Senior Manager: Credit Risk (Agriculture) at Absa South Africa

Job Summary

The main purpose of the role is to deliver credit assessment, credit portfolio management and lending decisions within mandate / personal discretion for high value and complex Relationship Banking clients as well as stakeholder engagement with key credit and business solution deliverables.

Job Description

Credit Risk Assessment & Portfolio Management

• Consider mostly high value and complex credit applications in order to determine lending appetite, financing solutions and structures (i.e. capital, long-term, working capital) to adequately meet the financing needs of Absa Business Banking clients in mostly the Key and Premium CVP’s. Approve credit applications in accordance with approved lending criteria in line with Absa's lending policies and standards.
• Mitigate financial and other credit risks for Absa and its clients by requesting security in line with the credit policy.
• Participate in the formulation and implementation of lending strategies, risk appetite and lending criteria by providing feedback and suggestions to the Sector Head based on market trends, actual client interaction / experience and industry research.
• Manage critical success factors with Relationship Executives (RE's) and Credit Teams to ensure that appropriate credit risk decisions are taken by pro-actively communicating and interacting with RE's in order to solution client financing needs.
• Monitor and manage a dedicated portfolio of clients against agreed Absa Business Banking strategies and portfolio credit requirements in order to improve the overall quality of the portfolio by referring to approved credit policy and target market criteria.
• Ensure high standards of credit discipline are applied to portfolio monitoring and control activities, especially unauthorized excesses, unrated exposures and overdue reviews by referring to the relevant credit systems, i.e. Global Credit Information System (GCIS), Credit Management System (CMS) or Review Manager.
• Maintain credit records as required per standard instructions in terms of GCIS and other recording systems by verifying for correctness and forwarding GCIS templates for uploading to the GCIS capturing team.
• Maintain awareness of Basel, South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and other regulatory requirements by attending workshops and referring to relevant training material and circulars.
• Ensure that up-skilling is maintained in terms of industry-specific and lending principles in general by attending workshops, reading / studying of industry related publications and participating in training.

Business Management

• Maintain a network of internal stakeholders and industry professionals to maximize financial benefit for the Bank and to stay abreast of best practices by attending industry workshops, seminars and conferences.
• Management of credit and impairment risk to maintain an appropriate level of impairment and classification of Early Warning List (EWL) clients by referring relevant cases to the Business Support department and completing required strategy sheets, i.e. financial information, background, value of security.
• Assist the Business Support department with the management of high value and complex high risk client exposures from a specialist industry perspective by means of client visits, completion of strategy sheets (including suggested solutions), attending monthly impairment meetings to provide specialist input.
• Adherence to governance, compliance and lending portfolio controls and management information by referring to relevant policy guidelines and circulars.
• Responsible for the sharing of specialist knowledge and experience, including provision of technical solutions, innovative ideas and best practices within own and across other credit teams, specifically also to junior credit managers and relationship executives with a primary aim to enhance external customer value.
• Proactively adopt, execute and implement change initiatives agreed with Business Banking Credit management in support of overall BB Credit strategy and change initiatives.

Customer Service

• Maintain a professional image (appearance, industry knowledge, etc.) of BB Credit during all client interactions.
• Maintain minimum agreed levels of interaction with relationship executives and clients in the Key and Premium CVP. Identify additional income generating opportunities when dealing with customers and add exceptional value to all customer relationships when interacting directly with customers.
• Provide solutions to clients and RE’s by being pro-active, solution driven and client focused.

Support

• Promote the Business Banking Credit with relationship teams, junior credit sanctioners, external customers and industry specialists (i.e. academics, scientists, industry leaders) by delivering excellent service, quick turn-around and professional advice.
• Support team members in terms of stand-in portfolio management during client visits, leave and other "out-of-office" requirements by team members.
• Maintain and support a positive working environment in the larger Business Banking Credit Team by supporting team members, proposing pro-active solutions to problems, etc.
• Provide innovate solutions to enhance working / output and relevance of Business Banking Credit by making suggestions to improve the output and value-add of the credit team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-8 years’ experience in Agricultural Credit Sanctioning
• Post Graduate degree in finance/accounting/agriculture
• Minimum 5-8 years working experience in Banking and/or financial services.
• Agricultural studies will be beneficial
• Agriculture specific Experience

Education

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