Summary
The risk officer has the primary responsibility of working with the regional lending team to provide guidance around underwriting, performance monitoring, and general compliance with lending policy, as well as to manage regional collections and workout efforts in support of the Regional Risk Manager. S/he will have direct contact with clients, whose loans are in arrears, as well as with legal advisors to develop and implement recovery strategies, both judicial and extra-judicial. He/she should be able to work independently, proactively, and collaboratively.
Mission and History of Root Capital
Root Capital is a nonprofit social investment fund whose mission is to grow rural prosperity in poor, environmentally vulnerable places in Africa, Latin America, and Asia by lending capital, delivering financial training and strengthening market connections for small and growing agricultural businesses. Root Capital clients include associations and private businesses that help create sustainable livelihoods by aggregating the products of hundreds, and often thousands, of farmers. Since our launch in 1999, we have provided more than $900 million in credit to over 600 small and growing agricultural businesses. Root Capital envisions a thriving financial market serving agricultural businesses that generate long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability for small-scale farmers and their communities around the world. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital currently has associated offices in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Senegal, and Kenya.
Responsibilities
Portfolio Management
- Work closely with the credit team to oversee borrower performance monitoring that ensures timely identification of potential problems and accurate risk ratings.
- Actively participate in ongoing reviews of the problem loan portfolio
- Analyze and communicate risk trends in the portfolio; develop and provide portfolio analysis as required
- Participate and coordinate regular meetings to discuss problem loan status and action plans
Collection and workout
- Work with Loan Officers and Credit Analysts to analyse credit issues and develop action plans for non-performing loans
- Review and evaluate effective restructuring of problem credits where possible
- Review loan documents and engage local counsel as needed to determine any legal action that may be needed, evaluating the cost and effectiveness of such action
- Communicate and negotiate directly with borrowers and third parties in relation to collections and workout
- Provide and update reporting related loans in collections and workout
Underwriting and Policy Guidance
- Working proactively with the lending team, provide objective underwriting guidance to ensure that risks are adequately identified and addressed and that loans are adequately structured.
- Provide lending policy guidance to ensure comprehension and compliance with policy
Credit Policy and Procedures
- Participate in the ongoing work of continuous improvement to policy and procedures
- Proactively identify credit areas requiring new or updated policies and procedure based on lessons learned. Develop policies as assigned
- Ensure that policies are disseminated to regional staff; develop and provide related training
Education/Experience
- Bachelor's degree in law, business or finance.
- Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in commercial lending, administration of a portfolio, collection of loans or paralegal. 2 years must be on credit proposal writing. Commercial credit training is a plus.
Skills and Abilities
- Capacity to plan and monitor the maintenance of a system of registration appropriate to accounts of loans and the information of credit, carry an own analysis of the portfolio in collection.
- Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a team as well as customers for loans.
- Presenting and communicating information
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Excellent financial analysis skills
- Ability to plan and oversee the maintenance of a registration system for loan accounts and credit information.
- Ability to negotiate and challenge
- Risk and control techniques ( risk assessment, mitigation and management)
- Analytical and Problem solving ability
- Proactive in finding creative solutions to problems.
- Availability to travel, to areas rural, inside and outside the country.
- Fluency in English and French.
- Management of Microsoft Office package is essential. Additional knowledge of financial software and/or database management is an advantage.
- Respect the confidentiality of transactions and activities of Root Capital's business and its customers
- Share Root Capital’s commitment to the alleviation of poverty in the world and the conservation of the environment.
- Authorized to work in Senegal.
Applications and Nominations
More information about Root Capital is available at www.rootcapital.org. Applications are due by September 28th, 2016, and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications including a resume and cover letter describing your interest, qualifications, salary requirements, earliest availability, and how you learned of the position should be sent to: jobsafrica@rootcapital.org. Please type “Risk Officer” followed by your name (Last, First) as the subject line of your email (e.g. “Risk Officer – Leleti, Lucia”). Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.