Head Credit Risk

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Risk Officer, the Head: Credit Risk (Line 2) oversees credit risk for unsecured and secured portfolios across OM Bank, including origination, account management, credit limits, collections, IFRS 9 provision, regulatory reporting and credit risk reporting. The role represents the bank on industry forums such as the Banking Association of South Africa and works closely with Compliance, Legal and the other Risk teams.

Key responsibilities

• Provide independent oversight of unsecured lending and challenge credit strategies, policies and decision frameworks against the bank's risk appetite framework.
• Produce forward-looking risk reports for executive committees and risk committees, and give input to regulatory submissions.
• Monitor risk appetite metrics such as approval rates, expected credit losses, non-performing loans and vintage curves, and escalate breaches.
• Challenge credit policies, underwriting criteria and limit assignment strategies, and oversee IFRS 9 ECL calculations and staging.
• Review portfolio stress tests and contribute to ICAAP and capital planning.
• Review new product proposals and changes to lending criteria, distribution channels and use of alternative data.
• Oversee early arrears management, collections treatment, write-offs and recoveries, and track remediation of audit, regulatory and risk event findings.
• Train employees on risk management and support the combined assurance model.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree or post-graduate qualification in credit risk, internal audit, engineering, finance, business administration or a related field.
• 15+ years of credit risk management experience in banking, with extensive experience managing secured and unsecured portfolios and leading credit change initiatives.
• Detailed knowledge of the Banks Act and bank regulations, and of credit origination, account and limit management, collections, IFRS 9, stress testing and regulatory requirements.
• Solid Line 1 credit experience is advantageous.

Required skills

• Risk management frameworks, risk assessment matrices, scenario analysis and risk modelling software.
• Strong stakeholder management, leadership, coaching and mentoring, and excellent written and verbal communication.
• Data analytical skills and strategic planning.