Head, Guarantees & Specialised Finance

Key Responsibilities

The Structured Debt & Balance Sheet Optimisation functions will involve the following:

(a) Leading, identifying, and attracting institutional, alternative, and other private debt investors into the Bank’s originated transactions by creating and developing strong partnerships with a pool of institutional investor partners who are interested in African trade, sustainable development and growth opportunities.

(b) Developing, managing and using appropriate investment ecosystems/platforms required by alternative markets, including private debt investors, to help unlock capital to support trade and development in Africa.

(c) Overseeing and actively managing the engagements with the identified investor/s throughout a deal execution and all stages of the implementation process until the investor participation is successfully concluded. Such investors include institutional investors like pension funds, insurance companies, asset and money managers, foundations and family offices.

(d) Designing and implementing innovative balance sheet optimisation and risk mitigation solutions to support the bank's capital and other strategic risk management initiatives, including, but not limited to, captives, high-impact but low-probability risk management solutions, maintaining and improving the bank's enhanced callable resources, and/or other innovative risk mitigation-linked securities.

(e) Deepening and creating new partnerships with innovative finance providers, including risk mitigation-focused public and private entities, to share risks, knowledge and capacity building.

(f) Structuring innovative and non-traditional bankable transactions using specialised finance solutions to support the overall achievement of the Bank’s strategic goals;

(g) Working closely with key internal parties to ensure seamless and successful implementation and operation of the Bank’s structured debt and other specialised finance solutions and initiatives.

(h) Acting as a Specialised Finance Champion by growing the Bank’s specialised finance and other structured debt solutions, including identifying and vetting prospective clients in partnership with the relevant internal deals team;

(i) Managing the relationship between the Bank and private debt investors and relevant industry associations, including thought leadership organisations in line with the Bank’s Exim-plus strategy.

(j) Marketing of the Bank’s specialised finance products by actively working with relevant internal and external partners to market the products.

(k) Leading relevant strategic initiatives assigned to you by your HoD.

Structured Debt Solutions

· The duties and responsibilities will include providing leadership on (i) Asset Origination, Structuring and Execution (ii) Investor mobilisation and placement of the transaction to potential investors, and (iii) working closely with risk solutions providers to secure the appropriate risk mitigation support required by investors; and iv) coordinate the placement process and ongoing relationship with relevant stakeholders including the trustees and managers of the investment vehicle.

· Design and implement repackaged asset placement to institutional investors, including private debt investors and other alternative asset managers. This will involve all aspects of establishing the placement programme, comprising systems and structures, including possible securitization solutions, to attract investors.

· Manage all ongoing investor requirements, including working closely with the payment agency to ensure that the ongoing information requirements, including any reporting on transactions, are timely provided to the investors.

Risk Solutions & Balance Sheet Optimisation

· The duties and responsibilities will include providing leadership on the Risk Solutions & Balance Sheet Optimization role by (i) handling all strategic and innovative balance sheet optimization solutions of the Bank (ii) arranging and securing risk mitigation solutions to support structured debt transactions; (iii) develop and maintain an up-to-date risk mitigation partner pool and actively manage the ongoing engagements with the risk mitigation partners throughout a transaction process.

· Lead the design and implement the day-to-day management of assigned innovative and other strategic balance sheet optimization solutions of the Bank, such as captives, high impact but low probability risk solutions, the manage the enhanced callable resources of the bank, and/or other risk mitigation-linked securities, among others.

· Any other strategic risk and balance sheet optimization solutions assigned by Senior Management.

· Leadership on capturing and sharing knowledge on Structured debt and balance sheet optimisation solutions internally and externally including thought leadership on such solutions.

· Working closely with other guarantee and specialised finance team and other relevant departments of the Bank to ensure smooth delivery of the Bank’s strategic objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum

Qualifications

Master’s degree in finance, Banking, Economics, Management or a related field from a good university. A professional qualification in Finance, Banking, Risk Management, Insurance, Accounting or International Trade Finance or related disciplines may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s degree. Knowledge of, and experience in global markets and client solutions, private debt market, officially supported credit and political risk insurance market and DFI operations will be an added advantage.

