Associate, Financial Services Ratings - U.S. & Canadian Banks

JobDescription :
The Role: Associate, U.S./Canada Bank Ratings

We are currently looking for a highly motivated individual to join the North American Financial Institutions practice as an Associate in the U.S./Canada Bank Ratings team. The candidate will be responsible for monitoring the ratings on a portfolio of banks, as part of a team led by a senior analyst, and collaborate with other experienced team members.
The candidate will be required to prepare extensively and lead meetings with senior management teams to extract and assess information relating to a bank's credit quality, and to explain our credit rating opinions verbally and in writing. Strong presentation and organizational skills are also required to present clear, detailed information and reasoned opinions to our credit rating committees.

The Location: Toronto/NYC/Denver

The Team: When you join S&P Global Ratings and the North American Financial Services Ratings group, you join one of the world's leading providers of independent credit risk research and benchmarks in corporate finance. You are part of a team that produces high quality fundamental research focused on banks based on established criteria in a fast-paced environment.

The Impact: The successful candidate will be the primary analyst responsible for a portfolio of bank credits. In addition to surveillance of the portfolio, the analyst will effectively communicate with market participants about ratings, as well as fundamentals and trends impacting the industry.
The successful candidate will be adept at navigating in an environment which stimulates continuous improvement and innovation, and the highest customer service standards while adhering to established ratings criteria, methodology, policies and procedures. The individual will be able to demonstrate analytical excellence, and rigorously maintain and enhance the quality and timeliness of our analysis.

What's in it for you:

• Access to senior management to hear firsthand of the challenges and opportunities our issuers face
• Work with a team of experienced analysts to assign and surveil ratings
• The opportunity to collaborate on research on banking-related topics
• Interact frequently with key market participants

Responsibilities:

• Analyze a portfolio of 10 - 15 bank credits
• Prepare for and lead meetings with senior management teams to extract and assess information important to our ratings and to explain our credit rating opinions
• Demonstrate the ability to understand and identify key factors that affect an issuer's credit rating
• Develop and maintain an understanding of industry trends and issues
• Prepare a variety of material suitable for publication on S&P Global's credit portal and other media sufficient to disseminate and explain our ratings on a timely basis
• Actively participate in management meetings with issuers and rating committees

What We're Looking For:
Required Qualifications

• At least 3-5 years of experience working in the field related to credit analysis, ideally of financial institutions
• MBA or Master's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Engineering, or Mathematics
• Have strong analytical skills with a deep understanding of financial statements and accounting concepts
• Be accurate with figures and detail oriented so as to maintain accuracy while complying with deadlines
• An independent ability and desire to learn and drive his/her own analysis and research
• Able to work in a collaborative work environment
• Be willing to travel, sometimes with short notice
• Have strong Excel/Word/PowerPoint and database application skills
• Ability to prepare forecasts based upon reasoned assumptions
• Possess solid communication skills, verbal and written

Preferred Qualifications

• CFA
• Undergraduate degree, preferable majors in Business Management, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or other business related majors