Group Credit Officer (GCO) for Structured and Fund Finance - Senior Director - North America - CHI

Fitch Group•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Credit Officer Group (COG) works in partnership with the analytical, operations, legal and compliance groups to ensure Fitch’s ratings are timely, robust and consistent. COG forms part of Fitch’s Risk group which as the second line of defence is an important function in monitoring and maintaining Fitch’s controls. The group reports ultimately to the Chief Credit Officer. The Credit Officer Group acts in a challenger function, focusing on risk identification, offering alternative viewpoints, analyzing ratings performance and comparability, linking rating trends with fundamentals and macro-economic developments, participating directly at committee, criteria application and effectiveness, and overseeing the review of unique or complex ratings proposals. GCOs form a global team, offering high visibility and direct involvement in critical credit decisions, strategy, and criteria development. A key focus of this role will be on all aspects of Commercial Real Estate within Structured Finance, with a strong preference for it to be based in a North American Fitch Ratings office. The successful applicant will be part of the Group Credit Officer (GCO) function within Risk, responsible for all GCO functions covering Structured and Fund Finance. The GCO function offers high visibility through direct involvement in many important credit decisions and is a regular part of credit strategy discussions at Fitch Ratings.

Requirements

Extensive credit experience (10-15yrs) with a Structured Finance focus
Strong background in Commercial Real Estate analysis
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Evidence of ability to engage stakeholders in alternative viewpoints in a constructive manner is essential
Ability to demonstrate independence of thought

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in a rating environment a strong plus but not essential
Prior criteria development skills are desirable

Responsibilities

Identify immediate and developing risks that deserve additional analytical focus
Challenge the credit thinking of Fitch’s analytical groups with alternative viewpoints
Assess Fitch’s rating performance
Attend committees and monitor the application of criteria and variations
Participate in the criteria development process
Create a strong credit culture by being a role model for Fitch’s values of transparency, independence, timeliness, rigour & integrity and diversity & inclusion
Assist product groups in implementing policy for the broad application of ratings criteria and models
Work in partnership with the analytical, operations, legal and compliance groups to improve the rigour of the analytical system
Communicate with the analytical group on the most important credit topics facing the rated portfolio
Discussion of ratings and risks with key market participants to exchange views and gather information regarding credit matters
Facilitate communication across regions to ensure a consistent approach to similar credit issues, including periodic organization and provision of training on credit matters
Lead and contribute to research on important credit themes
Work closely with Group Credit Officers covering other asset classes and Regional Credit Officers in order to identify, discuss and address credit matters and economic issues that may impact multiple sectors