Years & Nature of Experience

· Familiarity with functions and operating modalities of Structured credit placements, rating of structured credits, credit risk insurance and development finance operations among others

· Sound experience of at least 12 years in development finance, commercial or investment banking. At least 5 years of which should have been hands on design and placement of structured credit solutions in a leading organisation, and working knowledge in global markets, risk mitigation instruments, securitisation and asset distribution.

· Clear understanding of Afreximbank business model and its strategic direction of creating alternative solution for clients and crowding-in private sector participation at scale.

· Strong management skills to streamline operations, develop talent within the department, and deliver on expected outcomes.

· Demonstrated ability to think strategically, develop innovative solutions, challenge the status quo and make sound decisions to build structured debt and balance sheet optimisation business of the Bank.

· Ability to communicate and function in a culturally diverse and change oriented setting including knowledge of the workings of the main segments of the African project and export finance markets including risk mitigation markets.

· Constructive deal team leadership and strong teamwork approach.

· Ability to engage senior officials of banks, corporates executives and senior governments officials of member countries and other stakeholders to leverage the Bank’s specialised finance products.

· Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of the Bank's other working languages (French, Arabic and Portuguese) is an added advantage

· Willingness to travel extensively and to work long hours where required in order to achieve set objectives.

· Demonstrated leadership capabilities, sales, marketing and negotiation skills including ability to build and nurture relationships with internal and external counterparties to attain goals.

· Knowledge and understanding of the institutional investor assets acquisition requirements and financing programmes offered by specialised finance institutions, export credit agencies, insurance institutions, development finance agencies especially those with focus on Africa trade, project and export financing arrangements.

· Proven ability to win mandates with minimal supervision and proven ability to execute and close strategic transactions.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Proficiency level:

As shown in Table 1 below:

PROFICIENCY

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

PROBLEM SOLVING & BUSINESS IMPACT

SUPPORTING

AFREXIMBANK MANDATE

• Experienced professional with significant experience in own field.

• Operates autonomously and is generally responsible for an end-to-end process within its own area, including managing and coordinating people and resources.

• Acts as a first escalation point across Afreximbank for technical queries in its own area and is expected to produce finalised technical material.

• Acts as a subject matter expert in own area, providing technical guidance to colleagues across Afreximbank while maintaining required integrity.

• Coaches, motivates and mentors junior colleagues.

• May have formal line management responsibilities for a limited number of junior professionals and clerical staff.

• Identifies and addresses training needs for the team, including preparing and delivering training programmes as directed by senior management.

• Builds and manages effective working relationships both internally and (where relevant) externally at different organisational levels.

• Influences decisions at functional level and may support external negotiations.

• Presents complex technical information to diverse audiences in a clear and concise manner for purposes of driving results.

• Solves non-routine and occasionally complex problems based on sound critical analysis, technical knowledge and prior experience.

• Acts with flexibility as an escalation point for technical issues encountered by junior colleagues.

• Impacts its own function by managing a specific area or sub-function, including inputting to functional strategy and policies and providing technical expertise, advice and guidance across the organisation.

• Has a solid understanding of Afreximbank’s products and services and how their own area contributes to Afreximbank’s values and mission.

• Has a good knowledge of the Continent’s political, economic and trade landscape and is able to offer well informed opinions on the subject internally and to external counterparts.

• Identifies practical ways in which Afreximbank’s values and mission can be cascaded to junior colleagues and external parties.

Behavioural Competencies

Afreximbank’s Core Values:

● Commitment to Africa and supporting the emancipation and empowerment of Africans

● Uncompromising integrity

● Passion for Learning and Drive

● Teamwork

● Trust and Respect for the Individual

● Innovation, Excellence and Flexibility

● Professionalism and Responsiveness

KEY INTERACTIONS

Internal

External

All Origination departments of the Bank; Legal, Banking Operations; AFTRAF team, Agency, Syndications. AfrexInsure.

Managers of the investment Vehicles, Investors, Placement agents, Co-Guarantee and Re-Guarantee partners, including political and credit risk insurance market including Lloyds, insurance brokers, insurance advisors, external legal counsels, etc.