Description
In line with enhancing career progression of staff and to support business growth, we seek to recruit qualified, experienced, self-driven, highly motivated and passionate candidate to fill the position outlined below within Diaspora Banking unit.
The Head of Diaspora Credit shall be responsible for:
Leading a team of Sr Credit Managers, Credit Analysts, and Client Service Associates.
Providing executive management and the board of director’s credit risk oversight committee with an accurate and independent assessment of the level and direction of credit risk, effectiveness of the credit process, and emerging risks in the diaspora loan portfolio.
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Take ownership of the department’s annual goals, audit findings, and other tasks to support the Bank’s credit development, risk management, and compliance initiatives.
Recruit Sr Credit Managers and Credit Analysts by taking part in the interview process and final decision-making.
Coach, mentor, and train Sr Credit Managers. This includes recommending and approving leadership development and lending courses.
Liaise with the Credit Risk Committee and Sr Credit Managers to create and/or improve the team’s Lending Underwriting Guidelines when necessary.
Liaise with the Credit Risk Committee to create and/or improve the team’s Lending Approval Authority Guide. This includes approval of credit exceptions.
Recommend new credit products, product development, and product enhancements to meet clients’ needs.
Review the existing loan cycle and service level agreements, identify gaps/areas of improvement, and provide solutions. This includes loan application, approval, and closing processes and procedures.
Review the existing loan monitoring processes and procedures and recommend solutions for loss mitigation. This includes post-closing financial statement reporting and covenant monitoring.
Review the existing IT systems and partner with the Technology Department to come up with solutions for streamlining archaic, broken, and siloed applications.
Review and make a credit decision for the loan applications that fall within the Head’s approval authority.
Partner with the Risk Committee in the credit decision making of loan applications that have large loan amounts, total credit exposure and/or severe credit risks.
Hold frequent meetings with the Risk Committee, Sales Team, and Fulfillment Team to discuss anticipated large deals, current loan pipeline, ongoing issues in the loan cycle, and areas of process/system improvements.
Hold weekly meetings with the Sr Credit Managers to discuss department goals and progress, changing policies and regulations, audit findings, current loan pipeline and challenging deals, upcoming and ongoing projects, needed process/system improvements, team development progress, team training, development, and staffing needs, leave calendar requests, and any other matters brought to the Head’s attention.
Hold monthly meetings with the Sr Credit Managers, Credit Analysts, and Client Service Associates to recognize team achievements, celebrate milestones, department goals and progress, changing policies and regulations, upcoming and ongoing projects, and any other matters raised by the team.
Partner with Sr Credit Managers during audits and respond to the audit findings when necessary.
Delegate special projects to Sr Credit Managers, Credit Analysts, and Client Service Associates.
Participate in quarterly outdoor team building activities with Sr Credit Managers.
Participate in semi-annual outdoor team building activities with the entire Diaspora Credit Team.
Conduct mid-year and end-year performance reviews with the Sr Credit Managers.
Review the team’s performance reviews prepared by the Sr Credit Managers
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in a business management discipline or related field from a reputable institution is preferred with a post graduate training in Financial services as an added advantage.
A minimum of ten years’ of consumer and/or commercial credit experience with international credit experience as an added advantage.
Strong financial, accounting, and credit skills.
Loan approval authority experience.
Experience in engaging C-level management and senior executives in facilitating decision-making and reporting.
Strong understanding of overall banking operations, systems, and processes
Competencies / Attributes / Knowledge and Skills:
Ability to manage and collaborate with geographically diverse teams and matrixed relationships.
Ability to coach, mentor, train and transfer skills to others.
Strong negotiation skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build business partnerships with risk, services and client teams who may not be co-located.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
