The Vacancy Let us tell you a bit more about us… We’re a nimble and ambitious financial services specialist. Backing people to go for it in life and business. We’re UK-based supporting our customers across a range of products and services. Aldermore Group was formed by bringing together two very successful businesses, Aldermore Bank and MotoNovo Finance, under the FirstRand umbrella. We thrive by saying “yes” to our customers. We respect the ingenuity of entrepreneurs and their startups; we give first-timers a leg-up onto the property ladder; we open up the lending market to many; and thousands of customers chose Motonovo Finance every week to buy their next car, van or motorbike. This is where you come in. We are on a journey. A journey defined by a destination; to deliver on our purpose. Let us tell a bit about the opportunity The purpose of this role is to develop best in class credit risk management capabilities within the 1st line of the Structured and Specialist (SaS) business – ensuring credit risk is always well understood, appropriately managed, and rewards are maximised for a given level of risk. As such, the role holder will work closely with the 2nd line Credit Risk team – both acting as a close partner and sometimes challenging their approach where needed. This will require the role holder to lead the design and embedding of all aspects of our Credit Risk Management framework from a 1st line perspective. For example, ensuring our risk appetite is well understood, risk limits are appropriate and adhered to at all times, our recession readiness framework is effective, and that our lending policies and procedures are continually improved and improve risk and reward. What will your day look like? Drive our credit agendaBe the primary point of interaction with the Credit Risk team Own and optimise our risk appetite and key risk action plans e.g. the Recession Readiness Plan Ensure we operate within these limits and policies at all times. Lead on all proposals to change our credit approach, and get approval from Executive Credit Committee on these proposals where necessary Lead a team in analysis that maximises risk and reward performance.Ensure all key decisions across the business consider both risk and reward through metrics such as return on equity, stressed loss and earnings volatility. Lead first-line credit risk including criteria, decisioning rules, use of scorecards and asset risk to optimise risk and returns. Drive SaS level portfolio management and monitoring to ensure the SaS division has a clear and comprehensive view of the financial risks it takes and of emerging risks that are yet to crystallise. Own the management of asset risk, ensuring the division avoids undue exposures and increasingly takes a proportionate, dynamic approach to managing asset risk that takes account of broker and customer experience. Provide meaningful analysis of the division’s credit risk profile and utilise data to develop lending criteria, affordability models and credit scorecards to meet strategic objectives. Work in partnership with Product, Risk and Finance to develop a strategic pricing architecture for the business – enabling us to optimise prices to deliver balance sheet growth and returns within our risk appetite. Build a skilled and credit risk aware 1st line cultureEvaluate the skill and focus applied to credit risk across all 1st line teams. Compare this capability with the wider market and what will be required to achieve our growth ambitions in the markets we operate in. Develop approaches to increase capability across all roles and functions – and ways to monitor this improvement to ensure a cycle of constant improvement. Be an active and effective member of the Portfolio Management and wider SaS leadership teamDrive alignment, engagement and delivery against our purpose. Help define and shape our team culture. Take ownership of key cross business initiatives to embed that culture and that drive colleague engagement. Deputise for the Commercial Director, Portfolio Management on key committees internally and externally as required What do we expect from you? Skilled credit risk professional with extensive knowledge of risk management, analysis and control approaches. Highly developed analytics skills, with extensive experience using data to drive business strategy and execution decisions – particularly those related to credit risk and reward. An understanding of Invoice Finance, Asset Finance and Commercial Real Estate An understanding of asset management and the market dynamics that impact the performance of the assets in the portfolio. A highly effective communicator, with a particular emphasis on visualising and communicating analysis in a compelling way that enables senior leaders to make fast and effective decisions. Able to work across business teams, change and communication functions to make real changes to the business. A team player able to form deep personal trust with a range of key stakeholders. Leadership capabilities that enable you build, develop and drive high performance within teams. What can you expect of us? A friendly and flexible culture, the same as how we work with our customers A growing organisation that means there’s lots of opportunities to progress A drive for continuous improvement, which you will be empowered to get behind from day one A communicative, accessible and approachable ExCo. And of course, you will be rewarded competitively, with a good range of core benefits and bonus potential Still curious? Join us and we’ll make the same promises to you as a colleague, as we do to each of our customers. We’re committed to building a working environment that values respect, diversity, and compassion. We welcome people regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. If you’re interested but not sure if you meet all the criteria listed have a chat with us. We are open to applications from varied backgrounds.