Associate Director

Primary Responsibilities

Criteria and Model Development

● Develop and maintain criteria for rating various asset classes, including corporate bonds, structured finance, and sovereign debt.

● Lead the development and validation of credit rating models, including data analysis, model design, and testing.

● Ensure rating models are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in market conditions and regulatory requirements.

● Work closely with rating committees, analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure rating models and criteria are applied consistently and accurately.

● Oversee thorough model validation activities, including back-testing, stress testing, and performance monitoring, and lead remediation as required.

● Develop and maintain documentation for rating models and criteria, including methodology reports and user guides.

● Provide training and support to rating analysts and other stakeholders on rating models and criteria.

Research

● Conduct research and produce high-quality reports, presentations, and short articles on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to macroeconomic developments, credit trends, credit protection gaps, impact of regulatory developments on credit ratings, climate risk, ESG, and industry trends.

● Build relationships with internal stakeholders as well as external clients (including regulators). This position also requires engagement with external think-tanks, academia, and other financial services companies and consultants to enhance BWR's thought-leadership position.

● Track and interpret ongoing risk, regulations/policies, and all related regulatory expectations related to credit rating.

● Support senior management with research and regulatory understanding about the day-to-day requirements of regulators.

● Lead and mentor junior colleagues in the team, fostering domain awareness and professional growth.

Competencies /Skillset

● Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work independently and effectively with stakeholders at all levels.

● Drive continuous improvement by researching advanced statistical and machine learning techniques to enhance model accuracy and efficiency.

● Knowledge of risk policy and regulatory reporting is preferred.

● Excellent analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to interpret large datasets.

● Solid understanding of model risk management principles and governance requirements

Educational Qualifications and Experience:

- Advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in a quantitative field such as Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Financial Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 10+ years of experience in analytical roles, credit research, macroeconomic research, industry research, and financial modelling in the financial services industry.
- Experience in credit risk model development, rating criteria development, and research report writing.
- Working knowledge of R and/or Python for statistical modeling and data analysis is preferred.
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, advanced Excel, and PowerPoint)

Job Location: Mumbai/Bangalore

About Brickwork Ratings

Brickwork Ratings (BWR) is one of India's leading credit rating agencies, committed to providing the investment community with products and services needed to make informed investment decisions. Established in 2007, Brickwork Ratings, a SEBI-registered and RBI-accredited credit rating agency, has Canara Bank, a leading public sector bank, as its promoter and strategic partner.

BWR is headquartered in Bengaluru and has a pan-India presence. The rating team is headed by the analytical prowess of the industry's most experienced credit analysts, bankers, and regulators.

BWR offers rating services to Bank Loans, NCD, Commercial Paper, Bonds, Mutual Funds, PPMLDs, and Security Receipts. BWR has rated over 100,000 large corporate, Banks, Financial Institutions, State and local Governments, and small businesses. BWR provides investors and lenders with timely and in-depth research across the structured finance, public finance, financial institutions, project finance, and corporate sectors.

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