Area Credit Manager - STSL at Aditya Birla Capital in Ahmedabad

Overview

This role exists to ensure thorough comprehension and enforcement of credit policies across the team, maintaining high-quality credit portfolios and accurately assessing the creditworthiness of potential borrowers. It involves managing monthly audit targets and leading a team of Credit Managers to meet business goals through cross-department collaboration.

Scope and Scale

• Manages a workforce of approximately 50 people including both permanent and contractual employees.
• Oversees a loan book budget of INR 2900 crore for FY 24, representing an estimated 15,000 loan files across 95 locations tiered into 16 Tier-1, 13 Tier-2, 34 Tier-3, and 32 Tier-4 locations.
• Focuses on a single product line: Small Ticket Secured Lending (STSL).
• Maintains portfolio health indicators such as Early Mortality under 9% and Non-Performing Assets below 2%.
• Targets approval rates of 55% for loan applications and monitors turnaround times per service level agreements.

Responsibilities

• Lead credit underwriting by evaluating proposals against predefined criteria considering macroeconomic and market factors.
• Make credit decisions within delegated authorities and provide actionable insights on credit risks to decision-makers.
• Implement strategies to mitigate risks ensuring portfolio profitability and compliance with policies.
• Monitor portfolio performance regularly and oversee deviation management and covenant enforcement.
• Drive process enhancements to improve credit approval workflows and compliance with regulatory norms.
• Maintain liaison with sales teams, channel partners, and various internal stakeholders to streamline documentation, approvals, and disbursement processes.
• Mentor and develop a team of credit managers to ensure service excellence and skill enhancement.
• Manage reporting, audit query resolutions, and vendor oversight to maintain operational excellence.

Challenges

• Managing portfolio quality in a highly competitive and dynamic lending environment.
• Balancing talent retention against market compensation trends.
• Adapting underwriting processes to technological advancements while ensuring rigorous credit assessments.

Team Leadership and Development

Direct reports comprise Regional and Area Credit Managers who implement daily credit approval processes and ensure compliance with audit and regulatory standards. The role involves continuous team training, performance monitoring, and fostering a culture of growth and customer risk management.

Relationships

• Collaboration with internal stakeholders like Sales Managers, Risk, Operations, and Senior Management for effective portfolio control and business growth.
• Engagement with external customers, channel partners, and legal vendors for market insights and risk management.

Additional Information

The position reports to the Circle Credit Head and belongs to the Retail Credit function. It requires an understanding of secured lending with emphasis on Small Ticket Secured Lending products tailored for medium to long-term working capital finance backed by collateral.