Credit Saison - Senior Manager/Assistant Vice President - Risk - Wholesale Lending (5-13 yrs)

Job Description: Senior Manager/AVP - Wholesale Risk

About Credit Saison :

Established in 2019, CS India is one of the country's fastest growing Non-Bank Financial Company (NBFC) lenders, with verticals in wholesale, direct lending and tech-enabled partnerships with Non-Bank Financial Companies (NBFCs) and fintech's. Its tech-enabled model coupled with underwriting capability facilitates lending at scale, meeting India's huge gap for credit, especially with underserved and under penetrated segments of the population.

Credit Saison India is committed to growing as a lender and evolving its offerings in India for the long-term for MSMEs, households, individuals and more. CS India is registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and has an AAA rating from CRISIL (a subsidiary of S&P Global) and CARE Ratings.

Currently, CS India has a branch network of 45 physical offices, 1.2 million active loans, an AUM of over US$1.5B and an employee base of about 1,000 people.

Credit Saison India (CS India) is part of Saison International, a global financial company with a mission to bring people, partners and technology together, creating resilient and innovative financial solutions for positive impact.

Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (- ) is a leading Japanese financial services company, founded in 1951 and headquartered in Tokyo. As the 3rd largest credit card issuer in Japan, Credit Saison boasts over 35 million cardholders.

The company operates across five main segments:

Payments (B2C): Offering a variety of payment services, including credit and prepaid cards, and smartphone-based payments.

Payments (B2B): Providing credit cards and other payment services to businesses, enhancing cash flow and back-office efficiency.

Finance: Offering financial products for home purchases, rentals, and leases.

Global Business: Delivering digitalized and localized financial services to underserved communities in Southeast Asia, India, and Latin America.

Asset Management: Providing asset management services tailored to business operators' capital investment plans.

Saison International serves as the international headquarters and global business arm of Credit Saison and plays a key role in connecting its subsidiaries. Established in 2014, Saison International operates in Southeast Asia, India, and Latin America, partnering with local non-bank financial institutions and FinTech companies to manage a lending business for individuals and MSMEs. This includes

Onshore subsidiaries engaged in wholesale lending in Brazil and Mexico.

An offshore wholesale lending business based out of Singapore (Saison Investment Management Pte Ltd).

A non-bank finance company in India engaged in both retail and wholesale lending.

Associates engaged in retail and wholesale lending in southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

In addition to its lending business, Saison International also engages in Investment activities, including venture capital.

Saison International has been the key driver of growth for Credit Saison, notably establishing a US$ 2bn lending business in India in the last 5 years. Saison International forms the core of the group's future growth strategy.

2. About the Role:

This role is in the risk management team of Saison International. The candidate will be based out of Bangalore office, India. As a Risk Manager at Saison International, you will be responsible for overseeing all types of risk, including credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, and operational risk. You will play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining a robust risk management framework as the risk team is being set up, with a focus on lending entities outside India. Your key responsibilities will include:

Risk Oversight and Management

- Credit Risk: Assess and manage the credit risk associated with lending activities. Develop credit risk models and frameworks to evaluate the creditworthiness of borrowers.

- Market Risk: Monitor and manage market risk exposures, including interest rate risk, foreign exchange risk, and other market-related risks. Implement strategies to mitigate these risks.

- Liquidity Risk: Ensure adequate liquidity management by monitoring cash flow positions and liquidity ratios. Develop contingency funding plans to address potential liquidity shortfalls.

- Operational Risk: Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks across the organization. Implement risk controls and procedures to minimize operational disruptions.

Risk Capital Calculation and Stress Testing

- Risk Capital Calculation: Calculate risk capital requirements for various risk types, ensuring compliance with regulatory and internal capital adequacy standards.

- Stress Testing: Perform stress tests to evaluate the impact of adverse scenarios on the organization's risk profile. Develop stress testing models and methodologies to assess the resilience of the business.

Policy Maintenance and Development

- Policy Maintenance: Maintain and update risk management policies and procedures to ensure they are aligned with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

- Policy Development: Develop new risk management policies and frameworks from scratch, tailored to the specific needs of Saison International.

Risk Reporting and Communication

- Risk Reports: Develop and create comprehensive risk reports for the Risk Management Committee, senior management, and other stakeholders. Ensure timely and accurate reporting of risk exposures and mitigation measures.

- Strategic Risk Management: The candidate will provide strategic insights and recommendations to senior management, helping to shape the overall risk management strategy. This includes staying updated on market trends, regulatory changes, and emerging risks.

- Audit Preparation: Prepare for and face internal and external audits. Ensure all risk management practices and documentation are audit-ready and comply with regulatory standards.

Team Development and Collaboration

- Knowledge sharing and Guidance: The Risk Manager will also play a role in guiding and sharing risk expertise across the various subsidiaries of Saison International . This includes sharing best practices, providing training, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement in risk management practices.

- Collaboration: Work closely with other departments, including finance, operations, and compliance, to ensure a holistic approach to risk management. Foster a culture of risk awareness across the organization.

Continuous Improvement

- Risk Framework Enhancement: Continuously improve the risk management framework by incorporating new risk assessment tools, technologies, and methodologies.

- Training and Development: Stay updated on industry trends and best practices in risk management. Participate in relevant training and development programs to enhance your skills and knowledge.

Other aspects

- Geographical Scope: The role covers all the lending subsidiaries of Saison International primarily focusing on Southeast Asia, Brazil and Mexico. This global exposure provides a diverse and dynamic work environment.

- Travel Requirements: The position may involv for site visits to new deals. These visits are essential for conducting thorough risk assessments and typically last around three days. The candidate should be prepared for travel as part of their responsibilities (~25% in first year, business dependent after that).

3. Leadership Accountabilities

- Lead risk assessment and management for Saison International.

- Collaborate with the business teams and risk teams across subsidiaries to ensure comprehensive risk evaluation.

- Provide strategic risk insights and recommendations to senior management.

- Oversee the preparation and review of risk reports to risk management committee.

- Ensure effective monitoring and reporting of risk factors across risk typ[es.

- Knowledge sharing and oversight of risk teams across subsidiaries.

4. Qualifications

- At least 5 years of experience in credit risk management at banks, non banking financial institutions or management consulting companies.

- Knowledge and experience of developing stress testing frameworks and risk capital assessment.

- A business degree or certifications such as CFA or FRM.

- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

5. Why Join Us ?

- Opportunity to join a fast-growing team within a large and stable Japanese company.

- Exposure to global markets and diverse geographies.

- Exposure to all risk types leading to well-rounded risk profile.

- Chance to be part of the journey of building risk framework for a global company.

- Chance to work on impactful projects that promote financial inclusion.

- Collaborative and innovative work environment.

- Competitive compensation and benefits package.