As the Senior Manager: Credit Portfolio Management, the incumbent will be responsible for managing credit risk in Relationship Banking through key activities such as optimising capital demand and strategic credit risk management to meet risk-return objectives, setting risk appetite for key risk metrics, forecasting and stress testing of portfolio risk, and setting up a formal monitoring process for the management of credit portfolio risk.

This role encompasses offering innovative leadership and strategic expertise to guide and optimise the management of key risk metrics with the purpose of ensuring the business meets its risk-return objectives, with specific emphasis on impairments, Risk Weighted Assets (RWA), Economic Capital (EC), Earnings at Risk (EaR), Earnings Volatility (EVOL), Return on Regulatory Capital (RoRC) and Return on Economic Capital (RoRC).

In this capacity, the incumbent will take ownership of the ongoing development and enhancement of the credit portfolio management landscape, while adhering strictly to both internal and external regulations and policies. The individual will collaborate closely with key stakeholders to identify opportunities to enhance credit risk strategies and offer strategic insight regarding the evolution of the risk environment and its potential implications.

Furthermore, the incumbent will act as a credit risk subject matter expert within Relationship Banking and serve as the business unit’s representative in risk-related Group discussions and forums, where appropriate.

Job Description

Accountability: RWA, EC and EaR optimization and precision within RB

• Ensure that RB product/business segments are being diligent, consistent and have the right momentum in delivering on the use of their appetite / capital allocation / targets and ensuring pricing models are appropriately designed and consider all key drivers to adequately account for credit risk.
• Embedment of RWA, EC, and EaR as key risk drivers within RB Credit. Communicate results and recommendations from analysis undertaken to other areas of the organization, tailoring the interpretation to the audience and using appropriate presentation technology and templates.
• Evaluate and explain the appropriateness of capital utilization and manage the actions required to deliver optimization and precision efforts.
• Designing and establishing frameworks for earnings volatility and concentration risk management in RB in collaboration with business segments as it pertains to single obligors, sectors, and other tactical/cyclical concentration risk drivers, and monitor concentration risk against set limits and thresholds, through understanding credit correlations and sensitivities in RB’s and the Group’s portfolio.
• Support economic capital model developments and refinements and assess asset correlations in close collaboration with Group Credit Risk.

Accountability: Risk Appetite, Stress Testing and Integrated Planning

• Support the setting of RB’s risk appetite for RWA, Economic Capital and Earnings at Risk, and the development of any new risk appetite metrics and statements where required. Review and challenge Group risk appetite allocation and monitor consumption and allocation within RB.
• Support the integrated planning process to ensure the anticipated demand and supply for risk appetite are appropriately aligned.
• Establish and embed a credit risk monitoring framework, including portfolio benchmarks, targets, and early warning indicators to monitor portfolio trends, capture emerging risks, and monitor credit performance against risk appetite and plans, using these analyses to make recommendations around next steps or decisions to be taken and support business forecasting.
• Accountable for risk planning and stress testing in RB through the employment of robust forecasting methodologies to anticipate future risks. Consistently evaluate historical data trends, making necessary metric adjustments to stay ahead of the evolving financial landscape.
• Perform ad-hoc stress testing, scenario and sensitivity analyses to assess impact of emerging risks on RB portfolio.

Accountability: Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders and formulate the most optimal operating model to ensure transparent cross-functional communication between all stakeholders.
• Establish and nurture influential relationships with a wide network across the organization in order to identify synergies and optimally leverage relationships, knowledge, services and resources to provide superior solutions.
• Maintain external relationships with risk bodies, forums, and other risk professionals both for formal information sharing and for the development and promulgation of risk best practice.

Accountability: Business and Operations Management

• Ensure that the function is managed within acceptable parameters and that governance and management processes exist and operate effectively.
• Ensure that all other areas of operational and business management (e.g., change/project manage, crisis management) are in place and operating effectively.
• Keep abreast of international best practice regarding financial risk management and contribute to standards and guidelines as required.
• Participate in developing, testing, and optimizing credit policies and credit risk related projects and ensuring consistency and complying to regulatory compliance with Prudential Authority rules applicable to credit risk, including Basel IV implementation.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.