Senior Credit Portfolio Manager at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• To support the Head: Credit Portfolio Management for the effective execution of the enterprise-wide credit risk mandate as per the ERMF, with specific reference to credit risk appetite, concentration risk and credit portfolio management. The role requires the incumbent to support a portfolio review process that provides meaningful interpretation and narration of credit risk with a key focus on portfolio shape, emerging risks and concentrations. This includes:
• Aggregation of enterprise-wide credit risk and credit performance to steer and optimise the Group’s credit portfolio shape in collaboration with Business Units, Financial Resource Management and Enterprise Risk functions.
• Support the development of the Group’s credit risk appetite statements, and review and challenge credit risk appetite allocation to businesses, in consultation with Business Units and guided by the Group risk appetite statements.
• Monitoring the performance of the various Business Units relative to allocated appetite and advising Business Units around potential areas of avoidance and opportunity.
• Support the development and embedment of a concentration risk framework.
• Distilling key enterprise-wide credit risk issues impacting the Group for easy verbal and written consumption at an Executive Management and Board level.
• Supporting the embedment of credit portfolio management in the risk culture of the organisation through targeted change management initiatives across South Africa and ARO.
• Close collaboration with stress testing processes in Group Stress Testing teams for annual cyclical stress testing and ad-hoc stress testing and scenario analyses.

Job Description

Accountability: Credit Portfolio Management

• Support the setting of the Group’s credit risk appetite for RWA, Economic Capital and Earnings Volatility, and the development of any new credit risk appetite metrics and statements where required.
• Support the integrated planning process to ensure the anticipated demand and supply for credit risk appetite are appropriately aligned.
• Ensure that Business Units are being diligent, consistent and have the right momentum in delivering on the use of their appetite / capital allocation / targets and ensuring pricing models are appropriately designed and consider all key drivers to adequately account for credit risk.
• Review and challenge credit risk financial planning, stress testing processes, and credit scenario setting for performed by Business Units and Treasury Risk functions.
• Manage and monitor the credit risk policies and standards to drive growth within risk appetite and regulatory guidance.
• With support from Head: Credit Data and Risk Analytics, analyse business portfolios and deliver meaningful insights into RWA, Economic Capital, Earnings Volatility, Risk-adjusted Performance (ROEC / EP) profiles through data-driven analysis that is value-adding and actionable by business stakeholders.
• Establish and embed a credit risk monitoring framework, including portfolio benchmarks, targets, and early warning indicators to monitor portfolio trends, capture emerging risks, and monitor credit performance against risk appetite and plans.
• Perform ad-hoc stress testing, scenario and sensitivity analyses to assess impact of emerging risks on credit portfolio.
• Support economic capital model developments and refinements and assess asset correlations in close collaboration with Treasury Risk Head: Models.
• Support the Group-wide Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) in close collaboration with Head: Credit Data and Risk Analytics.
• Support the Head: Credit Impairments and Reporting to and provide input into all credit related reporting to the board, senior management and external stakeholders as and when required, ensuring that the quality and narrative in credit reports are of a high standard and has meaningful interpretation.
• Support the development and embedment of a concentration risk framework for AGL in alignment with the board and businesses.
• Support the setting of concentration risk appetite in collaboration with Business Units as it pertains to single obligors, sectors, and other tactical/cyclical concentration risk drivers.
• Implement and embed concentration risk measurement and monitoring tools.
• Monitor concentration risk against set limits and thresholds, through understanding credit correlations and sensitivities in the Group’s portfolio.

Accountability:  Stakeholder Management

• Lead by example in building strong internal and external relationships, displaying excellent abilities to initiate strategic dialogue and listen, advice, influence, negotiate and present at different levels.
• Establish and nurture influential relationships with a wide network across the organisation in order to identify synergies and optimally leverage relationships, knowledge, services and resources to provide superior solutions.
• Participate in key risk management committees across Absa Group representing the Credit portfolio and provide thought-leadership and direction on other Absa Group portfolios.
• Actively participate in industry forums and associations to keep up to date with the latest developments in Credit Portfolio Management.

Accountability: General

• Support the delivery of change initiatives which impact Credit Portfolio Management as a strategic decision-making tool across Absa Group, with specific focus on economic capital, concentration risk, asset correlations, data analytics, monitoring, and reporting.
• Develop a culture of proactive compliance, risk management and innovation within the team and the Group Credit Risk function.
• Proactively contribute to a progressive team environment by positively driving teamwork and change.
• Participate in developing, testing, and optimising credit policies and credit risk related projects and ensuring consistency and complying to regulatory compliance with Prudential Authority rules applicable to credit risk, including Basel IV implementation

Education

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