commitment and agreement to implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies and remedial actions to improve the client credit risk profile (Wholesale Credit – ROA).
• Be able to pro-actively identify and suggest alternative corporate structures and / or Corporate Finance actions for Wholesale Credit ROA clients (e.g. merger activity, consolidation or divisionalisation of entities etc)
• Review Wholesale Credit ROA client’s strategy, impairment decisions and capital at risk
• Solid understanding of legal documentation and associated risks, including:
• Review of all legal documentation pursuant to the existing facility structure identifying and obtaining additional security and / or shortcomings in terms of said structure
• Review of all legal documentation which is entered into from a restructure perspective
• Must be able to engage and support internal legal counsel with respect to litigation matters
• Identify where risk mitigation strategies have broken down and negotiate and implement remedial or corrective action in consultation with the Wholesale Credit ROA client.
• Make lending decisions within an appropriate personal mandate.
• Perform robust financial and non-financial analysis on the Wholesale Credit ROA client that will support and underpin all new proposals in terms of the clients' credit risk implications by liaising closely with business to formulate Web ICA applications/proposals.
• Assess credit applications for Wholesale Credit ROA EWL clients (within own mandate if applicable) and approve/support or decline these applications or recommend to the appropriate sanctioning level.
• Structure a lending solution for the Wholesale Credit ROA client based on the analysis conducted, that will account for the potential threats to the client and, that is within set credit limits and the Bank's credit lending policies and appetite.
• Facilitate the credit sanctioning process by responding to sanctioned enquiries i.e. non-acceptance of approved terms and conditions, applications and/or attend all relevant Credit meetings, where necessary, in order to present and sponsor credit applications that have been submitted under the role holder's signature.
• Take responsibility and accountability for allocated ROA in-country BS&R teams to facilitate timeous execution of client strategies and submission of governance information.
• Produce relevant management information and statistics, i.e. monthly impairment assessment and Strategy sheets, etc as required from time to time.
• Manage exposures by taking/supporting daily credit decisions and reviewing information from various systems (CMS) and taking/supporting credit decisions accordingly
• Request and drive valuations on properties from RE’s/business units, which serve as security for facilities to be used to calculate impairments.
• Champion the Business Support team’s relationship with internal and external customers, develop a strong network of internal contacts, external and panel professionals to maximise financial benefit for the Bank.
• Monitor the client’s business performance on a continuous basis, in addition to performing formal reviews at specified time intervals, to ensure early identification of changes to the client’s risk profile.
• Obtain input from Product Industry Specialist/s, where appropriate, for assistance in analysing the risk for specific High Value clients.

People Management

• Assist the Business Support Team Leader to coach and support other members of the team by assisting their training and development.
• Ensure adherence to Barclays’ values.

Change Management

    Assist with the development and execution of strategic projects (as required) from time to time.

Stakeholder Management

    Raise local profile in the team as well as Wholesale Credit team and business partners

Governance

    Understand and adhere to the appropriate governance policies, standards and procedures applicable to the role. Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role.

Education

• B-degree (with Accounting ) and / or
• Postgraduate qualifications in related legal fields may also be considered if relevant experience has been attained
• CA (SA) – would be an advantage/preference

Experience Required

• Minimum 5 to 10 years banking or due diligence experience, or
• 5 to 10 years senior Commercial and/or Corporate credit experience in restructuring of distressed clients
• Experience working in/with ROA countries would be an advantage
• Proven success in a customer facing and/or similar Business Support role dealing with financially distressed clients

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong Credit and Risk management skills (essential)
• Strong financial forecasting skills, including liquidity and cash flow forecasting
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills (essential)
• Good knowledge of insolvency matters, liquidations and receiverships
• Strong use of analysis and judgement
• Good interpersonal skills, including conflict management
• Good written and verbal communication
• Good personal organisation and time management

Competencies:

• Coping with pressure and setbacks
• Working with people
• Presenting and communicating information
• Planning and organising
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Deciding and initiating action
• Analysing
• Ability to travel