Credit & Counterparty Risk VP

About Crown Agents Bank Crown Agents Bank is a rapidly growing, regulated UK bank connecting emerging and frontier markets to the world through innovative FX and payments technology. Our mission is simple: reduce friction so more money reaches those who need it. For over 200 years we’ve built trusted networks across hard‑to‑reach markets. Today, we pair that heritage with digital innovation to support fintechs, corporates, governments, development organisations and banks with cross‑border payments and FX solutions. Role Purpose Reporting to the Head of Credit & Country Risk, the Vice President - Credit & Counterparty Risk is a senior member of the Credit & Country Risk team, responsible for leading complex credit, counterparty and country risk assessments, overseeing ongoing portfolio monitoring activities and supporting the continuous enhancement of the Bank's risk management framework. The role combines strong analytical capability with technical leadership, independent judgement and stakeholder engagement. The successful candidate will provide expert challenge across a broad range of counterparties, products and jurisdictions, whilst mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to strategic initiatives across the risk function. The role has a particular focus on counterparty credit risk arising from treasury and FX activities, including derivatives, and will play an important role in supporting the Bank's evolving derivatives, exposure measurement and portfolio risk management capabilities. Role Responsibilities Credit & Counterparty Risk Lead the preparation and review of credit applications, annual reviews and risk assessments across a broad range of counterparties, including Financial Institutions, Central Banks, NBFIs, Corporates, NGOs and International Development Organisations. Provide clear, balanced and commercially aware recommendations to approving authorities, exercising independent judgement on complex, material or higher-risk transactions. Act as a senior technical mentor, ensuring consistency, quality and robustness of risk assessments produced within the team. Support transaction structuring discussions and provide independent challenge on credit, counterparty and country risk considerations. Contribute to the ongoing development of credit methodologies, risk appetite frameworks and underwriting standards. Portfolio Monitoring & Risk Oversight Lead the ongoing monitoring of the Bank's credit and counterparty risk portfolio, identifying emerging risks, adverse trends and concentrations. Monitor counterparty performance, financial condition, limit utilisation and early warning indicators, ensuring that material issues are identified and escalated appropriately. Oversee watchlist and heightened monitoring processes for higher-risk counterparties and exposures. Perform portfolio analysis to identify sector, geographical, product and counterparty concentrations. Lead the production and interpretation of portfolio reporting, management information and risk insights for senior management and governance committees. Recommend risk mitigation actions where deterioration in credit quality or adverse developments are identified. Derivatives & Counterparty Credit Risk Act as a subject matter expert on counterparty credit risk arising from treasury and FX activities, including derivatives. Support the continued development of the Bank's counterparty credit risk framework, including exposure measurement methodologies, negotiation of legal documentations, credit monitoring capabilities, limit frameworks and management information. Partner with Front Office, Treasury, Prudential Risk, Finance and other stakeholders to ensure that exposure measurement, limit frameworks and risk management practices remain fit for purpose. Provide independent challenge and guidance on derivative transactions, counterparty structures and credit risk mitigation techniques. Country Risk Lead the assessment and periodic review of country risks across emerging and frontier markets relevant to the Bank's activities. Evaluate sovereign, macroeconomic, political, banking sector, FX, structural and financial crime risk factors and their implications for the Bank's risk profile. Support country limit reviews, thematic analysis and emerging risk assessments. Ensure that country risk considerations are appropriately reflected in counterparty assessments, portfolio monitoring and risk reporting. Leadership & Team Development Provide coaching, mentoring and technical guidance to junior members of the Credit & Country Risk team. Review and challenge risk assessments to ensure high-quality, consistent and well-supported outputs. Foster a collaborative environment focused on continuous improvement and knowledge sharing. Lead or contribute to strategic initiatives, framework enhancements and cross-functional projects, as required. Support succession planning, capability development and the continued strengthening of technical expertise across the team. Data, Systems & Continuous Improvement Champion the use of data, analytics and technology to enhance portfolio monitoring, risk reporting and decision-making. Lead or contribute to the development of portfolio monitoring tools, dashboards, management information and risk analytics capabilities. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency and scalability through automation, digital solutions and emerging technologies. Support enhancements to risk policies, procedures and governance frameworks. Governance & Strategic Projects Prepare and present risk assessments, portfolio analysis and recommendations to governance committees and senior management forums. Contribute to the development and enhancement of Credit Risk, Counterparty Credit Risk and Country Risk policies, frameworks and methodologies. Support regulatory, audit and assurance reviews relating to the Credit & Country Risk function. Contribute to the implementation of new risk methodologies, governance enhancements and regulatory developments. Qualifications Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Mathematics or another relevant discipline. Relevant professional qualification (e.g. CFA, PRM, FRM, ACA, ACCA) desirable. Experience Significant experience within Credit Risk, Counterparty Credit Risk, Financial Institutions Risk, Treasury Risk or a related discipline within banking or financial services. Strong credit analytical capability and demonstrated experience assessing financial institutions, sovereigns, corporates or other complex counterparties. Demonstrable experience monitoring and managing credit portfolios, including early warning indicators, watchlist processes, concentration analysis and risk reporting. Good understanding of banking products from a credit risk perspective, including payments, treasury products, FX and derivatives. Experience of counterparty credit risk arising from treasury products, FX and/or derivatives would be highly desirable. Exposure to exposure measurement methodologies, collateral arrangements or netting frameworks would be advantageous. Experience presenting and defending risk recommendations to senior stakeholders and governance committees. Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor and support the development of junior colleagues. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence outcomes across functions and levels of seniority. Strong analytical, problem-solving and judgement capabilities. Experience using risk systems, Excel, portfolio monitoring and business intelligence tools (e.g. Power BI or equivalent) to support risk reporting and management information. Knowledge of emerging and frontier market risks would be advantageous. Additional language skills, particularly those relevant to CAB's operating footprint, would be advantageous. Hybrid working Contributory personal pension plan: - Minimum: Employee 2% and Employer 7%. Employer matches contributions in 1% increments to a maximum of: Employee 5% and Employer 10% Life Assurance – 4 times annual salary Group Income Protection Private Medical Insurance – this may include cover for partner and or children at company cost. Cover includes Optical, Dental and Audiology Discretionary Bonus Competitive Annual Leave 2 Volunteering Days Benefit Hub