Head of Credit

Join one of the UK’s fastest growing and award-winning banks. We are a team of ambitious, passionate, hardworking, and committed people who have successfully created and launched one of the UK’s newest specialist property finance banks. As we embark on an exciting journey of growth, we are seeking exceptional new team members who possess both the ambition and drive to contribute to our vision. At GB Bank, we believe that career progression should not only be achievable but accelerated, enabling our employees to reach their potential in a supportive and dynamic atmosphere. Our environment is fast-paced and collaborative, where your efforts are recognised, rewarded, and make a tangible impact. We take pride in fostering an open and inclusive culture that not only embraces change but also encourages continuous learning and professional development.

In this role, you will:

• Report directly to the SilverRock CEO. This is a senior leadership role at the commercial centre of SilverRock and critical to the oversight of credit quality, commercial performance, and asset strategy for a multi-asset class loan portfolio.
• The role will use internal and external credit related data, applying market leading data analysis techniques to help determine credit strategy and to manage, report on, model credit insight and quality.
• The Head of Credit will lead the 1st line assessment of the credit and commercial acceptance procedures operated by the lender partner along with ongoing monitoring of the credit risk and commercial performance of individual lender partners, asset classes, overall credit risk by asset class and of the portfolio overall.
• With key input into the portfolio growth and risk strategy.
• The role will be seen as the go-to area to support credit data, and asset performance reporting requirements across the Bank, for example supporting risk adjusted return analysis by lender partners and asset classes plus feed into stress and scenario analysis, ICAAP, ILAAP, and IFRS 9 development.

Key areas of responsibility:

• Conducting appropriate client acceptance procedures, including creditworthiness assessments in line with requirements detailed in the client approval procedures.
• Monitoring of individual assets and portfolios at on-boarding against KRIs (namely credit score, affordability and debt to income ratios), RoE (Return on Equity) and prepayment performance (CPR curves).
• Monitoring credit risk on an ongoing basis through the review of related MI, credit dashboards, watch lists and metrics, enabling the identification and remediation of risk issues and breaches of limits.
• Determining credit risk appetite metrics alongside 2nd line credit risk.
• Management of the credit risk exposure and understanding its implications against the credit risk tolerance and credit limits.
• Provide credit insights based upon internal and external data at a lender, asset class and portfolio level.
• Supporting credit risk stress testing as part of the wider GB Bank planning processes.
• Undertaking or organising asset quality reviews on specific lender portfolios.
• Collaborating with the Bank’s asset servicing partners to ensure that where customers are identified as vulnerable, or have overdue loan repayments, that sufficient resources and, where necessary forbearance options, are available to support customers in line with SilverRock’s policies.
• Using SilverRock credit insight to assess, inform and feedback on lender partners collection strategies.
• Ownership of the RCSA process to assess the credit risk control environment.

A bit about you:

The ideal candidate will have deep retail credit risk experience based upon demonstrable data and analytical expertise coupled with excellent communication and leadership skills and the ability to thrive in a dynamic start-up environment. The candidate will be able to act clearly and decisively, particularly under pressure. SilverRock will build its loan portfolio at pace and the Head of Credit will have responsibility for portfolio oversight and performance monitoring of credit risk across all asset classes and ensuring commercial growth is sustainably balanced with the Bank’s credit risk appetite, policies, and commercial aspirations. Strong communication and engagement with lending partners and with the Bank’s three lines of defence will be required with a respectful and professional interaction.

Skills and Experience:

• Strong experience in Credit Risk Analytics, Asset Originations and Evaluations for mortgage and unsecured Consumer Lending and must possess sound market and industry knowledge.
• Commercial Finance and Pricing in a lending organisation and the accounting mechanisms for returns (close liaison with the finance team will be required).
• Experience in SME lending is also desirable (unsecured and secured).
• Leadership and strategic vision in setting an overall strategy for the evolution of credit risk portfolios.
• Experience managing managers of, and members of highly technical analytical teams and what that means for development paths and cultures.
• Extensive knowledge of the RWA drivers for lending and capital risk under Standardised Basel II, III and the upcoming Basel IV, and the associate capital requirements across the capital stack.
• Exceptional planning and organisational skills: the ability to handle several complex tasks simultaneously and coordinate key projects with a variety of stakeholders is essential.
• Communication skills: strong written and verbal communication skills to be able to work effectively with others. They must also be able to communicate and present technical information in a clear and concise manner.
• Advanced computer skills, experience in working with data and data manipulation tools is essential. Excel, VBA, Power BI; with Python and R being advantageous.
• Analytical skills: the ability to make deductions and meaning from rather complex and abstract situations and make sound decisions from them.
• Exposure to multiple Portfolio measures and their presentation and explanation. Credit, Commercial, performance and leading indicators; Portfolio risk measures.
• An understanding of ICAAP credit requirements and ILAAP liquidity requirements and the running of both processes for regulatory purposes.
• Stress management skill: the ability to work under pressure and cope with stress in a coordinated and rational manner. It is essential that you can make sound and rational decisions even under stressful/high pressure situations.
• Energetic, capable of initiating and nurturing relationships, being a brilliant team player, collaborating within a clearly strong team culture.

What we can offer you:

• 8% company pension contribution and 3% individual contribution (which you can opt to increase).
• Top tier private medical cover with WPA - includes no excess + you can add family through salary sacrifice.
• Death in service at 4 x base salary with Aviva.
• Mental health support - through a helpline and counselling sessions.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Various surprise and delight moments throughout the year to help build team connection.

What else do I need to know?

• Location: London-based (Strong presence in London Office).
• Hours: 35 Hours per week.

We are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of their age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity.

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