Project Finance Portfolio Management Associate - Latin America.
New York, NY, US, 10172
SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.
In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.
The anticipated salary range for this role is between $150,000.00 and $200,000.00. The specific salary offered to an applicant will be based on their individual qualifications, experiences, and an analysis of the current compensation paid in their geography and the market for similar roles at the time of hire. The role may also be eligible for an annual discretionary incentive award. In addition to cash compensation, SMBC offers a competitive portfolio of benefits to its employees.
Role Description
SMBC's Global Structured Finance Department is looking for an Associate to join its Portfolio Management
team covering project finance transactions in Latin America (the “Team”).
The Team is responsible for managing all aspects of SMBC’s Latin American project finance portfolio. The
portfolio consists of transactions in the conventional and renewable power, natural resources and new
energies, infrastructure, and telecom sectors. The role entails performing credit
monitoring/control/administration of a portfolio of borrowers with a view to identifying potential credit issues
preemptively. In addition, a significant portion of the role involves analyzing amendment/consent/waiver
requests, evaluating the credit impact of the requests and any mitigants, and preparing applications with
recommended actions for credit decisions.
Role Objectives: Delivery
Responsibilities:
• Responsible for effective credit and risk management, with emphasis on adherence to credit policy
and requirements, financial analysis/modeling, risk evaluation, on-going portfolio maintenance
activities, and as needed client support.
• Oversee the overall credit worthiness of an assigned portfolio of obligors and their ability to meet
their financial obligations for traditional credit-based products. Continuously monitor the portfolio
with a view to identifying deteriorating situations early.
• Responsible for monitoring and reporting on the portfolio quality against established criteria and
recommending adjustments to grading of existing credit facilities, as appropriate.
• Prepare periodic reviews for the borrowers/offtakers/guarantors in the assigned portfolio.
• Work with borrowers, legal counsels, independent engineers, and other consultants as necessary
to structure and manage consent processes (including but not limited to waivers and amendments
of financing documents, etc.).
• Analyze and, if appropriate, seek credit approval for amendment and consent requests from
borrowers. In preparing applications for credit approval, the Associate must have a good
understanding of the request, the impact of the proposed consent on the credit risk of the
borrower/transaction, any mitigants to the increased risk and the justification for approval of the
request.
• Responsible for mitigating loss by counterparty credit analysis related to a range of products
marketed to corporate, institutional and / or government clients.
• Responsible for creating strategy that will minimize credit risk in line with the firm's objectives, as
well as assisting in the underwriting process for potential new borrowers.
• Ensure registration of accurate and up-to-date KYC information for borrowers.
• Respond to ad hoc information requests.
Qualifications and Skills
Qualifications:
• A minimum of 2-3 years of experience covering project finance transactions in a portfolio
management team or credit department of a lending institution.
• Strong background in accounting / financial statement analysis / modelling / legal documents is
preferred.
• Ability to speak/read business Spanish and/or Portuguese preferred but not required.
• Required: BA / BS
• Preferred: MA / MS / MBA / CFA
Required Skills/Abilities:
• Deep understanding of legal documents and proficiency in financial analysis.
• Expected to have highly advanced level of credit experience and execution experience in proposing
and negotiating, both internally and externally, credit and covenant structures and documenting
loans.
• Good knowledge of credit structures of project finance transactions or other asset-based credit
transactions that often involves multiple layers of stakeholders. Ability to complete complex credit
analysis, negotiate with deal parties, and process closing in short turnaround periods,
• Broad knowledge of the project finance market and the ability to manage risk within a complex and
diverse portfolio.
• Experience with corporate credit analysis to perform periodic reviews of select offtakers, sponsors,
guarantors, and EPC contractors.
• Deep understanding of regulatory and compliance framework.
• Knowledge of a broad range of financial products.
• Strong ability to write and present well thought out arguments.
• Highly organized
• Ability to work on multiple transactions at once.
• Ability to work independently but not afraid to ask questions.
• Highly self-motivated and proactive in their approach to work.
• Attention to detail.
• Able to work under tight time deadlines.
• Adaptable to unexpected situations.
• Good familiarity with using Microsoft Excel to run sensitivity analyses, update model assumptions,
etc.
Additional Requirements
SMBC’s employees participate in a Hybrid workforce model that provides employees with an opportunity to work from home, as well as, from an SMBC office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location. Prospective candidates will learn more about their specific hybrid work schedule during their interview process. Hybrid work may not be permitted for certain roles, including, for example, certain FINRA-registered roles for which in-office attendance for the entire workweek is required.
SMBC provides reasonable accommodations during candidacy for applicants with disabilities consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know at accommodations@smbcgroup.com.
Nearest Major Market: New York City