Area Credit Manager - Supply Chain Finance

Overview

This role exists to oversee and assess credit risks associated with supply chain finance proposals, ensuring prudent credit decisions that support business expansion while protecting portfolio quality and adhering to both internal policies and regulatory mandates.

Job Context and Challenges

• The supply chain finance underwriting currently involves extensive manual processes, which can result in inefficiencies, slower turnaround times, and increased errors.
• The lack of advanced technology restricts data analysis capability, impeding informed risk assessments and the detection of new patterns.
• The manual process presents difficulties in scaling operations as business volume grows, risking delays and impacts on underwriting quality.
• Operational costs are elevated due to resource-intensive manual tasks, affecting overall process efficiency and profitability.
• Absence of automation limits underwriters’ focus on complex risk evaluations by increasing administrative workload.
• Unavailable technological tools reduce the ability to leverage multiple data sources for comprehensive credit analysis.
• The organization risks reduced market competitiveness compared to peers using advanced underwriting technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess creditworthiness of anchor corporates and their vendors/dealers by analyzing financials, bank statements, GST records, and related documents.
• Conduct risk evaluations and assign appropriate credit limits and terms.
• Develop detailed credit appraisal reports and present cases to credit committees or senior leadership.
• Ensure credit proposals are processed within agreed turnaround times to maintain business efficiency and client satisfaction.
• Collaborate with collection and legal teams to take action against defaults.
• Respond promptly to audit teams for concurrent, PAR, and external audits.
• Report any detected fraud to the Fraud Risk Management Unit.
• Guarantee adherence to First Time Right (FTR) decisioning protocols.
• Identify ongoing process improvement opportunities to optimize underwriting performance.
• Monitor the credit portfolio, detecting early warning signals and periodically reviewing credit limits to maintain asset quality.
• Enforce compliance with internal credit policies and regulatory standards.
• Support sales teams and channel partners by fostering partner relationships through training, visits, and credit guidance.
• Communicate credit standards and requirements to sales and distribution partners ensuring quality proposal submission and smooth disbursement workflows.
• Assist relationship managers in deal structuring and resolving credit-related queries.

Direct Reports' Responsibilities

• Assist in credit evaluation of vendor/dealer proposals including analysis of financial, GST, and bank data as well as preparation of credit appraisals ensuring timely processing within defined turnaround times.
• Meet productivity benchmarks by efficiently managing credit proposals and complying with process standards.
• Ensure completeness and accuracy of documentation for approved credit facilities.
• Continuously monitor credit portfolio and early warning metrics to sustain asset quality.
• Review anchor companies and programs to recommend high-quality anchor programs with minimized non-performing assets (NPAs).
• Ensure closure of audit findings and maintain documentation as per internal and regulatory requirements.

Key Metrics and Scope

• Supply chain finance closing book is projected to grow from Rs. 40 Cr in FY22-23 to Rs. 2200 Cr in FY25-26.
• Volumes expected to handle approximately 5000 files in FY24 across 200+ locations, with three SCF product types.
• Approval rates targeted around 45%.
• Customer base projected to expand from 40 in FY22-23 to 5000 by FY26-27.
• Average ticket size estimated at Rs. 50 Lakhs.
• Profit before tax in FY23-24 estimated at Rs. 9.28 Cr with substantial growth anticipated.

Relationships and Coordination

The role involves daily interaction with internal teams including National Sales Manager, Sales, Risk, and Operations teams; monthly coordination with executives such as CEO and Risk Management Committee; and regular external engagement with customers and channel partners to support business strategies, portfolio management, and operational smoothness.

Organizational Hierarchy

This position reports to the State Credit Manager - Urban & SCF and supervises a team comprising credit managers, supply chain credit handlers, leads, and contract employees to collectively manage credit risk and operations.

Sign-Off

The job description requires approval and signatures from the designated Manager and incumbent for organizational records.