North American Corporates - Credit Team Manager, Senior Director

North American (N.A.) Corporates  - Credit Team Manager

Fitch is seeking a Director/Senior Director to manage a team of analysts who will sit within the Consumer Family Vertical team and who will report to the Industry Family Team Lead. The job function is to manage a team of analysts by maintaining developmental and analytical consistency as well as meaningfully contribute to the hiring, onboarding, objective setting, and retention of junior talent. The role supports new rating/credit opinion mandates and annual reviews by ensuring timely and forward-looking rating execution consistent with Fitch’s Corporate Rating Criteria and overseeing quality control measures that will span a rating’s life cycle but is not in itself a coverage role.

The ideal candidate is someone who:

• Has experience managing a team of junior professionals and has a strong pattern of leadership who can create an inclusive team ethos.
• Has a professional background in middle market/private debt, leveraged loans, credit analysis, and corporate finance, plus a solid understanding of financial statements.
• Has some knowledge of and/or a keen interest in learning more about the Consumer, Healthcare and Real Estate, Gaming and Leisure sectors.
• Has experience in writing succinctly, modeling, forecasting, and interpreting credit agreements and bond indentures.
• Is a strong team player with the ability to proactively and successfully interact with various stakeholders, both within and outside the organization.
• Enjoys critical thinking, including developing and sharing well-reasoned opinions.

Qualitative credentials will weigh meaningfully in the selection of the candidate. A healthy sense of intellectual curiosity is critical, along with a willingness and ability to review and explain topics of analytical complexity. Fitch is a team-oriented work environment, so excellent communication skills are essential, as is a high productivity work-ethic, results oriented mindset, and positive attitude. 

Essential Functions of this position include:

• Plans, allocates, and monitors use of resources to ensure high quality and timely rating delivery;
• Oversees and reviews quantitative and qualitative analysis including financial statement forecasting, comparable analysis and recovery evaluation as well as business models, competitive strengths, management strategy, industry analysis, and regulatory considerations;
• Actively engages in the development of the team, including using delegation and stretch assignments as development tools;
• Identifies appropriate outcomes, targets, and success factors for team;
• Identifies variances in performance against KPIs and takes timely action;
• Identifies and assesses talent, provides feedback and input into effective hiring and promotion decisions;
• Initiates and drives collaboration between the team and other Fitch areas to further the company’s strategic goals;
• Participates in meetings with external stakeholders (direct lenders, alternative asset managers) for private monitored ratings and preliminary credit assessments;
• Supports and contributes to research publications for the team and Fitch’s Leveraged Finance initiatives.

Position Requirements:

- Bachelor's degree at a minimum, MBA or other advanced degree/designation (CFA/CPA) a plus;
- Employee management experience;

- Relevant experience a plus, especially coverage or knowledge of the Consumer, Healthcare or REGAL  sectors, direct lending, middle market, credit analysis, and accounting; 
- Expertise in Excel and Word;
- Strong analytical, quantitative, and organizational skills;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; 
- Ability to shift fluidly between multiple projects as priorities change; 
- Ability to excel in a team-oriented environment.