FIC ICAT Hedge Funds Credit Analyst - Analyst/Associate (depending on experience)

Company purpose

Our company purpose is to contribute to a responsible and sustainable economy by financing and advising clients according to the highest ethical standards. Our employer promise is built around three pillars: being a great place to work; committed to sustainability and having a positive impact; and being dedicated to the development of our people.

Business area

Financial Institutions Coverage (FIC) is a global coverage group specializing in the Financial Institutions sector. FIC aims to build long-term relationships with key clients and gain insight into client strategy and targets to provide original and integrated ideas and solutions. Within FIC, the Institutional Credit Analysis Team (ICAT) is responsible for completing the credit analysis for financial institutions clients (including due diligence when necessary). In particular, the Team ensures that credit analysis and recommendations are provided in due time for Banks, Insurances, Sovereigns, Brokers, other non-bank financial institutions, pensions funds, financial sponsors, hedge funds, regulated funds, funds of hedge funds, agency arrangements and asset managers. The ICAT Team performs credit analysis and provides credit recommendations on their respective perimeter to Credit Committees, Transaction Approval Committees when the credit opinion on a specific counterparty is required, other RISK entities, Business Units or functions in response to general enquiries, Portfolio review committees.

ICAT Team

Guarantees the quality of credit files and portfolios (notably by complying with regulatory framework e.g. Basel III requirements and including credit policies, rating policies and other Group guidelines). Develops local market intelligence by performing desk research (financial statement analysis, monitoring of published research). Maintains a network of business contacts and performs on-site due diligence. Ensures that available local market information and views on risk issues are communicated swiftly and effectively. Guarantees the selection and the follow-up of counterparties considered Doubtful, under Watch List or sensitive list, and evaluates the accurate level of provisioning. ICAT is a main partner for the Senior Credit Officers and their Business binomes for the clients covered by the financial institution credit process and is in permanent interaction with other business lines for uncovered clients.

Job purpose

Purpose: Junior Credit Analyst who could cover a portfolio of Hedge Funds, Funds of Hedge Funds and Financial Sponsors followed by the team.

Scope: Financial Institutions (mostly hedge funds, funds of hedge funds and financial sponsor funds, and to a lesser extent regulated funds, agency arrangements, asset managers, funds).

Key responsibilities

Mission

• The credit analyst is responsible for completing credit analysis on a portfolio of Financial Institutions to facilitate informed credit decisions, particularly Hedge Funds.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of the groups under responsibility and develop market intelligence by investigating all available sources of credit and financial information.
• Monitor the portfolio to detect any credit issue requiring a specific review.
• Conduct Annual and interim reviews. Produce in due time and present in Credit Committee a factual summary of client’s credit worthiness (credit proposal), compliant with the Bank’s guidelines. The credit proposal includes a recommendation on the ratings, the limits, the legal credit terms and the risk strategy vis-à-vis the client.
• Day-to-day transaction approvals, quantifying risk for trade requests received from Front Office across the bank.
• Prepare initial credit questionnaire for ISDA/CSA and other legal documents, and negotiate credit-related terms in the legal documents.
• Work in close collaboration with the Lisbon Credit Support Analysts, including providing the required trainings.
• Develop a good knowledge of the banking environment: capital market products, legal documentation, accounting and regulatory environments.
• Perform due diligences.
• Perform portfolio reviews when required.
• Keep abreast of the changing methodologies and credit policies.

Interactions

• Interact in full transparency with the Binome (SCO & FIC Relationship Manager).
• Attend discussions when necessary under the leadership of the Binome.
• Prepare credit proposal in light of FIC commercial strategy, coverage memo, and material information provided by the RM Pilot or the Binome.
• Contribute to identifying credit points to discuss with the client (during Due Diligence, for example).

Guarantee

• Guarantee rigorous and synthetic credit risk analysis and recommendation (Annual review, ad hoc, credit notes, comparative analysis).
• Guarantee the application of Bank’s procedures and policies and the consistency of Bank’s ratings.
• Guarantee the quality of the process and the timely delivery of the team’s output, notably Annual reviews in line with the validated calendar.

Contribute

• Contribute to the formalisation of the credit decisions in the credit workflow tool.
• Contribute to the risk strategy definition by providing recommendations on the risk profile of counterparties and specific transactions with appropriate stakeholders.
• Contribute to the Bank’s reactivity vis-à-vis clients’ expectations by prioritizing urgent requests with the manager.
• Contribute to the quality of the process: use the credit process flow and workflow system, maintain critical client data, and interact ahead of credit committee with stakeholders.
• Contribute to the development of policies, reports and risk tools, and to Credit Process optimization.
• Contribute to sharing best practices among various teams and to Credit Process optimization.

Interactions with Business Lines (uncovered clients)

• Discuss credit limit requests with the Business Lines.
• Provide credit analysis and recommendations in the frame of AR or ad hoc Credit Committee on clients followed by Business Lines.
• Work with Business Lines to mitigate risk related to counterparties.
• Request due diligence meetings or credit reviews.

Requirements

Essential

Education: Master’s Degree/MSc/Master 2 from a business school or university in Banking, Finance, Economics, Risk Management, Financial Markets or other relevant areas, or equivalent experience.

Experience: Some experience in the finance industry, including credit analysis.

Languages: English (fluent).

Skills

• Strong and proven analytical skills (proficient).
• Adaptability and proactivity, multitasking.
• Strong presentation and communication skills (verbal and written) (expert).
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) (proficient).
• Solid knowledge and understanding of banking and financial markets (proficient).
• Understanding of Corporate Banking and Capital Markets products (proficient).
• Self-driven and organized (expert).
• Rigorous and reliable.

Preferred

• Additional languages would be welcomed (French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Chinese, etc.).
• Good knowledge of legal documentation and credit terms (ISDA, CSA).
• Understanding of funds financing business (legal documentation, credit mitigants).
• Alignment with the Bank’s values: strategy, commitment, work ethic, integrity, and Code of Conduct.

Why you should join us

1. We’re a great place to work

We aim for optimal work/life balance with hybrid, flexible, and agile arrangements. We offer award-winning flexible benefits and health & wellbeing programs, including:

• Generous holiday allowance of at least 26 days (plus bank holidays), with option to buy and sell holidays.
• Valuable financial plans: a 12% non-contributory pension with sustainable investments, life assurance, income protection, and personal accident insurance.
• Extensive wellbeing and mental health offerings: private medical schemes, dental cover, wellbeing app, CBT support, subsidised gym memberships, health assessments including genetic testing, Private GP services, EAP, menopause & fertility support, neurodiversity assessment and support.
• Onsite services in London: physiotherapy, nutrition, massage therapy, mental health first aiders, seasonal flu vaccinations, and free onsite fitness centre.
• Additional benefits: emergency back-up care for dependants, green car leasing, season ticket loan, and more.

2. Positive impact

As the eurozone’s largest bank, we are committed to a positive impact in the world, including Net Zero in financing and investment portfolios by 2050, and 80% of energy production financing being low carbon by 2030. We also emphasize empowering our people with four volunteering days per year, achieving substantial volunteer hours and community reach.

3. We believe in our people

We support skill development through comprehensive training, talent programs, mentoring, career days, and tools. Nearly half of UK CIB positions were filled internally in 2023. Our collaborative and inclusive culture is reinforced by active diversity networks and equal opportunities policies.

BNP Paribas is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunities regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sex, or other protected status. If adjustments are needed during recruitment due to disability or health conditions, please request them early in the process.

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