The Head of Credit Risk is a senior position within the Risk & Compliance team, with strategic accountability for the credit risk framework across the organisation. The role is a senior SLOD (Second Line of Defence) position and will play a key role in strengthening the Risk function to ensure robust risk management and decision making to facilitate planned growth under our Strategic Plan.
The role is responsible for the end-to-end credit risk lifecycle, including credit assessment, portfolio oversight, policy development and credit governance, ensuring high-quality and consistent credit decision-making across the organisation, and leading a team through a period of organisational growth.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Proven experience as Head of Credit Risk, Credit Risk Director, or equivalent role in a financial institution.
- Extensive leadership experience, including building and managing teams.
- Strong technical expertise across credit risk management, development finance and property lending.
- A strategic mindset with the ability to influence key stakeholders, including the Senior Management Team, Credit Committee and Board.
- A track record of ownership, delivery and high-quality decision-making in complex environments.
- A good understanding of funding, liquidity and interest rate risk management.
- The ability to manage the implementation and ongoing review of effective risk management practices and the mitigation of the risk exposure would be desirable.
- Experience/knowledge of the different types of lending to AHBs/Local Authorities/Higher Education Institutions would be an advantage.
- Demonstrates strong ownership and follow-through, with excellent organisational and communication skills, and a consistent focus on delivering work in an effective, efficient and respectful manner.
Key Responsibilities
The Head of Credit Risk will have responsibility for the full credit lifecycle, key responsibilities include:
- Risk Framework & Governance
- Lead the credit governance process, including dual sign off structures, delegated lending authorities and Management and Credit Committee submissions.
- Ensure consistent and effective credit decision standards across all lending categories (AHBs, Local Authorities, HEIs) and committees.
- Strongly contribute to the design, enhancement and implementation of the organisation's Risk Framework and Risk Register, in relation to credit matters.
- Credit Assessment & Approval
- Leads the reviews of submissions of the Credit Assessment Team, ensuring high-quality analysis and due diligence.
- Provide senior oversight and risk recommendation for all lending proposals.
- Develop and refine credit screening criteria, early warning indicators and risk triggers.
- Portfolio Monitoring & Risk Analytics
- Review and challenge the portfolio level monitoring, including borrower concentration risk, performance against covenants/triggers, and market benchmarking (rents, yields, valuations, construction costs).
- Review and challenge monitoring of development loans, including site visits, milestone tracking, budget updates and cost overrun analysis.
- Refine KRIs, covering drawn/committed exposures, concentration trends, early warning indicators, sectoral trends and forward-looking risk metrics.
- Ongoing review of liquidity risks, interest rate risk, funding risks and IT/Cybersecurity risks.
- Monitoring the adequacy and effectiveness of internal control, accuracy and completeness of reporting, compliance with laws and regulations, and timely remediation of deficiencies.
- Policy Development
- Review and challenge updates of credit risk, credit policy, AHB lending policy, HEI lending policy and Local Authority lending frameworks.
- Develop and maintain product level Risk Appetite Statements (RAS) with detailed limits by borrower type, segment and risk category.
- Lead maintenance of existing and review of new risk policies.
- Leadership & Team Development
- Build and lead an expanding Credit Risk team with capabilities across credit analysis, portfolio monitoring and risk governance.
- Demonstrated meaningful leadership in the overall management of the organisation, actively shaping strategic decisions and contributing effectively to the Management team.
- Mentor, coach and develop team members, building institutional knowledge and best practice standards.
- Collaborate closely with the Lending, Finance, Treasury, People & Culture, IT and Corporate Services teams.
- Contribute as a member of the Management Team by leading operational initiatives that align with the HFA's strategic direction and promoting collaboration across functions.
- Board & Sub-Committee Engagement
- Lead preparation of high-quality submissions and reporting for the Board, Credit Committee, Audit & Risk Committee, SMT and CEO.
- Advise senior management on emerging credit risks, market developments and stress scenarios.
- Provide, lead and articulate the SLOD challenge brought to loan applications to enable senior level discussion and decisioning.
Essential Qualification:
- Appropriate Degree qualification in a discipline such as Accounting, Business, Economics and/or Finance.
- Experience as a Head of Credit Risk or equivalent credit risk leadership role.
- Minimum of 10+ years' credit risk experience, including managing teams and making credit decisions at senior levels.
- Deep practical experience in credit assessment, portfolio monitoring and credit policy.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience presenting to Boards or Committees.
- Strong analytical, data interpretation and problem-solving capabilities.
- Experience developing and implementing credit frameworks and risk management structures
Desirable Experience:
- Knowledge of housing, property finance, development finance, infrastructure lending, social & affordable housing sector and how AHBs operate.
- Experience working within a regulated entity or public body.
- Awareness of housing policy in Ireland
