Head, Credit Risk Management at Pishon and Brooks Advisory Services

JOB OBJECTIVES

• Lead all credit underwriting and portfolio management functions for the company, ensuring sound credit decisions that enable portfolio growth while maintaining asset quality. This role will establish credit policies, lead the Credit Committee, and build the credit team’s capabilities to support the company’s growth objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and maintain the credit policy framework for all lending products, including underwriting criteria, collateral requirements, pricing guidelines, and approval authorities
• Chair the Credit Committee and make final credit decisions within delegated authority, ensuring consistent application of credit standards and risk appetite
• Lead the credit team including credit analysts and portfolio management staff, building deep capabilities in credit assessment across various sectors
• Design credit assessment methodologies for different product types and customer segments
• Establish credit turnaround standards and implement processes to achieve speed without compromising quality
• Oversee portfolio monitoring and early warning systems to identify deteriorating credits and trigger remediation actions
• Manage problem loans and workout situations, maximizing recovery through collateral enforcement and restructuring where appropriate
• Develop credit scoring models and decision tools to improve efficiency and consistency of credit decisions, particularly for repeat customers
• Collaborate with business development and risk teams to ensure alignment on credit criteria and risk appetite
• Report to the Board on portfolio quality, credit trends, and concentration risks with recommendations for policy adjustments
• Ensure compliance with CBN regulatory requirements for credit risk management and provisioning

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field; Master’s degree (MBA) and professional certification (ACIB, ACA, ACCA, FCIB, CFA) strongly preferred
• Minimum 12 years of experience in credit/lending with at least 5 years in a senior credit leadership role at a bank or major finance company
• Deep experience in SME/commercial lending with proven track record of managing portfolio quality through growth cycles
• Strong knowledge of various credit products including working capital, asset financing, and structured facilities
• Experience building and leading credit teams and Credit Committee processes
• Demonstrated ability to maintain low NPL ratios while supporting business growth
• Knowledge of CBN regulatory requirements for credit risk management and provisioning

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Expert credit judgment with ability to assess complex transactions and business models across various sectors
• Strong leadership skills to build, develop, and manage high-performing credit teams
• Strategic thinking to design credit policies that enable growth while managing risk
• Excellent analytical capabilities for portfolio analysis and trend identification
• Process orientation to establish efficient credit workflows meeting turnaround targets
• Collaboration skills to work effectively with business development, risk, and operations teams
• Communication skills for Credit Committee leadership and Board reporting
• Decisiveness to make timely credit decisions under pressure