Project Finance LatAm Portfolio Management - Vice President

 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 $225,000.00 and $225,000.00. 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 a Vice President to join its Portfolio Management & Agency 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

Proactively monitor their portfolio of transactions demonstrating 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.

 • Develop strong relationships with external clients, legal counsels, and internal Underwriting, Credit, Capital Markets, and Operations partners to ensure effective communication and coordination.

• Responsible for monitoring and reporting on the portfolio quality against established criteria and recommending adjustments to the U.S. Regulatory Classifications and gradings of existing credit facilities, as appropriate.

• Collaborate 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 approvals for requests from borrowers. In preparing applications for credit approval, the Vice President 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.

• Prepare detailed, well-organized periodic reviews for the borrowers/offtakers/guarantors in the assigned portfolio. 

• 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.

 • Responding to ad hoc information requests from various departments in the Americas Division and from our Head Office in Tokyo.

• Mentor and provide guidance to junior staff.

 • Supporting Loan Capital Markets team with secondary market sales of loans from the portfolio.

• Coordinating with the KYC team to update KYC information for borrowers

Qualifications and Skills

A minimum of 7 years of experience covering project finance transactions in a portfolio management team or credit department of a lending institution.

• Strong background in accounting