Employer: Merchant West Holdings Role Purpose: As a pivotal member of the Credit Risk team, this role combines strategic oversight with hands-on expertise. You will lead a team of credit analysts, driving excellence in credit application preparation and ensuring high-quality presentations to senior management. Your responsibilities include managing day-to-day operations, optimizing team performance, and fostering a culture of continuous learning through training and upskilling initiatives. Collaboration is key—you’ll work closely with cross-functional teams, contributing insights that shape strategic decisions. In addition to leadership duties, you will prepare credit applications, conducting thorough assessments of clients’ financials, market position, and creditworthiness. Your recommendations will be clear, well-structured, and aligned with business growth objectives, while maintaining strict compliance with internal policies and regulatory standards. Main Accountabilities: 1. Deal Origination * Adding value to the pre-Credit process by managing and participating in pre-deal discussions; assisting with deal structuring and solutioning; management of deal flow and resource allocation within the teams to manage turnaround time. 2. Deal evaluation and assessment * Ensure quality credit applications across the team and working with analysts on difficult presentations to ensure a seamless presentation to MWCC. 3. Complete and finalize credit applications * Analysing financial statements, understanding industry dynamics and market trends, ensure that credit decisions adhere to the company’s credit policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements, accurately articulating credit risk implications of change requests related to previously approved transactions. 4. Relationship Management * The building of relationships within the greater Credit teams, Front Office, Legal and other teams 5. Post approval implementation * Liaison with compliance and legal for document preparation, correct capturing of conditions of sanction. 6. Risk management * Awareness of the credit environment in general and applying this knowledge when presenting. 7. Staff management * Provide training for new starters and perform inductions where necessary. 8. Ad- Hoc Tasks * Assist the Credit Manager with data clean-up and other ad-hoc projects. 9. Client visits * Accompanying portfolio managers on client visits from time to time. Qualifications: * BCom degree with Finance and/or Accounting as a subject(s) * Post degree qualification could be advantageous as well as CA/ CFA / CIMA / MBA Experience: * Minimum 3-5 years working knowledge of credit risk management, within the commercial/ corporate sector * Familiar with National Credit Act Skills: * Ability to understand and analyze financial statements * A thorough understanding of financial ratios, especially those used in credit analysis * Strong credit analytical ability * Strong financial and business acumen Competencies: * Leadership and team development * Analytical thinking and problem solving * Decision making and sound risk judgement * Attention to detail and accuracy * Stakeholder engagement and collaboration * Communication and influencing capability * Accountability and ownership * Integrity and governance discipline