Role Overview
The Business Origination Manager (Food and Agriculture) is responsible for undertaking the initial review, structuring, and packaging of SME and Corporate Food & Agriculture (F&A) credit facilities. The incumbent ensures full compliance with credit policy and completeness of appraisal documentation prior to onward submission to the Credit Risk Department for independent review and approval.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare, review, and analyse Food & Agriculture (F&A) credit proposals for presentation to EXCO, ensuring sound financial analysis, risk assessment, and alignment with credit policy.
- Present F&A business cases to the Credit Risk Department and, where required, to relevant Credit Committees to support informed credit decision-making.
- Contribute to the development, review, and enhancement of F&A risk policies, ensuring responsiveness to evolving industry and regulatory dynamics.
- Develop, maintain, and continuously review F&A business templates to standardize credit appraisal and approval processes.
- Establish, maintain, and periodically review F&A client profiling criteria to guide risk segmentation and portfolio quality management.
- Design and update F&A business review matrices across key agricultural and food value chains to support consistent risk evaluation.
- Provide advisory support on F&A industry trends, subsector dynamics, and emerging risk considerations to inform strategic credit decisions.
- Regularly review the F&A business portfolio, including conducting stress testing based on prevailing and emerging industry and macroeconomic risk factors.
- Develop, implement, and keep updated F&A Environmental and Social (E&S) compliance policies in line with regulatory and sustainability requirements.
- Build capability across the business by training branch staff and providing ongoing support in the resolution of credit risk–related issues as they arise.
Education and Qualifications
- Holder of a Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in agriculture-related courses such as Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Food Sciences, Technology, Agriculture Finance, or a related field.
- AKIB / ACIB / CPA / ACCA / Credit Management or CFA certification is an added advantage.
- Competence in standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, sector analysis tools, etc.).
- Minimum of eight (8) years’ progressive experience in the Food & Agriculture sector, with at least five (5) years in technical credit analysis within a banking or financial services environment.
- Proven experience in assessing client financial needs and structuring well-articulated credit proposals aligned to business and risk requirements.
- Strong capability in analyzing financial statements and translating them into standardized credit appraisal formats and systems.
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate industry dynamics and macroeconomic factors and apply these insights to credit decision-making.
- Experience in identifying capability gaps within SME and Corporate banking teams, with a track record of training, mentoring, and coaching staff to enhance performance.
- Up-to-date knowledge of Food & Agriculture sector trends, with the ability to continuously refine analytical tools, frameworks, and credit assessment approaches.
Key Skills and Competencies
- Deep expertise in debt structuring and syndications
- Strong credit judgment and risk awareness
- Leadership and people development capability
- Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management skills
- Strategic mindset with strong execution discipline
- Commercially astute and client-centric
- High integrity and governance focus
- Resilient, decisive, and results-oriented
