The Credit Evaluation Officer is accountable for delivery of a professional service to the business units, by assessing and evaluating credit facilities (new and/ or existing) based on sound credit & financial principles which supports the minimising of risk to the bank. The role holder assists HFB in achieving their asset growth targets by providing effective value adding risk management, whilst maintaining a quality-lending book, through judicious and effective management thereof.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Evaluates whether Business Credit facility proposals meet sound business criteria and credit risk falls within acceptable parameters, approve/disapprove, and recommends appropriate credit facilities including terms or conditions of facilities.
• Shows decisiveness in applying product parameters, credit policies and governance standards.
• Ensures accuracy and reliability of approvals within advised Delegated Authority (DA), or referrals to higher authority, on Business credit applications reviewed.
• Adds value to the credit approval process by guiding originators as appropriate to reduce reworks on applications to a lower percentage as will be agreed.
• Ensure timely and quality credit assessment and decision are made.
• Manage adherence to the service level agreement that have been concluded.
• Builds relationship with Branch Managers and Relationship Managers to improve quality of business proposals and turnaround time on credit evaluations.
• Actioning of the daily referral report and make decisions to pay or not based on the reason for excess and source of adjustment, the terms of sanction in existence and the risk to which the Bank is exposed.
• Issuing of sanction documents, clearly stating the conditions and requirements of the lending.
• Ensure completeness of documentation, reconfirming (as per agreed frequency) that appropriate verification of information and documentation has been carried out by the Credit Origination Team, credit bureau & other searches, full compliance with product parameters/lending policy guidelines/other governance requirements on all credits processed.
• Performs similar duties as s/he deems fit for the proper execution of her/his duties or duties as duly assigned by the Employer.
• Ensure that ESG aspects in Credit assessment are considered and well documented

Financial Responsibility:

• Achievement of risk asset budget for the Business credit facility portfolio.
• Growth and maintenance of high-quality risk asset portfolio for the Bank.
• Minimization of credit losses.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• A Business Degree in Risk, finance, Commerce, Business Administration, Economics, Statistics, management, or any relevant field.
• Possession of a Certified banking qualification or master’s degree in a relevant field would be an added advantage.
• Relevant Practical training in Credit Risk in the financial services sector

Skills & Experience

• Sound Minimum of 5 years banking experience, with at least 2 years in Credit risk management, preferably in the Business credit space.
• Knowledge and understanding of Project lending, Business lending, analysis techniques, credit criteria, credit policies, risk and financial analysis, credit control and application thereof.
• Sound understanding of business practices and the Bank’s Business Loans products suite, credit policies and processes.
• Exposure to credit scoring and automated decisioning.
• Decisiveness

Business Behaviours

• The ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in written form in a professional manner is deemed essential.
• Ability to build functioning working relationships across organizational, corporate, and cultural boundaries.
• Takes clear accountability and focuses on delivery of credit goals.
• Excellence Orientation: disposed to setting and achieving high standards of excellence in all spheres of the job.
• Organizational Alertness: capacity to appreciate and understand how job fits in with other jobs and overall job structure of the organization; and the importance of company policies & procedures.
• Provides extraordinary service.
• Must be a person of impeccable integrity