Title:  Director, Country Risk Management

Requisition ID: 243502

Join a purpose driven winning team, committed to results, in an inclusive and high-performing culture.

As Director, Country Risk Management, you have a key role in Business Banking by supporting risk teams and business strategy, ensuring alignment to Scotiabank’s Risk Appetite and policies framework.  You will be responsible for contributing to the sound asset growth and profits of the Bank by ensuring that the Country Risk Management team oversees the Bank's Cross-border risk exposure; and continually developing the Bank's Country Risk methodology.  The Director will partner with business stakeholders and be perceived as a trusted advisor. 

Is this role right for you?  In this role, you will:

Manage Country Ratings

• Exhibit a high degree of knowledge, providing sound and timely country risk research and rating opinions to Senior Management, Banking and other GRM areas, by monitoring economic, socio-political, and environmental events around the world that may impact the Bank’s exposure to countries or regions;
• Adjudicate on requests for limits and ratings within assigned limit as a designated “Credit Officer” under the Lending Authorities for sovereign counterparties in the Pacific Alliance and Caribbean, Central America and Uruguay (CCAU) countries.
• Contribute to the development of sound analytical standards and the ongoing improvement of the Bank’s risk rating methodologies, by researching and employing the latest best practices in country risk analysis and management.

Provide oversight of Cross Border Limits   

• Adjudicate within assigned limits and leads the team in coordinating requests for changes in cross-border limits with all key stakeholders (e.g. country and regional heads, product heads, other GRM areas) to ensure the recommendation to Senior Management represents a fair and balanced view between the need of the business and the need to protect the Bank from undue country risk;
• Coordinate with Banking and other departments for the preparation of strategy papers with respect to management of cross-border risk portfolios;
• Contribute to ongoing development of cross-border methodologies, guidelines, processes and systems to improve the accuracy and timeliness of cross-border limit reporting.

 
Provide Development of Internal Country Risk Discipline

• Ensure Banking and other GRM areas receive appropriate and meaningful feedback on the identification and understanding of country risk as it impacts their portfolio, to ensure proper cross-border risk identification.
• Provide country risk research and opinions to Banking to support their sovereign credit proposals (and other cross-border credit proposals when requested), and that the country risk IG used by the Bank is consistent across the organization;
• Act as an industry champion with respect to the management of country risk exposure, as required.

Champion Reporting, Special Projects, and Credit Risk Initiatives

• Undertake Special projects both within the group and with other areas including liaising with other areas in GRM for analytics-related projects related to country risk & portfolio management.
•  Influence business strategies where the risks are assessed as high and help to develop mitigating strategies.

Build a High-Performance Risk Culture

• Lead and drive a customer focused culture throughout their team to deepen client relationships and leverage broader Bank relationships, systems and knowledge.
• Build a high-performance environment and implement a people strategy that attracts, retains, develops and motivates their team by fostering an inclusive work environment; communicating vison/values/business strategy and managing succession and development planning for the team.

Do you have the skills that will enable you to succeed in this role?  We’d love to work with you if you have:

• Graduate degree in Finance, Economics, Business or related field
• Knowledge of risk management practices, to effectively challenge current practices and undergoing efforts
• Strong background in economics and political sciences and written and presentation skills complemented with solid deductive reasoning, sound judgement and creativity
• Strong negotiating and networking skills, as well as strategic influencing, and diplomacy given frequent discussions on relative merits of a country’s rating and/or cross-border limits with various stakeholders, requiring decisions within limited timeframes, potentially affecting a broad portfolio in many Banking units.

Note: Fluency in Spanish is an asset

What’s in it for you?

• An inclusive and collaborative working environment that encourages creativity and curiosity.
• Work closely with and learn from diverse leaders from different geographies.
• Opportunity to make a significant impact as you will contribute in supporting risk teams and business strategy, ensuring alignment to Scotiabank’s Risk Appetite and policies framework. 
• Ability to contribute to the ongoing enhancement of the Bank’s cross border exposure methodologies and processes.

Location(s):  Canada : Ontario : Toronto 

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets.  

At Scotiabank, we value the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Bank, and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know. If you require technical assistance, please click here. Candidates must apply directly online to be considered for this role. We thank all applicants for their interest in a career at Scotiabank; however, only those candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.