Head of Retail Credit

Job Purpose:
Responsible for leading and managing the Commercial Lending Credit function, ensuring effective assessment, approval, administration, monitoring, inspection and reporting of credit risk associated with the Bank's commercial lending portfolio.

Main Responsibilities:
Strategic Focus

1. Lead and manage the Commercial Lending Credit function, ensuring timely and effective assessment of business, financial and credit risks arising from commercial lending applications through review, challenge and approval/recommendation of credit applications within delegated authority.
2. Lead, drive and actively manage the team responsible for credit assessment, analysis and approval of Commercial Lending facilities in line with the Bank's credit policies, procedures and risk appetite.
3. Ensure the highest standards of credit quality through robust assessment, review, sampling and application of best practices in credit analysis and portfolio management.
4. Provide timely advice to the Chief Credit Officer (CCO), Credit Committees and relevant stakeholders on actual or potential changes in the risk profile of borrowers, sectors or the commercial lending portfolio, together with appropriate mitigation or remedial actions.
5. Undertake and oversee comprehensive credit analysis covering counterpart, obligor, industry, business and transaction risks for commercial lending customers.
6. Ensure that commercial lending propositions are appropriately structured, priced and secured to optimize risk-adjusted returns and protect the Bank against potential credit losses.
7. Participate as a full member of relevant Credit Committees, Watchlist Committee and other governance forums, and attend Board Credit Committee meetings when required.
8. Proactively engage with the Front Office to identify emerging risks at the earliest stage and ensure appropriate structuring, conditions and mitigants are incorporated into transactions.
9. Identify portfolio hot spots, emerging risks, growth opportunities and concentration risks, and recommend appropriate actions to management.

Lead the development and enhancement of credit risk reporting and monitoring for the Commercial Lending portfolio, including relevant monthly, quarterly and ad hoc reports to management and the Board.

Leadership and People Focus
Work closely with the Chief Credit Officer, cross functional and Credit Heads of Department, Zonal Managers and Branch Managers to strengthen credit processes and support effective execution of the Bank's commercial lending strategy.

1. Collaborate with Commercial Banking, Relationship Managers and other business stakeholders to identify areas of improvement in products, processes and services while ensuring appropriate risk controls.
2. Provide effective leadership, direction and oversight to the Commercial Lending Credit team.
3. Manage information flow effectively in both directions, ensuring timely communication of strategic priorities, policies, risks and performance expectations.
4. Build, develop and lead high-performing teams through effective guidance, coaching, training, delegation and empowerment.
5. Act as a role model in all aspects of leadership and management for direct reports and other team members.
6. Implement the Bank's Performance Management directives and ensure effective performance management of departmental staff.
7. Ensure staff understand the context of their roles and responsibilities in relation to the Credit Department and the Bank's overall strategy.
8. Manage the performance of departmental staff, including objective setting, performance reviews, coaching, development and appraisal.
9. Develop the capability of the team to enhance credit analysis, commercial lending expertise, risk assessment and portfolio management.
   
   Operational Focus
   Develop and implement appropriate credit risk measurement and portfolio monitoring methodologies for the Commercial Lending portfolio, including probability of default, loss given default, expected loss and rating migration.
10. Review and challenge credit proposals and approval packs submitted to Credit Committees, ensuring that key risks, mitigants, pricing and risk-adjusted returns are adequately addressed.
11. Support the CCO in credit risk aggregation, management and proactive monitoring of the Bank's commercial lending portfolio.
12. Challenge transaction pricing, structure and terms to ensure appropriate compensation for credit risk and maximize value to the Bank, within the approved pricing framework.
13. Lead proactive identification, assessment and management of deteriorating accounts and emerging credit risks in collaboration with relevant business and Special Asset Management teams.
14. Ensure effective management and monitoring of the Bank's commercial lending credit risk policies, procedures and delegated lending authorities.
15. Develop and maintain internal assessment models and methodologies for quantifying product, sector and transaction-related credit risks.
16. Ensure that key commercial lending credit risks are appropriately captured, communicated and monitored through the Bank's risk registers.
17. Provide oversight and ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, consumer protection and credit risk requirements within the Commercial Lending portfolio.
18. Ensure effective engagement with Management Information (MI) and Credit Reporting teams on data quality, data clean-up, CRB reporting, Bank of Tanzania reporting, audit findings and related action plans.
19. Proactively monitor and manage the impact of IFRS 9 impairment requirements on the Commercial Lending portfolio and ensure appropriate understanding and management of ECL.
20. Work closely with Special Asset Management (SAM) to identify lessons from distressed and non-performing commercial lending accounts and translate these into proactive strategies for improving portfolio quality.
21. Ensure effective monitoring of sector, industry and customer concentration risks within the Commercial Lending portfolio and recommend appropriate limits or mitigation strategies.
22. Participate in system development initiatives, including LMS, CBS and other credit systems, to ensure that commercial lending credit functionalities are properly designed, understood, tested and embedded.
23. Continuously review credit processes and recommend improvements that enhance turnaround time, customer experience, portfolio quality and operational efficiency without compromising credit risk standards.
24. Ensure compliance with the Bank's credit policies, procedures, risk appetite, regulatory requirements and approved delegated authorities.
    
    Knowledge and Skills:
    Comprehensive knowledge of commercial and corporate lending, credit risk management and credit analysis.
25. Understanding of cash-flow assessment, transaction structuring and credit risk assessment.
26. Knowledge of banking products, business law, security documentation and lending principles.
27. Knowledge of portfolio management, credit monitoring, restructuring and remedial management, regulatory requirements applicable to banking and credit risk management.
28. Understanding of IFRS 9, ECL, NPL management and other relevant credit risk frameworks, commercial sectors, market dynamics and factors affecting business and credit performance.
29. Business understanding of structured transactions
30. Leadership of Change, Adaptability, Coaching, Delegation, Managing Employee Performance
    
    
    
31.