Senior Credit Origination Specialist at Robert Walters

• A prestigious alternative investments manager is seeking a Senior Credit Origination Specialist to join their established team in Johannesburg. This opportunity offers you the chance to play a pivotal role in sourcing, structuring, and executing high-yield credit transactions within the South African market.

What you'll do:

As a Senior Credit Origination Specialist based in Johannesburg, you will immerse yourself in the origination and execution of sophisticated credit investments tailored for the South African market.

• Originate, structure, and execute high-yield mezzanine credit transactions within the South African market by leveraging your established network of borrowers and financial intermediaries.
• Develop and maintain robust relationships with corporate borrowers, private equity sponsors, family offices, and brokers to ensure a consistent pipeline of attractive deal flow.
• Prepare comprehensive investment memoranda and present proposed transactions to internal credit committees with clarity and precision.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams including credit analysts, legal advisors, and portfolio managers to progress deals efficiently through the investment process.
• Conduct thorough credit analysis on potential transactions to ensure alignment with risk-return thresholds and organisational objectives.
• Structure transactions with appropriate security packages in place to mitigate potential losses while considering market risk, tax implications, regulatory requirements, legal frameworks, and accounting standards.
• Manage multiple complex transactions simultaneously while maintaining meticulous attention to detail and adherence to process discipline.
• Engage regularly with various business clusters within the group to share insights, provide expert guidance on credit matters, and contribute strategically to group-wide initiatives.
• Stay abreast of evolving market dynamics, pricing trends, sector-specific risks, and regulatory changes impacting the South African credit landscape.
• Support reporting requirements by ensuring accurate administration of transaction documentation and compliance with internal governance protocols.

What you bring:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in high-yield credit origination within banking or asset management, ideally focused on mezzanine finance or similar products.
• Relevant qualifications such as CA (SA), CFA, FRM, or equivalent degree.
• Proven track record of originating South African credit assets yielding JIBAR +3%–4% or higher through strong borrower and sponsor relationships.
• Established network with business banking-type corporate borrowers, private equity sponsors, family offices, financial intermediaries, or brokers.
• Expertise in structuring complex transactions with robust security measures addressing market risk, tax, regulatory, legal, and accounting considerations.
• Strong credit analysis skills to independently assess borrower risk and transaction suitability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for presenting investment cases to committees and stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure with attention to detail and process discipline.
• Knowledge of investment strategies for alternative assets and experience negotiating terms with third parties.
• Familiarity with reporting requirements in regulated financial services environments.