Credit Analyst

SUMMARY:
-

POSITION INFO:

Purpose of the job

The purpose of this position is to identify, measure, mitigate and monitor credit risk and by taking appropriate actions to ensure that the credit quality remains within the organisation's acceptable risk appetite. This will be achieved by conducting detailed credit risk analysis by evaluating potential and existing clients capacity to borrow, by assessing, amongst others, their financial background, their ongoing ability to repay the borrowed credit and adherence to lending conditions throughout the term of the lending relationship.

Key Performance Areas

Credit Risk Management and Monitoring

1. Perform credit and financial analysis on new business deals and review of existing clients through analysis and interpretation of financial and economic metrics to ensure acceptable credit risk resulting in minimizing nonperforming loans (NPLs) and/or write-offs.
2. Provide detailed report/s on analysis, findings and recommendations tied to the assessment of credit risk.
3. Present analysis, findings and recommendations that involves the borrower's ability to repay.
4. Develop and prepare spreadsheets and models to support analysis of new and exist credit/loan applications.
5. Determine internal credit ratings and loss given default (LGDs) together with return on investments proposals that are acceptable to the organisation, on a risk vs return basis.
6. Form part of the deal closing team to:
   • negotiate covenants, collateral and legal conditions with clients and co-lenders, in accordance with the organisation's approved key terms; and
   • disburse approvals in accordance with the organisation's internal procedures and legal agreement conditions
7. Manage the ongoing credit risk on a portfolio of clients by pro-actively identifying problematic/high risk clients through regular reviews and industry updates, staying up to date with the latest market developments and conducting industry research when required.
8. Monitor adherence to covenants and other legal agreements conditions on a continuous basis and discuss any deviations and possible concerns with Investment teams to remedy non-adherence. Escalate issues through internal procedures (e.g., rapid risk reviews) and/or to management where necessary.
9. Manage, monitor, and communicate other credit risks associated with outstanding collateral, covenants and undertakings; and credit migration of clients on/off the Watchlist and NPLs book.
10. Adhere to the organisation's lending protocols, risk management policies and procedures and ensure that they are fully complied with and that any policy breaches have been suitably addressed and mitigated.

Financial Risk Management and Monitoring

1. Analyze and interpret the financial results and financial models for deals in Project Finance, Public Sector Entities- Local / Regional Government Entities, Higher Education Institutions and other Public Sector Entities e.g., Water Boards, Development Corporations and Utilities; as well as the integration of the outcome of the financial assessments with other specialist areas (e.g., Environmental, Social, Governance, Technical, Country) to identify and mitigate risk on investment proposals.
2. Analyze and evaluate financial structures for appraisals and decision-making, including but not limited to:
   • risk management/hedging, investment funding and project finance structures/strategies
   • perform specialized financial and / or cost analysis e.g., cash-flow analysis, "what-if" analysis and prepare related reports in the form of pro-forma financial statements
   • compare and analyses forecasts with actual results and in doing so identify variances and trends
   • identify the underlying principles, reasons or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate drivers of credit and financial risk
   • conduct the spreading of all financials (new deals and annual reviews), building of financial models/assessments of financial models, including revenue and expense forecasts.
3. Stay abreast of changes in private and public sector financial reporting/accounting standards and principles in order to determine the impact thereof on the interpretation of the financial results for the purposes of credit analysis and financial risk determination.

Key Measures

1. High quality of credit evaluation and financial risk assessment and reporting, not compromising on accuracy and speed to meet deadlines.
2. Annual reviews completed (% complete by Value and by Number) for all clients in the portfolio, within the agreed timeframes.
3. Effective collateral, covenant and undertakings monitoring, and reporting completed within agreed timeframes.
4. Disbursements and NPLs achieved within agreed targets.
5. Fully comply with the organisation's key Governance and Compliance measurement requirements.
6. Ongoing monitoring of high-risk clients and 100% of Watchlisted clients monitored and reported to and as required by the Portfolio Committee; and any other Committee so directed.

Minimum Requirements

1. A minimum Bachelor's Degree in Financing, Accounting, Economics or Engineering.
2. At least 3 years working experience (post Articles) in wholesale credit risk management, corporate or investment banking or similar, with strong analytical experience.
3. Knowledge of Private sector (e.g., GAAP, IFRS) and Public Sector Financial Reporting (e.g., GRAP, IAS, IFRS, King IV, MFMA, PFMA), cost accounting and/or financial analysis and/or auditing and the Companies Act.
4. Solid knowledge of the financial markets, banking, and municipal operating environment.
5. Experience in analyzing, interpreting, and capturing of financial information in financial and credit rating models.
6. Practical knowledge of Credit Risk Management and a broad appreciation of the range of Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management and Reporting practices.
7. Proficient with Microsoft Office (MS- Word, MS Excel (at an advanced level of proficiency), MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook), Quantitative and Qualitative Credit Rating Models.
8. Demonstrated ability to:
   • obtain data, perform in depth credit evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative credit risks, and provide expert analysis.
   • conduct debt sustainability analysis.
   • deliver high quality reports for decision-making.
9. Proven ability to effectively manage competing deadlines for projects in a high-pressure work environment.

Desirable Requirements
1. Knowledge of financial structuring and doing business in Africa will be a distinct advantage.
2. Honours degree in Finance or Accounting, CA(SA), Professional Body Certifications Qualifications (e.g., GARP CFA or FRM, CFI FMVA or CBSA) is an advantage.