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Criteria Officer

Employer
Fitch Ratings
Location
Chicago, USA
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Oct 3, 2019

View more

Job Function
Credit Analysis
Industry Sector
Finance - General
Employment Type
Full Time
Education
Bachelors
Dual-headquartered in New York and London, Fitch Ratings is a leading provider of credit ratings, commentary and research. Dedicated to providing value beyond the rating through independent and prospective credit opinions, Fitch Ratings offers global perspectives shaped by strong local market experience and credit market expertise. The additional context, perspective and insights we provide help investors to make important credit judgments with confidence.

Fitch Solutions delivers credit market data, analytical tools and risk services to the global financial community. In addition to offering proprietary market-based content, Fitch Solutions distributes the ratings, research and financial data of Fitch Ratings through a variety of flexible platforms. With innovation and experience behind every solution, Fitch Solutions helps financial professionals meet the diverse and evolving needs of today's global markets.

Fitch Ratings and Fitch Solutions, along with Fitch Learning, are part of the Fitch Group, a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries. Fitch Group is wholly-owned by Hearst.

Fitch Ratings and Fitch Solutions are an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer, complying with all laws governing employment in each jurisdiction in which operating, and provide equal opportunity to all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and other status protected by applicable laws.

The Credit Policy Group's (CPG) core objective is to ensure the quality and consistency of Fitch's ratings with its credit rating criteria. CPG aims to identify and review economic trends across regions and industries and consider potential ratings impact. This can be achieved through conventional credit measures such as financial ratios and market data, as well as external research or commentary on credit trends. CPG performs analysis to assess appropriateness of rating activity, both at a portfolio level and for individual credits. CPG may be involved in steering groups in the development of criteria and also assesses the application of criteria and quality of the rating process.

Role Description

CPG seeks a Criteria Officer to join our team. Criteria Officers are senior credit analysts who are responsible for the review and approval of all Fitch's rating criteria, assumptions and models presented by the analytical teams. Each Criteria Officer works across all asset classes and geographies and therefore must develop a broad understanding of the global credit markets and productively communicate with senior analytical team members and Group Heads.

The Criteria Officer's review focuses on making sure there is a sound analytical justification for the criteria via a review of the back-testing and making sure that Fitch's ratings process is transparent and consistent across groups and geographies.

The Criteria Officers are independent from the ratings process. They sit within the Group Risk function and report to the Chief Criteria Officer.

Requirements
  • Strong Credit Knowledge: This person will need excellent credit intuition in order to quickly pick up potential risks and rating drivers across a wide range of asset classes across the globe.
  • Strong Analytical Skills: Ability to develop robust evidence-backed arguments to test our criteria and make it as accurate and consistent as possible.
  • Excellent communication skills: This person will need to communicate fully and constructively with the ratings groups, the model validation team, the ratings performance analysts and the GCOs.
  • Deadline focused: Criteria reviews are often performed according to strict deadlines set by regulation and Fitch's policies.
  • Good recording keeping skills: All criteria review committees must be documented.
  • Undergraduate Degree in finance or other quantitative disciplines is essential.
  • Advanced degrees or industry designations such as CFA, CPAs desirable
  • Several years in credit analysis, banking or review required, for example in direct lending, credit analysis or in a bank credit review function.
  • Prior criteria development skills are desirable (for example, determining underwriting or credit review parameters)
  • Strong interpersonal skills


Fitch is committed to providing global securities markets with objective, timely, independent and forward-looking credit opinions. To protect Fitch's credibility and reputation, our employees must take every precaution to avoid conflicts of interests or any appearance of a conflict of interest. Should you be successful in the recruitment process at Fitch Ratings you will asked to declare any securities holdings and other potential conflicts for you and your Family Members prior to commencing employment. If you, or your Family Members, have any holdings that may conflict with your work responsibilities, they must be sold before beginning work. In certain roles, employees and their Family Members may be limited to investments in diversified mutual funds only.

For more information about this policy, please visit the code of ethics and conduct page - http://www.fitchratings.com/web/en/dynamic/about-us/code-of-ethics-and-conduct.jsp

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