Head of Debt Capital Markets – East Africa at Absa Bank Limited

Job Description

• Head of Debt Capital Markets – East Africa

Job Purpose:

Responsible for originating debt capital markets and loan financing transactions in collaboration with Client Coverage and Product partners in the UK, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa. This role is to ensure that Absa has a seamless integrated product offering for its multinational and local African clients who wish to access Kenya Shilling debt funding through the local bank and/or capital markets or hard currency debt funding through sub-investment grade debt markets offshore.

East Africa Region includes the following countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia

Accountability: Deal Origination

1. Identify and source debt financing opportunities in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia).
2. Co-ordinate with Client Coverage teams to engage with East Africa clients to establish their debt financing needs.
3. Work directly with these clients to structure, present and negotiate debt solutions to meet their requirements. Actively market these solutions to clients’ key decision makers.
4. Arrange, prepare for and present at client meetings with key government officials (Ministry of Finance, Treasury Department, Ministry of Budget, Public Debt Department etc) and senior management in banks and corporates (CEO, CFO, Treasurer)
5. Collaborate with the Global Finance teams in the UK, South Africa and other group presence countries to ensure consistent and coordinated product origination, structuring and execution.
6. Co-ordinate with the Syndicate team to structure, price and arrange transactions for distribution (in bi-lateral, capital markets or derivative format).
7. Advise clients on a wide range of capital structure decisions and financing alternatives. Work together with the Johannesburg-based team in providing rating advisory services to clients to order to facilitate access to both onshore and offshore debt capital markets, and other financing/balance sheet optimization opportunities.
8. Prepare innovative and thought-leading content, leveraging Research, Syndicate and Sales.
9. Develop strategic initiatives for the area as agreed with the Head of Global Finance.
10. Drive the implementation of strategic initiatives, managing resources within and outside Global Finance across multiple jurisdictions.
11. Work with Investment Banking team to develop financing solutions for East African clients undertaking large scale local or cross-border M&A transactions.
12. Continuously evaluate the external environment and assess the impact on origination activity.
13. Lead the decisions with regards to the area's product development and engage with other stakeholders across the firm to create synergies and leverage off other distribution channels with the aim of increasing profitability.
14. Lead client due diligence and work with SA based teams to drive credit approval process.
15. Co-ordinate with internal and external counsel to negotiate legal documents with clients and ensure these comply with market standards, reflect the commercial credit approved terms of the transaction, and appropriately address risk areas identified.
16. Read and apply compliance policies and procedures and work with the compliance team to ensure these are adhered to.
17. Report on market conditions, market deal activity, origination activity, mandated pipeline, and executed transactions. 
18. Together with Syndicate and Sales, engaging regularly with the fixed income investors community locally (pension funds, hedge funds, insurance, banks and private banks) to understand investor appetite.
19. Work very closely with Syndicate to position Absa’s offering and market transactions to these investors.
20. Identifying cross-selling opportunities such as hedging solutions (cross currency swaps, interest rate swaps, hedging commodities)

Accountability: Stakeholder Engagement

1. Proactively develop relationships with key external stakeholders including local regulators relevant to the business, global product heads, key suppliers and external regulatory bodies to ensure Absa gets appropriate co-operation when required and that the Group meets and is seen to meet regulatory compliance.
2. Build and develop relationships across the firm with various stakeholders with the intention of breaking down silos to maximize business growth.

Accountability: Risk Management

1. Act as key sponsor for the area’s Risk Management Control Framework.
2. Lead new product approval initiatives.
3. Review audit scopes defined by managers in the team and Absa Internal Audit  or Management Assurance prior to audits commencing.
4. Complete required compliance training and attestations.
5. Review and approve Risk and Control Assessments (RCA’s) prepared  in  the  function.
6. Complete attestations to testify to the adequacy of controls on request.
7. Oversee the development of Key Risk Scenarios. Actively work to minimize the amount of economic capital that must be set aside for operational risk.

Education and Experience 

1. At least 6 years’ banking experience with a focus on debt capital markets and/or loan origination
2. At least 1 years’ experience in a VP level role.

Knowledge & Skills:

1. Financial modelling
2. Debt Structuring
3. Loan and bond documentation
4. Communication and negotiation skills
5. Networking Skills
6. Strong interpersonal and communication skills
7. Strong leadership skills including mentoring

Competencies:

1. Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
2. Formulating strategies and concepts
3. Deciding and initiating action
4. Adapting and responding to change
5. Relating and networking
6. Applying expertise and technology
7. Persuading and influencing

Education

1. Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)