Principal ICT ECL Business Analyst, FIFC1 at African Development Bank - AfDB

Location: Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire
Grade: PL4

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for Finance (FIVP) oversees the financial Management of the Bank Group, encompassing the Bank Group’s treasury activities including borrowings from the capital markets and investment activities; financial control functions including financial reporting and loan administration; strategic resource mobilization and the strengthening of the non-statutory financial resources and instruments; the overall asset/liability and treasury risk management for the Bank Group.
• The Vice Presidency for Finance is also responsible for the development of and training on the financial products of the Bank Group. In addition, the Administrator of the Staff Retirement Plan (SRP) reports to the Vice-President Finance.

The Hiring Department

• The Financial Control Department (FIFC) is responsible for accounting for the financial consequences of the Bank Group’s transactions and decisions, and for the preparation, fair presentation and overall integrity of the internal financial reports and published financial statements.
• The department is also responsible for loan administration and accounting and related fiduciary responsibilities, including disbursement of funds to projects and programs financed by the Bank Group and the Trust or special Funds it manages. Lastly, the department provides decision support and expertise in the development and implementation of financial control policies, operational and financial strategies and related information systems, including those used in determination of Expected Credit Losses [ECL].

The Position

• As part of the Financial Reporting Division (FIFC.1), the Principal ICT ECL Business Analyst position is responsible for providing technical ICT, analytical and financial reporting support to the Bank's senior Management and business Units by maintaining the ECL system, preparing and validating expected credit losses [ECL] calculations for inclusion in financial statements with a view to ensuring that expected credit losses reported by the Bank are accurate, timely and in compliance with applicable international accounting standards and consistent with prevailing industry best practice.

The Principal ICT Business Analyst ensures:

• Complete, timely and accurate computation of expected credit losses [ECL] for qualifying financial instruments held and or managed by the Bank Group in accordance with International Accounting Standards (IFRS) and rules of the Bank Group at the highest level of quality.
• Provision of decision-useful ECL and related provisioning reports and analyses to Management, Board of Directors, bilateral donors and other stakeholders.
• Maintenance of the ECL-related ICT systems, accounting policies, procedures of the Bank Group and provision of relevant accounting and reporting guidance on various Bank Group initiatives consistent with IFRS and MDB industry best practices.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision and guidance of the Division Manager, the major responsibilities revolve around technical accounting. More specifically, the incumbent’s main responsibilities will be as follows:

• Financial reporting: Participate in the preparation, technical review and analysis of expected credit loss [ECL] data of the Bank Group, Trust and Special Funds, including governance and management reporting. Ensure that monthly, quarterly, and annual ECL reporting is accurate, timely, and in compliance with IFRS and/or internal reporting requirements. Assist in providing timely ECL reporting and other ad-hoc reports for both internal and external clients (e.g. Auditors, Risk management and other user departments, rating agencies, etc.), to facilitate validation and actions on exceptions.
• Data collection, governance and interpretation: Recommend and implement robust methods of data collection, governance, automation, integration and analyses to improve quality of ECL input data and computed results to ensure the implications of the ECL results are well understood by Management and key stakeholders.
• Financial analysis: Identify and analyze ECL trends and/or potential inconsistencies through critical review of ECL data and results patterns. Assess the Bank’s ECL data and results in the context of movements in risk parameters, including exposure at default [EAD], probability of default [PD], loss given default [LGD], credit ratings and changes in credit risk. Specifically, monitor the credit risk parameters and credit risk exposures of all qualifying financial instruments used or managed by the Bank, including those in the loan, guarantee, investment, and the undrawn commitments portfolios. Analyze, develop, document   and implement systems, processes and controls for validating provisioning numbers produced by the ECL engine/solution and recommending any necessary adjustments.
• Research and development: Undertake research on ECL accounting issues and interpret accounting standards related to credit loss provisioning in coordination with the Accounting Policy team to ensure timely and accurate application of existing and new accounting guidance. Develop and maintain functional specifications for ICT customizations and enhancements related to ECL, including reports, data processing, loading programs, test strategies, acceptance testing plans, test scripts and adjustment tools. Assist in the implementation of new and/or revised ECL related accounting standards as applicable to the Bank.
• Internal/external relationship management: Work closely with counterparts from other business units within the Bank on ECL reporting, accounting, internal control, and external audit activities. Provide ongoing technical ECL accounting guidance, including proactively participating in structuring complex financial transactions, including significant credit risk transfers and communicating ECL implications - business, operational and system - to Management. Interact with external auditors on audit queries and provide responses on ECL-related issues and financial disclosure matters and implement solutions to address audit findings and recommendations.
• Representation: Represent the Division and or department in various Bank-wide working groups as assigned by the Manager.
• Other Duties: execute any functions that may be assigned by the Division Manager.

Selection Criteria

• Hold at least a Master’s Degree in Information Systems Technology and an internationally recognized professional ICT qualification would be an advantage.
• A certification or postgraduate qualification in Credit Risk Management, Accounting, Finance, Investment Management, Business Administration, Accounting Information Systems or a related field is desirable.
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant practical experience in the implementation of ECL related accounting and business systems and solutions in an internationally recognized business firm or an International Financial Institution.
• Excellent grasp and knowledge of ICT and its application in solving complex business problems and leading its application and providing high level professional advice on the financial implications of complex transactions.
• Working knowledge of one or more complex, highly integrated accounting systems and financial reporting tools.
• Demonstrate understanding of the functions and operations of pertinent IT systems and applications used to derive expected credit losses.
• Ability to identify and/or lead opportunities for IT improvements to meet changing business needs and coordinate with IT professionals to design and implement new systems/applications as appropriate based on understanding of the business.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software applications (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint) and proficiency in SQL procedures.
• Good working knowledge of SAP ERP Banking module or similar software, specifically in the area of expected credit losses.
• Ability to communicate (write and speak) effectively in English and/or French, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Hands-on experience in statutory and Management reporting for financial institutions.
• Familiarity with accounting, banking and capital market transactions.
• Ability to operate effectively in a matrix management environment mainly as a team member and as team leader when required.
• Ability to lead a team of professionals in the preparation, analysis and interpretation of expected loss data.
• Ability to deal sensitively in multi-cultural environments and build effective working relations with internal and external clients and colleagues.
• This position is classified as an international recruitment and attracts international terms and conditions of employment.