Job Purpose:

The Senior Officer, under guidance of the Head Financial Risk is responsible for monitoring and assessing management of credit risk across the Bank’s portfolio to ensure sustainable growth, regulatory compliance, and alignment with the Bank’s transformation agenda. The role involves strengthening credit risk management frameworks, providing independent oversight on lending decisions, and ensuring that new digital products, fintech partnerships, and innovative lending models are effectively risk-assessed.

Key Responsibilities:

Credit Risk Governance & Framework

• To work with risk and credit departments in developing, updating and implementation of robust credit risk policies, procedures, and frameworks in line with regulatory requirements and best practices.
• In conjunction with risk and credit departments, develop and update the Bank’s risk appetite framework, with a focus on credit exposures across all segments (Retail, MSME, Corporate, Digital/Fintech).
• Support automation and digital transformation of credit processes, including scoring models.

Oversight on the Credit Appraisal & Approval processes

• Independently review and challenge credit proposals, ensuring compliance with policy, regulatory guidelines, and risk appetite.
• Provide expert opinion on complex credit applications and large exposures before escalation to senior committees.
• Support the credit approval process for innovative products such as digital lending, buy-now-paylater, and unsecured SME products.

Portfolio Monitoring and Risk Analytics

• Monitor credit portfolio performance, concentration, and trends across business lines and branches.
• Prepare regular portfolio risk dashboards, reports, and insights for Senior Management and the Board.

Development & Maintenance of Risk Registers and credit risk limits

• Work with credit department to proactively set and review Credit risk limits
• Continuous update of the Risk register on Credit Risk
• Assist Management in defining and proposing revisions of risk appetites for Credit Risk
• Ensure monthly collation of data on the KRIs for credit Risk.
• Recommend improvement in credit appetite, process, procedures and policy as a result of risks identified from the monthly monitoring of KRIs

Impairment, Provisioning & Capital Management

• Oversee IFRS 9 credit impairment models, provisioning adequacy, and risk-adjusted capital allocation.
• Collaborate with Finance and Credit departments to ensure accuracy and timeliness of reporting on provisions as per IFRS 9 and CBK Prudential Guidelines 
• Provide inputs into Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) on credit risk related aspects

Credit Risk Assessments and Quality Assurance

• Work with product, digital, and business transformation teams to assess credit risk implications of new products, channels, and partnerships.
• Evaluate fintech and alternative lending models, ensuring sound risk controls and credit underwriting standards.
• Strengthen use of data analytics, credit scoring, and alternative credit risk assessment models.
• Snap check on head office and branches to assess risks within credit processes.

Regulatory & Internal Compliance

• Ensure full adherence to regulatory requirements, central bank guidelines, and internal policies.
• Support regulatory inspections and provide timely, accurate reporting on credit risk.
• Implement corrective actions from audits, regulatory feedback, and internal reviews.
• Prepare comprehensive stress tests for management and regulatory reporting.

Stress Testing & Scenario Analysis

• Establish and continuously enhance credit risk measurement systems including loss valuation models, , sensitivity analysis and scenario analysis.
• Conduct stress tests for Credit risks in line with CBK regulations.
• Provide actionable recommendations from the stress tests conducted to aid management in decision making.
• Perform regular stress testing, scenario analysis, and early warning assessments to detect vulnerabilities to assist Management in decisions relating to credit risk.

Reporting

• Weekly reports to Management through Head of Financial risk on any significant existing and emerging credit risk exposures facing the bank.
•  Under guidance from Head of Financial Risk, prepare Monthly reports for the Management Credit Committee and Quarterly Board reports on Credit Risks.

Management of Risk Event Reporting and Emerging Risk Exposures

• Ensure preparation of implementation plans on issues raised from risk event reports and risk assessments.
• Follow up for closure of issues raised and aversion of repeat incidences.

Capacity Building & Collaboration

• Work with Head of Financial risk in order to provide guidance, mentorship, and training to credit risk analysts and officers where necessary.
• Foster collaboration with Business, Compliance, Legal, and Operations to balance risk and growth.
• Promote a culture of disciplined credit risk management across the Bank.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, Banking, Statistics, Credit Risk Management or related field.
• Professional qualifications such as CFA, FRM, CPA, ACCA or any other relevant qualification in credit risk management
• At least 6-8 years of experience in credit risk management, underwriting, or related functions in banking/financial services.
• Comprehensive knowledge of credit risk frameworks, Basel II/III, IFRS 9, and regulatory guidelines.
• Experience with digital lending, credit analytics, and transformation initiatives are a strong advantage.
• Proficiency in risk modeling, data analysis, and risk reporting tools (Excel, SAS, Python, or similar).

Key Competencies

Technical Competencies

• In-depth understanding of credit risk assessment, modeling, and monitoring.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of digital lending models, scoring systems, and risk automation tools.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks and credit risk capital requirements.

Behavioral Competencies

• High integrity, independence, and professional judgment.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, especially with senior stakeholders.
• Problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-changing transformation environment.
• Performance Measures
• Effectiveness of credit risk framework implementation.
• Timeliness and quality of credit risk reporting.
• Regulatory compliance and inspection outcomes.
• Success in embedding credit risk considerations in transformation projects.
• Capacity development and engagement within the credit risk team.