Junior Specialist Risk at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

To provide specialist advise and support in area of specialization enabling the effective implementation of risk frameworks, perform risk and control assessments and maintain professional relationships with stakeholders.
Conduct and ensure quality credit management principles within a credit officials mandate level, based on the Absa Bank Credit Risk Model. To manage customers' accounts by ensuring the normalisation and rehabilitation of account management accounts during the early-stage delinquency cycle. This the end-to-end process requires collaboration with various Strategic Business Units (SBUs). The role has a strong Credit and Risk Management focus specialising in the account management process

Job Description

Accountability: Quality and Risk Assessment

• 
  Manage and maintain the existing assigned workflow by being proactive via timeous actions, needs assessment and quality manual pay no pay decisions, limit increases, limit decreases, arrangements etc.
• Ensure optimal account management of the assigned workflow whilst mitigating the risk.
• Ensure quick and quality credit assessments for the cheque products are made for limit increases, decrease in customer limits where appropriate, through review of existing facilities to address the needs of the client whilst ensuring the outcome is aligned to the Banks risk appetite.
• Resolve early-stage excess by assessing the customer risk, determining the reason for the excess, and agreeing a solution with the customer. This could include agreeing a promise from the customer to pay, an increase, decrease in facility, adjusting debit orders and/or fees, or restructuring the facility where appropriate.
• Leverage a portfolio view of the customer through collaboration with other Credit Lending departments as well as Retail & Business Bank Collections, in order to take all things into account when making decisions discussed above.
• Demonstrate good knowledge of all Retail/ Business Bank products.
• Where appropriate, interact with various SBU (CVM and the branch) and branch networks to help make informed decisions.
• Ensure that the assessment includes a risk, financial and credit worthiness assessment, and feedback to the SBU in terms of the quality of information received for the assessment of the application.
• Be effective and efficient throughout the application of the assessment process by adhering to the developed policy and processes, adequately assessing risk whilst adhering to agreed turnaround times.
• Utilize the system diary functions to effectively manage risk and prioritize the effective work of accounts to ensure that accounts are prevented from rolling into worse cycles of delinquency.
• Manage and maintain the existing assigned workflow by utilising various collection tools and strategies provided, to identify and mitigate the risk in the portfolio.
• Ensure sufficient knowledge of macro and micro economic conditions and industry trends that are distributed via Customer Value Management (CVM), Absa in-house and media correspondence to enhance the ability to deal with customer scenarios.

Accountability: Compliance and Processes

• Adhere to governance, regulatory and legislative requirements during execution of duties.
• Adhere to the ABSA general and credit specific policies, processes, manuals, circulars, and call scripts (where applicable) to minimise risk to the Bank.
• Utilize feedback from Health and Quality checks to demonstrate continuous improvement in quality and efficiency.
• Feedback and process issues to Team Managers and Credit Lending management, including where issues are found with the workflow tolls or prioritisation of accounts

Accountability: Customer and Stakeholder Management

• Comply with all Service Level Agreements (SLA's) to ensure overall satisfactory service delivery to all SBU, Third Party Management (TPM), other Credit Lending departments and external clients.
• Provide our internal customers (i.e. other internal SBUs) with excellent support Balance the needs of our customers with the Bank's risk appetite to achieve the best possible outcome for both the client and the Bank.
• Effectively manage and maintain customer relationships in line with business quality standards.
• Acknowledge and resolve complaints at first point of contact wherever possible and report events to regional coordinator for regional compilation of reporting

Accountability: Working together as a team

• Demonstrate the willingness and ability to perform to the best level to ensure personal alignment to ABSA's values and vision of a Higher Performing Organisation (HPO).
• Encourage all team members to perform in a similar manner, to meet all objectives and deliver outstanding performance on an ongoing basis.
• Attendance to team meetings and contribute fully, including suggesting ways to improve customer service and meet individual and team targets.
• Contribute to an environment of mutual support by sharing knowledge with other team members. Play an active role in personal coaching plans.
• Be part of the solution by identifying challenges and working together with the Team Manager to put appropriate actions in place.
• Escalate concerns or challenges in a constructive and positive manner. Understand and contribute to the unit's reputation, credibility, and viability to ensure that all behaviour is aligned to the Absa Values.

Education

Higher Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)