Credit Assurance Manager - #1170283

We are seeking an experienced credit professional to join our Risk Management team as Manager, Credit Assurance. In this role, you will support the development and enhancement of the Bank's Credit Assurance function by conducting risk-based post-approval credit reviews, thematic assessments, and portfolio reviews. You will evaluate the effectiveness of credit underwriting, risk rating, and monitoring practices, identify emerging risks and control gaps, and contribute to strengthening the Bank's credit risk management framework. Candidates should possess relevant experience in Credit Assurance, Credit Risk Review, Credit Audit, or similar functions, with a strong understanding of review methodologies, risk-based sampling, and management reporting.

Key Responsibilities

1.  Development, Enhancement and Management of the Credit Assurance Programme

• Develop, implement and continuously enhance the Credit Assurance review programme, assessment criteria, sampling procedures, working papers and review checklists;
• Establish/ refine processes for stakeholder engagements, validation of findings, escalation and remediation tracking;
• Establish/ enhance appropriate documentation and evidence standards to support clear and defensible review conclusions;
• Develop/ enhance reporting templates, management information and dashboards to provide meaningful insights to Senior Management;
• Benchmark the Bank’s Credit Assurance approach against relevant regulatory expectations and industry practices.

2.  Conduct Post-Approval Credit Assurance Reviews Across Credit Lifecycle, including assessment of

• Quality and completeness of credit assessment and underwriting;
• Adequacy of financial analysis, cash-flow assessment and repayment assumptions;
• Appropriateness of facility structure, tenor, conditions and covenants and other credit risk mitigants;
• Compliance with approved credit terms and conditions;
• Fulfilment and monitoring of conditions precedent and subsequent;
• Appropriateness and timelines of internal risk ratings and credit grade classifications;
• Application of parental, group or other forms of support, where relevant;
• Adequacy of account, covenant and collateral coverage monitoring;
• Effectiveness of early warning identification, escalation and follow-up;
• Timeliness and quality of periodic credit reviews; and
• Compliance with internal policies and procedures, delegation of authority for approvals and regulatory requirements.
• Assess whether credit decision and subsequent account management were reasonable and adequately supported based on information available at the relevant time.

3.  Emerging Risk, Thematic and Portfolio Reviews

• Identify emerging risks and assess whether deterioration is recognized, escalated and appropriately addressed;
• Conduct thematic, sector, product and ad-hoc reviews based on Senior Management directed areas, portfolio developments and/or recurring risk areas;
• Identify systemic themes including and not limited to underwriting practices, repeated exceptions, rating inconsistencies, monitoring deficiencies and delayed early warning actions;
• Translate findings into portfolio-level and forward-looking risk insights.

4.  Constructive Challenge, Reporting and Remediation

• Engage Business Unit, Credit Risk, Credit Administration and other relevant stakeholders, where appropriate, to validate observations before finalization;
• Provide constructive challenge, distinguishing material credit/ control weaknesses from procedural or documentation deficiencies;
• Prepare concise and clear Credit Assurance reports covering observations, owners, risk implications, root causes and agreed remediation actions;
• Track agreed management actions and validate closures;
• Provide periodic dashboards and management information on key findings, emerging risk trends, recurring issues and remediation status.

Requirements

• Degree in Banking, Finance, Accountancy, Business, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant banking experience in corporate, commercial, or SME lending, preferably with exposure to Credit Assurance, Credit Risk Review, Credit Audit, or similar credit risk management functions.
• Strong hands-on experience in credit underwriting, credit evaluation, credit approval, credit assurance, credit risk review, audit, and related risk management activities.
• Sound knowledge of financial and cash flow analysis, facility structuring, security arrangements, risk ratings, credit grading, early warning indicators, and MAS regulatory requirements.
• Strong credit judgment, independent thinking, and professional skepticism, with the ability to identify material risks and weaknesses beyond checklist-based compliance.
• Proven experience in conducting risk-based credit reviews, developing review programmes and methodologies, evaluating root causes, and identifying emerging risks.
• Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to influence and constructively challenge stakeholders at all levels while maintaining integrity, independence, and objectivity.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality review findings, escalate key risk issues promptly, and effectively track remediation actions to closure.