Senior Credit Underwriter

The Credit Underwriter, Approval & Credit Review Assistant Manager conducts detailed credit assessments, reviews credit applications, and provides approval recommendations for lending portfolios. These roles ensure the quality of credit decisions, adherence to credit policies, and continuous monitoring of the credit portfolio to mitigate risks.

Job Requirements:

Credit Underwriting & Assessment:

• Conduct credit underwriting assessments for micro, SME, and corporate lending portfolios, analyzing financial data, credit histories, and risk factors.
• Review credit applications to determine the applicant’s creditworthiness, ability to repay, and potential risks.
• Ensure thorough evaluation and timely completion of credit reviews while adhering to internal credit policies and regulatory guidelines.

Credit Approval Process:

• Provide detailed credit recommendations and decisions, ensuring they align with the bank’s credit policies and risk tolerance.
• Collaborate with business units and management to finalize credit approval decisions, suggesting risk mitigation strategies where necessary.
• Oversee more complex credit approval cases and guide the team in decision-making for high-value or high-risk applications.

Credit Review & Monitoring:

• Conduct regular credit reviews for existing portfolios, identifying early warning signs of potential defaults or credit deterioration.
• Monitor and report on portfolio performance, ensuring that delinquent accounts are managed effectively, and corrective actions are recommended.
• Engage in periodic reviews and audits of approved credit applications to ensure consistency in underwriting standards and policy compliance.

Policy Compliance & Implementation:

• Ensure that all credit approvals and reviews adhere to the bank’s credit policies, risk frameworks, and regulatory requirements.
• Assist in implementing changes to credit policies and business initiatives to enhance the credit approval process.
• Provide feedback and suggestions for improvement in credit underwriting standards, highlighting gaps or areas of opportunity in policy or procedure.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Work closely with relationship managers, business units, and credit risk management teams to ensure alignment on credit decisions and policy changes.
• Support the business by recommending appropriate credit terms and ensuring credit decisions facilitate business growth without compromising risk.
• Take on a leadership role in stakeholder engagement, representing the credit team in high-level meetings and discussions.

Team Leadership & Supervision (for Senior Executive and Assistant Manager):

• Mentor and guide junior credit underwriters, ensuring adherence to the bank’s credit underwriting standards.
• Assist in performance monitoring, training, and coaching of junior staff to enhance the overall quality of the credit evaluation process.
• Take the lead in driving process improvement initiatives within the credit review and approval function.

Reporting & Analysis:

• Prepare credit risk reports and updates for senior management, highlighting portfolio performance, delinquency trends, and areas of concern.
• Support the preparation of materials for credit risk meetings, ensuring that all credit-related data is accurate and up-to-date.
• Take ownership of presenting credit performance metrics to senior management and offering recommendations for portfolio improvement.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Economics, Business, or a related field.
• Professional certifications such as CCP are an advantage.
• Good credit assessment skills with knowledge of various business models, its key drivers and industry trends especially supply chain financing or trade financing
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess financial statements, credit reports, and other data to determine creditworthiness.
• Proficiency in credit risk models, financial analysis tools, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to convey credit decisions and recommendations to senior management and business units.
• Ability to collaborate with business units to ensure credit terms align with both risk and business growth objectives.
• Fluent in English and Malay. Additional language skills are an advantage.