Job Purpose
• Provide independent credit assessment and approval oversight for Corporate Banking exposures across assigned sector(s), ensuring alignment with the Bank’s risk appetite and regulatory expectations.
• Evaluate and approve complex credit proposals, including bilateral, syndicated, structured, and project finance transactions, through robust underwriting judgment and risk analysis.
• Leverage cross-sector expertise (including Financial Institutions, traded credit, commodities/trading, manufacturing, and retail sectors) to assess diverse corporate exposures and risk dynamics.
• Oversee the end-to-end credit lifecycle through close engagement with policy and portfolio management teams, ensuring quality, consistency, and adherence to established credit frameworks.
• Assess portfolio-level risks, including sectoral concentrations and emerging trends, and recommend appropriate risk mitigation and corrective actions.
• Partner with Corporate Banking relationship teams to provide guidance on transaction structuring, ensuring commercially viable solutions within defined risk parameters.
Key Result Areas
Credit Underwriting & Approval Quality
• Evaluate and approve complex credit proposals, including bilateral, syndicated, structured, and project finance transactions, through robust underwriting judgment and risk analysis.
• Ensure all credit proposals are assessed within delegated authority, applying sound credit standards, strong analytical discipline, and adherence to established approval frameworks.
• Maintain high quality of credit appraisals to minimize rework, approval exceptions, and proposals returned or declined at higher approval forums.
Portfolio Quality & Risk Management
• Maintain quality of the assigned loan portfolio, as measured by classified outstandings, risk migration, and associated provisioning impact on Group profitability.
• Assess portfolio-level risks arising from sectoral concentrations, obligor exposures, and market developments, and recommend timely mitigation strategies.
• Minimize migration across risk grades through proactive monitoring, risk discipline, and early intervention on emerging vulnerabilities.
Cross-Sector Credit Expertise & Transaction Assessment
• Leverage cross-sector expertise across Financial Institutions, traded credit, commodities/trading, manufacturing, retail, and other corporate segments to assess diverse borrower and transaction risks.
• Apply sector-specific judgment in evaluating business models, cash flow resilience, collateral structures, and market positioning across multiple industries.
• Provide an independent and well-rounded credit view on single-name and portfolio exposures by integrating industry, financial, and structural risk considerations.
Early Warning Identification & Remedial Action
• Ensure early detection of warning signals, including past dues, adverse market information, financial deterioration, and sector stress, to enable timely corrective action.
• Recommend and support remedial strategies, restructuring actions, or exposure reduction measures to contain risk and minimize potential credit losses.
• Strengthen portfolio oversight through continuous post-approval follow-up and early warning identification to preserve asset quality.
Turnaround Time & Credit Processing Efficiency
• Maintain targeted turnaround time for processing credit proposals, renewals, amendments, and annual reviews to support business responsiveness.
• Ensure consistent handling of proposal volumes without compromising underwriting quality, depth of assessment, or governance standards.
• Drive efficiency and discipline in credit processing through structured workflows, timely reviews, and clear approval accountability.
Business Partnership, Structuring & Market Engagement
• Partner with Relationship Managers to structure appropriate credit solutions for clients, balancing commercial requirements with prudent risk acceptance.
• Accompany RM teams on domestic and international client calls, where required, to maintain awareness of market conditions, sector developments, and client dynamics.
• Provide independent credit guidance on transaction structuring, facility terms, security, covenants, and risk mitigants for complex corporate exposures.
Governance, Committees & Credit Culture
• Attend Credit Committees as a regular member and contribute independent, balanced, and high-quality credit perspectives on proposals under review.
• Participate in focus groups and periodic review forums to strengthen credit processes, underwriting practices, and overall governance standards.
• Contribute to the development of training curriculum and on-the-job learning initiatives to enhance credit culture, underwriting capability, and consistency across teams.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience:
• University graduate in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a related discipline, with strong foundation in corporate finance and credit risk.
• Minimum 12–18 years of experience in Corporate Credit within a bank or financial institution, including significant exposure to complex underwriting and credit approvals; experience as an authorized approver is essential.
• Demonstrated expertise in evaluating large and structured transactions, including bilateral, syndicated, project finance, and structured credit facilities.
• Strong cross-sector credit experience across Financial Institutions, traded credit, commodities/trading, manufacturing, and retail sectors, with the ability to assess diverse risk profiles.
• Deep understanding of corporate financial analysis, cash flow modelling, group structures, and credit structuring techniques.
• Sound knowledge of credit policies, regulatory frameworks (including CBUAE), and governance standards applicable to corporate banking.
• High degree of analytical capability with the ability to synthesize complex financial and commercial information into clear credit decisions.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance risk and business considerations in a dynamic and competitive environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex credit views to senior management and Credit Committees.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to challenge constructively and engage effectively across business, risk, legal, and external stakeholders.
