Credit Underwriter

SUMMARY:
My client is looking for a Credit Underwriting Manager to join their global Credit Risk team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced credit risk professional to lead a team and provide strategic input on credit assessments and underwriting within a dynamic, international organization.

POSITION INFO:
Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of credit underwriting analysts, providing day-to-day functional management support.
• Strategy Execution: Assist the Global Head of Underwriting in executing the credit assessment strategy, ensuring delivery against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Credit Assessments & Analysis: Conduct credit assessments, set limits and ratings, and perform in-depth financial analysis.
• Review of Complex Credit Structures: Analyze complex credit structures, asset valuations, and other atypical credit risks, ensuring high-quality decision-making.
• Monitoring & Reporting: Track and escalate credit triggers, provide insights on sovereigns and relevant sectors, and deliver timely credit risk reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Collaboration: Work with global teams, including commercial credit, senior risk management, and other risk functions, to ensure alignment on credit strategy and execution.
• Ad-hoc Projects: Contribute to both local and global initiatives.
• Team Development: Ensure ongoing development and training for the credit underwriting team to foster continuous improvement and growth.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Risk Management, Accounting, Economics, or related fields (Postgraduate qualifications beneficial).
• Certifications: Professional certifications such as Chartered Accountant (CA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), or Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) are a plus.

• Experience: Minimum of 8 years of experience in Credit Risk or Credit Underwriting, ideally within mining, commodity trading, banking, insurance, or consultancy.
• Skills:
• Strong financial analysis skills and the ability to assess complex credit structures.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, with advanced skills in Excel. Coding skills in VBA, PowerBI, or Python are advantageous.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with senior management and global teams.
• Attention to detail and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.