About the Role:

Grade Level (for internal use):

The Team

Our team consists of 21 analysts located across London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, and Madrid, led by an Analytical Manager. We specialize in the Retail, Food, and Leisure industries, which encompass food manufacturers, apparel and specialty retail, restaurants, travel, lodging, amusement parks, gaming, and sports companies. These sectors are significantly influenced by fluctuating consumption patterns, local regulations, and event risks. A considerable number of the companies we evaluate are owned by private equity investors, leading to highly leveraged capital structures and a substantial proportion of high-yield credits. Consequently, the work environment is fast-paced and dynamic, driven by continuous credit events arising from shifts in consumer behaviour, operational performance, regulatory changes, dividend recapitalizations, refinancings, and M&A activities.

The Impact

This is an exceptional opportunity to establish yourself as a recognized expert in credit analysis while joining our team during a period of rapid growth in new ratings within the Retail, Food, and Leisure industries. This growth is driven by relatively low interest rates, strong consumption demand—especially for leisure activities—and the necessity for companies to issue debt to finance new investments, particularly in emerging technologies. S&P Global Ratings is recognized as the leading credit rating agency in these sectors.

What You Stand to Gain

As the successful candidate, you will occupy a senior analytical position as Associate Director within a large team, representing S&P Global Ratings to the management teams of major corporate entities and investors across the EMEA region. 

This role offers the opportunity to operate with extensive autonomy, requiring minimal direction while building your reputation as a trusted analyst on complex credit issues, large client relationships, and strategic analytical projects.

Responsibilities

• Manage a diverse and complex portfolio of 13-15 corporate issuers, demonstrating advanced analytical independence and applying your expertise to enhance organizational knowledge
• Contribute decisively to Rating Committee discussions, using your analytical perspective to advise on complex credit issues and influence outcomes based on thorough analysis
• Mentor and develop junior analysts in their core analytical responsibilities, providing guidance on operational processes to achieve defined goals and objectives
• Collaborate strategically with the Sector Lead as an active participant and spokesperson with investors, building and maintaining relationships with peers outside of your immediate team and function
• Ensure consistent application of appropriate rating methodologies within your team, taking accountability for operational systems while adhering to all guidelines, procedures, and standard operating policies
• Manage resources effectively to deliver sustainable credit analysis outcomes, considering multiple possible courses of action and making informed recommendations
• All employees are required to work from the office a minimum of 2 days per week.
• We require all candidates who reach the final stage of our interview process to attend at least one in-person interview, which is ordinarily at your nearest S&P Global Ratings office. This must be completed before we can proceed to an offer.

What We're Looking For

Basic Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Accounting, or related field
• A S&P employee at this level typically has 6-10 years in corporate credit analysis for high-yield entities from investment institutions, asset managers, commercial/investment banks, audit firms, or rating agencies
• Demonstrated expertise in credit analysis with broad knowledge of specialized financial fields and their market interrelationships
• Proven ability to operate with autonomy and make decisions where clear parameters exist

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA, CFA, or advanced degree demonstrating commitment to professional development
• Familiarity with Retail, Food, or Leisure sectors, including understanding of consumption patterns, regulatory impacts, and event risks
• Experience with highly leveraged capital structures and private equity-owned entities
• Fluency in German will be a distinct advantage for this EMEA-focused role

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About S&P Global Ratings
At S&P Global Ratings, our analyst-driven credit ratings, research, and sustainable fina