Branch Credit Sanctioning Analyst

Job Summary

The role is responsible for reviewing, challenging, and approving credit applications within a delegated lending mandate. The role ensures independent, high-quality credit decisions, balancing business growth with prudent risk management. The incumbent provides oversight on credit assessments prepared by analysts, ensures adherence to policies, and acts as a final control point for credit risk acceptance.

Responsibilities

• Credit Approval & Risk Decisioning (60%)
• Review and approve or decline credit applications within delegated lending authority.
• Critically assess credit proposals submitted by Credit Analysts, ensuring:
• Accuracy and completeness of analysis
• Sound financial and risk assessment
• Policy compliance
• Exercise independent judgment and apply credit expertise to sanction facilities.
• Identify key risks, mitigants, and conditions precedent to approval.
• Ensure all approvals align with:
• Retail Credit Policy
• Risk appetite
• Regulatory requirements
• Escalate applications beyond mandate to higher approval authorities where necessary.
• Reject or return deficient applications with clear justification and guidance.
• Monitor concentration risk, portfolio trends, and sector exposure.
• Ensure strict controls against fraud, misrepresentation, and policy breaches.
• Validate that:
• Suspended branches/customers are not processed
• Employer confirmations and due diligence have been completed
• Participate in credit committees, where applicable.
• Oversight of Credit Assessment Process (10%)
• Provide guidance and challenge to Credit Analysts on complex cases.
• Ensure consistency and quality of credit underwriting standards.
• Support continuous improvement in credit assessment methodologies.
• Review structured deals and secured lending proposals for robustness.
• Loan Structuring & Conditions Management (10%)
• Define appropriate facility structures, pricing recommendations (where applicable), and risk mitigants.
• Ensure all collateral/security requirements are adequate and enforceable.
• Approve conditions related to:
• Collateralization
• Legal documentation
• Insurance and valuations.
• Stakeholder Engagement (5%)
• Liaise with:
• Legal
• Treasury
• Security Management Unit
• Branch Network
• Ensure alignment on loan structuring, collateral, and disbursement readiness.
• Provide clear feedback on decisions to business units to support turnaround times.
• Portfolio Risk Monitoring & Governance (10%)
• Monitor performance of approved facilities to identify emerging risks.
• Support portfolio reviews and remediation strategies.
• Contribute to:
1. Policy reviews
2. Risk appetite calibration
3. Credit governance frameworks
• Compliance & Regulatory Adherence (5%)
• Ensure all approvals comply with:
• Internal policies
• Regulatory standards
• Remain updated on regulatory and policy changes.
• Support audits and ensure closure of audit findings.
• Maintain proper documentation of approval rationale for audit trails.

Education and Experience Required

· A degree/ Advanced diploma in Finance/ Banking/Business Administration

· At least 3 years experience and above in the related field

Knowledge & Skills

· Interpersonal skills

· Ability to work under pressure

· Analytical skills

· Communication skills

· Microsoft Office/PC skills

· Credit Risk skills

Qualifications

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas - Business, Commerce and Management Studies, Credit Risk (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development), Digital familiarity (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development), Experience in a similar environment, Openness to change (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development), Reasoning (Meets all of the requirements)