Senior Credit Officer: Credit Origination x6 at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• The role is responsible for the origination and structuring of complex credit transactions across various sectors, e.g.  infrastructure, sovereign, sub-sovereign, public sector projects for investment considerations in South Africa, the Rest of Africa and High Impact. This role is instrumental in ensuring that new transactions align with the DBSA’s mandate, risk appetite and strategic objectives. Applying technical and commercial expertise, and legal knowledge, the role supports decision-making by appraising new transactions, through conducting due diligence, credit assessment of financial and non-financial risks, financial modelling and well-structured credit risk mitigation strategies. This role interacts closely with  the Business teams and various Sector and Country Specialists in the origination process.

Key Responsibilities    
Key Performance Areas:

Deal Origination and Structuring

• Appraise the origination of complex credit transactions from a pipeline of potential projects sourced by the Business teams, assessing transactions against the Bank’s risk appetite.
• Appraise, structure transactions to optimise risk-adjusted returns whilst achieving development impact.
• In conjunction with the Business teams, engage internally with project teams and externally with borrowers, government entities, project sponsors, and other key risk-transfer / credit enhancing stakeholders to assess optimal financing needs and develop tailored solutions.
• Provide credit advisory at inception, deal screening or early review stages for indicative quantification of credit.
• Serve as a key member of the project team during appraisal stage, deal implementation and financial close stages in pursuit of achieving the Bank’s key corporate and strategic objectives.
• Serve as a key member of the project team to develop innovative risk mitigation structures (e.g. blended finance instruments, sustainable finance instruments, credit enhanced structures).
• Conduct market and industry research as needed to inform risk assessment and credit decision-making.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary sector experts and other teams to support client solutioning and the credit application process.

Credit Assessment, Financial Analysis and Risk Mitigation

• Undertake in-depth credit and financial analysis and due diligence on prospective transactions.
• Identify, mitigate and manage key quantitative and qualitative risks facing a prospective transaction.
• Apply credit rating methodologies aligned to underlying transaction structures to ensure that the credit profile is adequately encapsulated the risk-adjusted returns per policies.
• Contribute to due diligence activities, where required, including site visits, stakeholder interviews and due diligence data collection and synthesis.
• Collaborate with business, legal, technical and ESG teams to ensure comprehensive transaction evaluation.
• Prepare investment memos for new appraisals that succinctly communicates the overall credit opinion and recommended terms and conditions of the prospective transactions.
• Undertake in-depth financial and cash-flow analysis of portfolio companies, evaluating performance against initial projections and market benchmarks.
• Review portfolio performance reports, incorporating peer comparisons, sectors developments, and macroeconomic conditions affecting the Bank.
• Assess amendments to credit terms and provides recommendations for restructuring, covenant waivers, or rescheduling proposals as required.
• Conduct scenario analysis and stress testing on key exposures, feeding insights into credit risk appetite and capital allocation decisions.
• Support efforts to enhance risk-adjusted return through innovative solutioning of the prospective deal flow.

Financial Modelling and Analysis

• Build and/or review and challenge model assumptions in financial models for prospective transactions.
• Conduct cash flow analysis, stress testing, and scenario analysis to test financial viability and draw conclusions / make recommendations to mitigate financial risks identified.
• Assess financial compliance of key financial terms and/or recommend and implement credit risk mitigants (e.g. conditions, covenants, collateral, guarantees), as required.
• Perform peer benchmarking and sectoral credit comparisons in order to provide valuable insights for the review of the financial modelling assessment.

Portfolio Integration

• Ensure seamless transition of approved transactions into portfolio management.
• Monitor early-stage performance, facility and/or covenant compliance during onboarding of new clients.
• Provide feedback to portfolio, origination and risk teams on original learnings and risk signals.
• Maintain credit-related compliance with internal policies, regulatory standards, and investment mandates across all geographies.
• Maintain up-to-date credit ratings and internal loan classifications of new transactions, where required, prior to transition into portfolio management.

Strategic Engagement and Governance

• Liaise with teams to ensure seamless handover and continuous oversight of transactions post-disbursement.
• Support governance reporting by contributing to reports for Board committees, EXCO, and relevant committees.
• Participate in the maintenance and improvement of the credit value chain, identifying process inefficiencies and supporting enhancements to credit systems.
• Support audits by preparing necessary reports and documentation in line with best practice and standards.

Reporting and Monitoring

• Produce accurate, insightful reports that express key financial and non-financial metrics and analysis to support credit opinions for decision-making.
• Analyse data to identify trends, inform strategic decisions, and provide stakeholders with clear, actionable information that supports ongoing performance improvement and accountability.
• Utilise appropriate technologies and tools to enhance reporting efficiency and clarity, while also safeguarding the confidentiality and sensitivity of the information included.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy and timeliness to deliver reports that are timely, relevant and precise.

Key Measurements of Outputs:

• Percentage and number of credit memos for appraisals completed on time and in line with internal standards.
• Precision of internal credit ratings aligned with appropriate model methodologies and validated through backtesting or audit reviews.
• Timely identification of early warning indicators, escalating and actioned for new transactions in appraisal or deal implementation stage.
• Number of breaches identified and resolved and compliance rate for new facility agreements being onboarded.
• Average time taken to complete normal urgent risk assessment and recommend amendments or waivers.
• Quality of financial models built or reviewed, stakeholder feedback on model accuracy and usefulness for decision-making.
• Percentage of reports submitted on time with no material errors; percentage of submissions deferred as a result of substandard quality.
• Feedback from internal and external stakeholders on quality, communication, responsiveness, and problemsolving support.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Qualifications and Experience:

Qualifications

• Degree in Economics, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or Risk Management or related field.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in credit risk analysis, portfolio monitoring, or financial analysis within wholesale/investment banking or a development finance environment.
• Proven proficiency in credit analysis, financial modelling, and application of credit rating methodologies across similar credit portfolios.
• Strong capability in financial statement analysis, credit risk assessment, and the application of risk mitigation principles.
• Familiarity with development finance instruments and structured finance solutions is advantageous.
• Sound understanding of the credit lifecycle and loan value chain processes.
• Awareness of macroeconomic and political risk factors impacting country and credit risk is beneficial.
• Experience in credit origination, investment analysis, or structured finance is a plus.
• Demonstrated credit reasoning and credit writing skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex concepts clearly and effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships, collaborate in teams, and manage stakeholder interactions effectively.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working with municipalities, government programmes, or development finance institutions.
• Understanding and experience of sovereign risk, infrastructure finance, and public sector lending.
• Postgraduate degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting or a related field.
• Professional certification in Financial Risk Management, Chartered Financial Analysis or CA (SA) or equivalent.
• Familiarity with ESG, blended finance, and development impact frameworks.

Deadline:30th January,2026