THE ROLE PURPOSE

Head of Corporate Credit Origination is accountable for end-to-end corporate portfolio management and serves as custodian of the Bank’s corporate credit origination operations. It is responsible for strategic leadership and disciplined risk stewardship to preserve and enhance the Bank’s risk capital and long-term financial sustainability in line with corporate goals and objectives. It provides leadership to corporate origination across all segments i.e., Public Service Institutions (PSI), SME & Corporate).

 The role holder works closely with key stakeholders from origination through monitoring, playing a critical role in value- adding deal structuring from a credit and policy perspective while actively managing a defined portfolio to drive sustainable revenue growth. The role leads the training, mentorship and development of corporate credit origination staff to support loan and borrower pillar growth and contributes meaningfully to cross-selling initiatives across the Bank’s product suite.

The KEY responsibilities 

Credit Origination & Risk Underwriting

• Provide strategic leadership in the origination, assessment and structuring of credit facilities that align client needs with the approved risk appetite.
• Drive the acquisition and execution of new credit opportunities to deliver balance sheet growth and net interest income (NII) targets.
•  Ensure quality credit underwriting and structuring that supports sustainable revenue growth, optimal risk-adjusted returns and portfolio resilience.
• Champion sound credit decision-making that accelerates deal execution, enhances client responsiveness and upholds the Bank’s credit standards.
• Account for the delivery of agreed financial performance metrics including volume growth, profitability and risk-adjusted returns.

Portfolio Risk Management

• Maintain a healthy and sustainable corporate credit portfolio within approved risk appetite and CBK prudential guidelines.
• Monitor Portfolio at Risk (PAR), early delinquency trends and credit rating migrations.
• Ensure robust covenant monitoring, excess management and timely intervention on deteriorating accounts.
•  Uphold a strong control environment through regular portfolio reviews and accurate risk reporting.

Regulatory Compliance & Governance

•  Ensure full compliance with Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) regulations, the Banking Act and internal credit policies.
• Ensure adherence to AML/CFT, KYC and sanctions requirements throughout the credit origination process.
•  Support internal and external audits and ensure timely closure of audit findings related to credit origination.
• Maintain high standards of documentation, security perfection and governance discipline

Strategic Business Development

• Identify and develop bankable credit opportunities aligned with sector strategies and market trends.
• Provide thought leadership on key sectors within the Kenyan economy e.g. manufacturing, trade, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure etc.
•  Support syndications, structured finance and complex transactions in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

Relationship Management

•  Partner closely with relationship managers to deepen client relationships and unlock incremental value across existing portfolios.
•  Drive improvements in Credit Client Net Promoter Score (NPS) by accelerating turnaround times and delivering responsive and predictable credit processes.
• Support customer engagement through joint client visits and targeted relationships’ enhancing initiatives to strengthen loyalty.

Cost, Productivity & Performance Management

•  Deliver corporate credit origination outcomes within approved cost and efficiency targets.
•  Optimize resource allocation, workload management and productivity across the credit origination team.
• Contribute to the remediation, restructuring and recovery of stressed and non-performing accounts.

Stakeholder Management

• Partner with front-office, product, risk and operations teams to streamline end-to-end credit processes and materially improve deal turnaround times.
•  Lead initiatives to enhance credit workflow management, TAT measurement and execution discipline across the credit lifecycle.
•  Foster strong cross-functional collaboration to enable efficient, high-quality credit delivery that supports business growth objectives.
•  Provide strong leadership, coaching and performance management to the Credit Origination team and team leaders, building capability, accountability and succession depth.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES AND DELIVERABLES  

•  Corporate credit book growth and new origination volumes
• Net Interest Income (NII) and fee income generated
• Portfolio at Risk (PAR) and NPL ratios on newly originated facilities
• Risk-adjusted returns (RAROC)
• Credit approval and deal turnaround times (TAT)
• Regulatory and policy compliance metrics
• Client satisfaction / Credit Client NPS 

COMPLEXITY EXPECTED IN THE ROLE(EG. multiple countries, cross-functional responsibilities, delivering through other third parties, EG.)  

•  Balancing Growth with Risk Discipline.
• Managing Complex, Large-Ticket Transactions
•  Regulatory and Governance Intensity
• Turnaround Time vs. Control Tension
• Portfolio Quality in a Dynamic Economic Environment

Key Technical SKILLS & leadership competencies 

• Corporate Credit Origination & Structuring
•  Credit Risk Assessment & Underwriting
• Financial Analysis & Modeling
• Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge
• Portfolio Management & Credit Monitoring
• Deal Negotiation & Documentation
• Relationship & Stakeholder Management
• Strategic Business Development
• Pricing, Profitability & Capital Management
• Systems, Data & Reporting

Qualifications

 Academic qualifications and certifications  

• Bachelor’s degree in business related field from a recognized institution
• Master’s Degree is an added advantage.
•  Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA–K / CPA)
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• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Financial Risk Manager (FRM