Senior Credit Analyst: Secondary Agriculture

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together one story at a time.
- With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group. Job Summary

This senior credit analyst role involves managing a portfolio of corporate clients from a credit risk perspective and requires active senior stakeholder engagement.
The role also involves carrying out comprehensive and quality credit assessments and analysis on potential and existing clients within the portfolio to enhance the decision making process in determining the Bank's appetite to extend credit to these clients. To work within existing credit policies to structure appropriate bankable solutions for the client and manage all other credit related issues for a portfolio of clients.

Job Description

Risk Management:
To conduct quality credit risk assessments and reviews and proactively manage credit risks associated with clients across the Secondary Agriculture Portfolio.

Key accountabilities include:

- Conduct research on the industry in which the client operates to understand the industries overall profitability, industry trends and client's market standing relative to its competitors.
- Conduct a full assessment of the risks and potential mitigating factors impacting on a client.
- Perform robust financial and non-financial analysis on the client that supports the review of facilities or new funding proposals.
- Make use of clients' historical data for example, its financial statements to forecast the clients’ potential growth and sustainability. Conduct a sensitivity/scenario analysis to determine the impact that a change in, for example the economy, political situation, consumer demand etc. will have on the clients’ financial health.
- Based on analysis conducted, structure a lending solution for the client, that will account for the potential threats to the client and that is within set credit limits and the Bank's credit lending policies and appetite.
- Compile a proposal which summarizes, the clients’ background and needs, the research findings and the final recommendation on which credit lending solution is best for the client, for the Credit Manager to approve in the interim and escalate further for the necessary approval.
- Consolidating a group risk view.

Governance and controls:

- Ensure that the Bank's credit policies, philosophy and all relevant legislation are fully complied with at all times and that any policy breaches have been suitably addressed and mitigated against.
- Ongoing credit portfolio monitoring and maintenance of Group Risk Appetite.

Data and Systems Management:

- To produce relevant management information and manage exposures including the maintenance of relevant systems.
- Drive RWA efficiencies through ensuring that the data in terms of Default Grades (DG's), Loss Given Defaults (LGD's), limits and review dates are correctly captured on the Bank's credit systems and adequately supported in the credit systems.

Business Enablement:

- Provide solution driven support to business to facilitate growth initiatives, whilst maintaining a healthy balance between risk and reward.
- Participate and add value to business committees where required (Deal, Pricing and JLOC forums).
- Communicate and interact regularly and proactively with business stakeholders while providing insights on risk trends and providing clear risk appetite guidance.

Education and Experience Required:

- Degree/Honors in Accounting or related Finance Degree.
- Minimum 5 years experience within Credit or Investment Analysis.
- Previous exposure to or experience in the Primary and/or Secondary Agriculture Industry will be an advantage.

Knowledge & Skills:

- Credit Analysis and Sanctioning knowledge (Advanced).
- Sound Financial and Economics background (Advanced).
- Knowledge of Risk Management principles and practices (Advanced).
- Financial and mathematical knowledge (Advanced).
- Analytical Skills (Expert).
- Stakeholder Management Skills (Advanced).
- Secondary Agriculture Industry Knowledge and Background (including firm understanding of industry drivers) (an Advantage)

Education

Bachelor's Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (required)
- Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised_