Sr Credit Analyst – Credit Risk, Forecasting & Analytics

Contract End Date - 30/11/2027

The Senior Credit Analyst - Credit Risk, Forecasting & Analytics Lead is responsible for managing customer credit risk, commercial risk analysis, customer receipts forecasting, portfolio analytics, and strategic market intelligence.

The role provides independent risk assessment and decision support to management, ensuring that customer and counterparty exposures remain within approved risk appetite while supporting sustainable business growth.

The incumbent will lead the assessment and periodic review of significant customer credit exposures, including all facilities and credit reviews of R100 million and above, and maintain a strong understanding of market, industry, and economic developments that may impact customer payment performance, creditworthiness, and portfolio risk.

Key Accountabilities

Credit Risk Management

Accountable for:

• Evaluating new customer credit applications and recommending appropriate credit limits.
• Conducting detailed financial statement analysis and creditworthiness assessments.
• Performing annual, interim, and event-driven credit reviews.
• Leading credit reviews for customers with facilities or exposure levels of R100 million and above.
• Assessing counterparty risk exposures and recommending mitigation strategies.
• Monitoring customer risk profiles and identifying deterioration in credit quality.
• Ensuring compliance with company credit policies, delegated authorities, and governance requirements.

Responsible for:

• Financial ratio analysis and cash flow assessments.
• Credit scoring and risk rating evaluations.
• Exposure trend monitoring and portfolio reviews.
• Collateral and security assessments.
• Identification of emerging risks within the customer portfolio.

 

Commercial and Sector Risk Analysis

Accountable for:

• Providing independent commercial risk assessments for significant customer and sector exposures.
• Identifying emerging industry, market, and economic risks that may affect customers and trading sectors.
• Supporting commercial decision-making through risk-based recommendations.
• Conducting industry concentration and portfolio risk assessments.
• Recommending risk mitigation strategies for high-risk sectors, customers, and counterparties.

Responsible for:

• Scenario and sensitivity analysis.
• Customer due diligence reviews.
• Competitive and market risk assessments.
• Monitoring industry developments that may impact customer performance.

Market Intelligence & Industry Insights

Accountable for:

• Developing and maintaining a strong understanding of the sectors in which the company trades.
• Monitoring macroeconomic, industry, regulatory, and competitive developments that may impact customer credit risk.
• Providing timely market intelligence and sector insights to management and Credit Committees.
• Identifying emerging threats and opportunities affecting customer portfolios.
• Supporting strategic credit decisions through informed market and industry analysis.

Responsible for:

• Monitoring market trends and sector performance indicators.
• Analysing economic and industry reports.
• Tracking insolvencies, business rescue proceedings, and industry distress indicators.
• Producing sector risk summaries and outlook assessments.

 Customer Receipts Forecasting

Accountable for:

• Preparing short- and medium-term customer receipts forecasts.
• Supporting Treasury liquidity planning processes.
• Analysing forecast variances and identifying drivers.
• Implementing initiatives to improve forecasting accuracy.

Responsible for:

• Weekly forecasting updates.
• Cash collection trend analysis.
• Variance reporting and explanations.
• Maintenance of forecasting models and assumptions.

Portfolio Analytics & Reporting

Accountable for:

• Producing portfolio risk reporting and management dashboards.
• Preparing Credit Committee and executive reporting packs.
• Monitoring portfolio concentration risks and exposure trends.
• Providing analytics to support strategic credit decisions.
• Reporting significant risk events and material changes to customer risk profiles.

Responsible for:

• Exposure and limit reporting.
• Portfolio performance analytics.
• Bad debt trend analysis.
• Risk scoring and customer segmentation reporting.
• Data quality and reporting accuracy.

Governance, Controls & Risk Management

Accountable for:

• Maintaining an effective annual customer review programme.
• Ensuring timely completion of all high-value credit reviews.
• Monitoring compliance with approved credit limits and authority levels.
• Supporting internal and external audit requirements related to credit risk.
• Ensuring adequate documentation of credit decisions and recommendations.

Responsible for:

• Credit review tracking and reporting.
• Credit authority compliance.
• Risk exposure reporting.
• Documentation quality assurance.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, Risk Management, or related field.

Preferred

• CFA, FRM, CA(SA), CIMA, MBA, or equivalent professional qualification.

Experience

• 7 to 10 years' experience in credit risk, commercial risk, or corporate credit management.
• Proven experience conducting financial statement analysis and credit assessments.
• Experience reviewing and managing large customer exposures, including facilities exceeding R100 million.
• Strong analytical and forecasting capabilities.
• Experience presenting credit recommendations to senior management and governance committees.'

Preferred

• Experience within the energy, petroleum, manufacturing, industrial, wholesale, or related sectors.
• Exposure to portfolio risk analytics and forecasting.
• Experience working with trade credit insurance and counterparty risk assessments.

Key Competencies

• Advanced financial analysis
• Corporate credit assessment
• Commercial judgement
• Risk identification and mitigation
• Portfolio analytics
• Forecasting and modelling
• Market and industry analysis
• Strategic thinking
• Stakeholder management
• Business acumen
• Written and verbal communication
• Presentation and influencing skills