Credit Analyst

Role Overview

This position sits at the centre of the bank's credit decision-making, independently testing whether each borrower genuinely deserves the facility being proposed and whether the risk, once priced and secured, makes commercial sense for the institution. Day to day, the job holder interrogates proposals submitted by relationship teams, challenges assumptions, shapes mitigation where a deal is workable, and keeps the approval machinery running — from committee scheduling to defending local decisions to Head Office reviewers. The work directly protects the loan book from avoidable loss while allowing good business to move forward without unnecessary friction.

Key Responsibilities

• Independently appraise credit files submitted through the workflow, verifying that borrower data has been captured completely and accurately before any recommendation is made.
• Assess each applicant's repayment capacity using the approved scoring model, working through the debt service calculation, the borrower's own financial contribution, and the adequacy and enforceability of the security on offer.
• Examine past credit conduct and payment history to confirm the applicant's track record supports the exposure being requested.
• Identify the specific risks embedded in a proposal and recommend practical mitigation — or confirm that the facility is priced in line with the credit scoring framework, escalating and correcting any mismatch.
• Either advance the file with a reasoned recommendation toward approval or return it to the relationship manager, setting out precisely which documents or information are still missing.
• Handle temporary accommodation requests and variation applications for already-approved facilities, checking that the justification holds, that fees and commissions are correctly applied, that a verifiable repayment source exists, and that the change does not materially alter what was originally sanctioned.
• Convene and administer Credit Approval Committee meetings — issuing invitations, circulating prior minutes, presenting summaries of Credit Analysis decisions, recording minutes, and tracking action points through to completion.
• Coordinate responses to Senior Credit Committee queries on locally approved files, chase progress on files awaiting Head Office decision, and defend the reasoning behind local committee outcomes.
• Review draft offer letters and valuation reports to confirm that approval covenants are fully documented and that collateral values remain suitable and sufficient.
• Join the business team on customer calls to form an independent view of the borrower's operations, financing needs, project progress, and any environmental or social risk exposures arising from their activities.

Requirements & Qualifications

• University degree, preferably in a business-related discipline such as economics, finance or accounting, from an institution recognised by the Commission for University Education.
• A professional qualification such as CPA or ACCA.
• Practical experience in credit appraisal, credit analysis or credit risk review within a banking environment, including exposure to scoring models and debt service assessment.
• Working knowledge of financial policies, credit procedures, and the external regulatory and governance requirements that govern lending.
• Sound grasp of the current banking and financial services landscape, prevailing market trends and practices, and the laws applicable to credit and collateral.
• Strong analytical judgement and the confidence to challenge a proposal constructively, with clear written and verbal communication for committees, relationship managers and senior stakeholders.
• Meticulous attention to detail when reviewing documentation, covenants, pricing and security valuations.