Credit Risk Manager SME Lending ( Month Secondment)📣 Job Ad

About Ektis

Ektis, established in 2025, is a financial services consulting firm built on extensive industry experience. The firm comprises a diverse team of specialists with deep sector expertise across the regional financial ecosystem, focusing on delivering practical, high-impact solutions. As an expert-led boutique firm, Ektis partners with financial institutions to translate strategic ambitions into measurable progress, building enduring internal capabilities and applying creative problem-solving for lasting impact.

The Opportunity: Credit Risk Manager, SME Lending

Ektis is seeking a Credit Risk Manager, SME Lending for a contract position based in Riyadh. This role is a fixed-term assignment, specifically a six-month secondment, designed to provide senior credit risk support to a client's Credit Risk team. The focus will be on the SME lending portfolio, encompassing secured, unsecured, and program-based lending. This position does not involve permanent product or P&L ownership.

Role Purpose

The primary purpose of this secondment is to safeguard asset quality and support responsible business growth within the SME lending portfolio. The Credit Risk Manager will lead credit assessments for complex and higher-value cases, oversee program-lending criteria and performance, and drive portfolio monitoring. Additionally, the role involves contributing to policy reviews to ensure alignment with risk appetite and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess and adjudicate SME credit applications, including complex and higher-value cases, within delegated authority.
• Provide credit recommendations and risk commentary, serving as a senior reference point for the team.
• Oversee SME program-based lending, including reviewing eligibility criteria, scorecards, and decisioning rules.
• Monitor program performance against approved risk appetite and recommend adjustments to criteria or limits.
• Manage portfolio performance monitoring, early-warning indicators, and concentration/limit exposures.
• Oversee the preparation of credit risk reports and present findings to senior management.
• Review and recommend enhancements to SME lending credit policy and procedures.
• Ensure lending decisions align with internal frameworks and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with business, product, and legal teams to resolve credit matters and shape sound lending outcomes.
• Lead ad-hoc risk analysis and portfolio reviews, and support the coaching of junior credit staff as needed.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or a related discipline.
• 8–10 years of banking experience, with substantial experience in credit risk or SME/commercial lending.

Required Skills

• Proficiency in credit and financial statement analysis.
• Sound understanding of SME lending products and associated risks across secured, unsecured, and program-based lending.
• Strong analytical thinking and meticulous attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Excel and various reporting tools.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams.