Senior Credit Risk Officer Latin America

Job Description

Natixis is seeking a highly accomplished Senior Credit Risk Officer, an Executive Director / Team Leader, to direct our credit risk operations for Latin America Corporate and Structured Finance / Project Finance within the Americas. This pivotal leadership role will be instrumental in guiding our credit risk team and defining our strategic approach to significant financial transactions across Latin America.

This position offers the opportunity to lead a dedicated Latin America credit risk team. You will be responsible for critically assessing and communicating credit risk opinions, complemented by conducting comprehensive market and financial analyses of clients. Your expertise will be vital in evaluating new transactions proposed by our front office groups and in performing annual reviews of existing exposures, with a particular focus on Corporate and Structured Finance transactions throughout Latin America.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary senior credit risk authority, engaging with diverse Front Office Teams, including those based in New York and throughout Latin America, such as the Latin America Infrastructure and Project Finance Teams and the Latin America Corporate and Global Trade Teams. You will also collaborate with other Front Office teams, notably the Aviation team, the LBO / Leverage Finance team, and associated product groups like the commodity and interest rate hedging desks.
• Develop and present authoritative credit risk opinions, or guide more junior members of the Latin America credit risk team in their preparation. This includes conducting thorough market and financial analyses of clients in the Americas, primarily Latin America, evaluating proposed transactions from front office groups within business lines such as Corporate and Structured Finance transactions in the Americas, encompassing Infrastructure Finance, Corporate Finance/Coverage, and to a lesser extent, Aviation.
• Deepen your expertise in the industries and transaction structures that are central to Natixis's focus within Latin America.
• Function proactively as a second line of defense, diligently monitoring a selected subset of the Latin America portfolio through the creation of detailed credit risk opinions for Annual Reviews, Quarterly Reviews, Watchlist Fiches, Amendments, waivers, and One-Off type requests.
• Significantly contribute to the ongoing enhancement and optimization of the credit risk processes and templates employed by the bank.
• Anticipate, identify, and proactively report any credit events that may lead to a covenant breach or a demonstrable deterioration in credit risk for underlying borrowers or industries.
• Assist in the preparation of select portfolio updates, delivering insightful analyses on topics of strategic importance to the bank's general management.
• Ensure meticulous follow-up on all credit risk processes, maintaining strict adherence to Lending Policy requirements from the point of initial credit approval through post-approval management.

Proposed New Exposures:

• Identify and thoroughly evaluate credit risks presented by new client proposals across key sectors including Corporate and Structured Finance (Infrastructure & Project Finance, Corporate Finance/Coverage, and Aviation).
• Formulate and articulate risk recommendations that are both sound and demonstrably aligned with the bank's established risk appetite.
• Clearly communicate to senior management what risk parameters are deemed acceptable, unacceptable, and any structural elements that would enhance the proposal if incorporated.
• Draft comprehensive credit risk opinions for new transactions, annual/quarterly reviews, and waiver and amendment requests, strictly adhering to lending policy requirements.
• Conduct in-depth industry studies and perform or request financial model sensitivities as needed to support robust credit risk analysis and inform recommendations to senior management.
• Collaborate seamlessly with various internal bank groups, including Front Office Origination, DRAS (Workout), AMP (Portfolio Management), Loan Review, and Credit Surveillance & Analytics.
• Cultivate and maintain strong, constructive relationships with business unit contacts to ensure responsiveness and effective prioritization of the pipeline for new counterparty on-boarding.
• Operate in close coordination with Latam Front Office and Latam Syndication Teams in New York and across Latin America (Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico), as well as the Country Risk team at Head Office.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with credit risk processes and Lending Policy requirements through to and beyond credit approval.
• Deliver impactful presentations to senior management and credit committees, clearly conveying analysis and recommendations.

Portfolio Monitoring of Existing Exposures:

• Actively monitor the credit risk performance of a designated portfolio of existing accounts.
• Author detailed credit risk opinions in connection with Annual Reviews, Quarterly Reviews, Watchlist Fiches, Amendments, waivers, and One-Off type requests for the assigned portfolio subset.
• Closely track credit events such as covenant breaches and efficiently process credit alerts generated by our systems.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date internal and regulatory ratings, alongside watchlist classifications.

Qualifications:

• Possess 10 to 15 years of progressive experience in credit risk or front office roles within a banking, insurance, or large corporate/credit agency environment.
• A Bachelor's degree in Finance or a related field is required; an MBA in Finance or a related field is strongly desired.
• Demonstrate a strong command of the banking system and a deep understanding of financial products and instruments, including medium to long-term loans, trade finance, structured finance, and capital markets.
• Hands-on working experience in the diverse sectors and industries where Natixis actively focuses in Latin America, such as Renewable Energy & Energy in general, Project Finance, Transportation, and Corporate Finance, is highly desired.
• Showcase in-depth knowledge and proven ability in credit risk analysis, financial analysis, understanding of transaction structures, and cash flow modeling.
• Proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese would be a distinct advantage.
• Candidates should possess an open-minded, diligent, and committed work ethic, with a strong orientation towards meeting deadlines, meticulous attention to detail, and a genuine enthusiasm for teamwork.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) is essential.

Join Natixis and make a significant impact on our Latin America lending portfolio!

Natixis is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a workplace free of discrimination. Natixis will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on age, color, mental or physical handicap or disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, alienage, ancestry or citizenship status, race, religion, sex (including sex stereotyping, gender identity, gender expression or transgender status), veteran status, creed, genetic information or carrier status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

Respect for all means that we deal with each person as an individual and not as a member of any group. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. Management is expected to provide leadership in supporting the firm's EEO program by taking steps to promote EEO in all facets of employment including recruitment, hiring, retention, promotion, performance assessment, and career-development opportunities.

The salary range for this position will be between $250,000 - $285,000. Natixis is required by law to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. Actual base salary will vary and will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, education, skills set, applicable licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Base salary is only one component of our total rewards package. Natixis also offers a generous benefits package, and you may be eligible for a discretionary incentive award depending on company and individual performance