Lending – Acquisition Finance Portfolio Management - Associate

Lending – Acquisition Finance Portfolio Management - Associate

We have a great opportunity to join our Acquisition Finance Portfolio Management (“AF PM”) team as an Associate, a function within ING Lending franchise in UK. This is a lending professional role within the front office. As a key member of the AF PM team, your responsibility will be to actively manage AF booked assets in the lending portfolio in the UK and optimize returns through strong analytics and capital velocity. On the team, you will be exposed to and work with different colleagues from several product and sector-based origination teams, specialised and corporate lending, Capital Markets & Advisory (“CMA”), Loan Distributions, TA&C (TA&C) and Legal whilst aligning with back office / support teams. At the same time, the AF PM team plays a key role in further optimizing our processes for regulatory readiness, operational effectiveness and portfolio optimization.

• The AF PM team is the ‘center of excellence’ for the in-life management of ING’s Acquisition Finance lending exposures. It covers all activities post the initial funding to the final repayment of a lending transaction. As a front office department, it will closely collaborate with product and sector-based origination & structuring and corporate and specialised lending transaction management colleagues and other product specialists to ensure a seamless client experience. Each portfolio manager will cover a set of portfolio clients and act as the first point of contact for the ongoing credit monitoring, analytics, internal risk and other reporting. PM supports the identification of cross-buy opportunities and is also closely involved in the delivery of ING’s capital velocity targets.

• The specific responsibilities of an Associate include actively supporting Portfolio Managers in their day-to day management of highly leveraged borrowers, including but not limited to:

• Support Portfolio Managers with processing of add-on, refinancings as well as amendment and waiver requests, preparation and submission to TA&C of credit modifications, Q&A and approval processes with TA&C, follow-up on the required legal amendments to the documentation until execution;

• Periodic portfolio credit reviews;

• Review of annual risk rating updates prepared by ING hubs’ administrative support teams;

• Diligent and proactive credit monitoring through the review of all financial covenants and operating performance (e.g. financial models, proforma adjustments, key drivers, etc.) and track compliance of covenants prepared by an administrative support team;

• Identification and resolution of Early Warning Signals for a deterioration in credit quality;

• Provide support to Senior Portfolio Managers in the event of an under-performing transaction and requiring closer monitoring and management of stakeholders (i.e TA&A, Watchlist Committee) or restructuring/amendment activity to be undertaken;

• Provide support to Senior Portfolio Managers in restructuring files working alongside GCR, when distressed and special situations arise;

• Be involved in ongoing engagement and collaboration with the AF Origination team, identifying and mining new deal opportunities from AF portfolio;

• Be involved with capital velocity initiatives associated with the underlying loans including primary and secondary loan (or loan portfolio) sales, credit risk insurance or participations, loan-backed securitization and significant risk transfers.

• In addition, you will monitor and identify market developments and proactively manage their potential impact across the AF portfolio by:

  • Preparing and maintaining of reports as requested by senior members of the PM team, regulators or internal stakeholders;

  • Preparing quarterly Credit Risk Management (“CRM”) portfolio reviews;

  • Support Portfolio Managers with the preparation of quarterly Watchlist reviews for the Global AF Watchlist Committee;

  • Support Portfolio Managers with the preparation of quarterly submissions for the Loan Loss Provision (“LLP”) Committee; 

  • Maintaining various department and industry/sector databases/trackers;

  • Maintaining internal portfolio tracking metrics;

  • Provide support to ad hoc internal requests on portfolio composition and exposure;

  • Working with offshore portfolio support teams;

  • Managing lending limits and capital velocity programs.

• The Associate will take active part in the various Virtual Client Teams by:

  • Contributing to idea generation for value added cross-buy or client opportunities.

  • Interfacing with relationship managers and sector coverage specialists to ensure an active dialogue on credit trends, challenges and opportunities for individual clients;

• The Associate is expected to build a culture of operational excellence by:

• Staying up to date on organizational operating policies and procedures (i.e. TA&C, Legal, etc.) to ensure appropriate protocols are implemented and followed, and facilitating accordingly;

• Support the implementation of strategic initiatives, including enhancements to the credit monitoring process to improve business efficiency;

• Support the implementation of transformation projects;

• Support new joiners and junior colleagues in their personal and professional development.

• University degree. CFA and/or MBA a plus

• 3+ years of relevant lending execution and/or credit analysis experience in the banking industry.

• Prior exposure to specialized lending (project finance, object finance, acquisition finance) and/or real asset sub-sectors (energy, infrastructure, transportation & logistics, telecommunication and technology) a plus.

• Solid competency in cashflow financial modelling, MS Excel, Powerpoint.  PowerBI a plus.

• Fluency in French and Spanish is desirable but not essential.

• Collaborative and inclusive team player with consistent high marks on Orange Code behaviour; embracing diversity and cross-cultural awareness and able to work effectively across functions;

• Strong financial and credit analysis capabilities;

• Excellent presentation and communication skills;

• Collaborative and able to work effectively across functions and regions;

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities;

• Committed and dedicated individual who wants to continuously improve;

• Self-motivated and willing to work in a deal oriented and deadline driven environment;

• Knowledge of lending legal documentation;

• Strong work ethic, positive attitude, and professional demeanour.