Credit Research Lead (Corporate), Asset Management

Starr Underwriting; London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company in London is seeking a Senior Credit Research Analyst to focus on identifying credit risks and providing investment recommendations. The ideal candidate will have strong credit fundamentals, experience in credit analysis, and the ability to communicate complex data effectively. This role offers a competitive salary of £90,000 – £130,000 plus comprehensive benefits including a generous pension scheme and generous leave policies.

Benefits

Bonus

Excellent pension scheme

Private medical insurance

38 days holiday

3x volunteering days

Career breaks

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of credit quality and fundamental assessment.
• Experience in a Credit Rating Agency and credit research.
• Attention to detail for riskier assets.

Responsibilities

• Conduct sector and issuer credit analysis to provide insights.
• Maintain sector outlooks in collaboration with portfolio managers.
• Ensure adherence to internal and regulatory governance standards.
• Integrate ESG factors into investment recommendations.
• Manage stakeholder relationships and contribute to strategic projects.

Skills

Credit Fundamentals technical skills

Understanding of Credit Analysis

Financial forecast analysis

ESG considerations

Job description

Job Description

We are pleased to announce an incredible opportunity to join us here at Phoenix Group as a Senior Credit Research Analyst to join our Asset Management function.The focus of this role is scanning the horizon for emerging credit risks and recommend early action to protect the Phoenix balance sheet.

Job Type: Permanent

Location: This role will be based in our London office, with flexibility working between the office and home. There may be some travel between our Phoenix offices. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about Phoenix Flex here.

Salary and Benefits: £90,000 – £130,000 (subject to experience) + bonus, excellent pension scheme, private medical insurance, electric vehicle scheme, 38 days holiday incl. Bank Holidays (pro-rated), plus 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more!

Who are we?

We want to be the best place that any of our 6,600 colleagues have ever worked.

We’re Phoenix Group, we’re a long-term savings and retirement business. We offer a range of products across our market-leading brands, Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK has a pension with us. We’re a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we’re not done yet.

Role Context

The Senior Credit Research Analyst will work closely with our portfolio managers to provide credit research and recommendations on publicly rated corporate credit, and support Portfolio Managers’ investment decisions. Secondarily, you may be also involved in Internal Credit Ratings work on Corporate credit assets.

You will be an important Phoenix subject matter expert (SME) on Corporate sectors and ratings, and will provide robust public market portfolio management support and risk management oversight both at a sector level and individual issuer level.

The deliverable is to produce forward-looking sector and single name outlooks and recommendations with a focus on credit quality (industry, regulatory, macro and credit fundamental assessments) and credit rating sensitivities in the context of a “Buy and Maintain” portfolio.

This role would suit those with prior experience of providing credit research and building an investment thesis on credit fundamentals as a sell or buy side analyst with credit rating expertise in a major credit rating agency.

Core areas of focus

• Robust analyis of industry and macro credit risks; covers a range of regulated (for example, Utilities) and unregulated entities.
• Issuer credit analysis based on financial fundamentals and ESG considerations.
• Sound knowledge of Credit Rating Agency rating and ESG methodologies and how they apply to various sectors.
• Ability to apply this skillset in a wide range of Investment Grade Credit sectors in all major currencies.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Sector outlooks and thought leadership views – Maintain sector outlooks across the corporate portfolio in collaboration with the Head of Credit Research and the Public Market portfolio managers.
• Regular and ad-hoc/event-driven reviews and recommendations - This will involve tracking credit events, earning, news and relative value for a wide range of corporate issuers and full ownership of a Corporate Coverage list
• Adhere to internal and regulatory governance standards - Responsible for ensuring that credit analysis output meets all internal governance and regulatory requirements. Maintenance of lists of sectors/entities that require closer monitoring
• ESG analysis – Integration of environmental, social and governance factors in the investment recommendations
• New Issuance – Perform initial screening and recommendations on new issuance in the public markets
• Wider Project Contribution - for example activities including strategic asset allocation, new asset classes, scenario analysis, regulatory requests, and monitoring of exposures.
• Managing internal & external stakeholder relationships –
  • Internal Functions: Head of Credit Research, Chief Credit Officer and other credit specialists within the team, Public Market Portfolio Management team, ALM & structuring team and Group Risk, as well as our BPA team
  • External Parties: Bond Issuers, Rating agencies, Sell Side and other Credit Analysts, Regulatory bodies
    

Additional responsibilities will include producing specific assets MI, portfolio and sector reviews and committee inputs, through to supporting and developing junior members of the team.

What are we looking for?

Experience / Knowledge - Essential (minimum Criteria)

• Strong Credit Fundamentals technical skillset. Deep understanding of Credit Analysis, Financial forecasts and Credit Rating assessments for corporate credit assets under coverage. Attention to detail is important for riskier assets.
• Demonstrated technical skills developed in a Credit Rating Agency and a Sell or Buy Side Credit Research team and exposure to both fundamental and relative value recommendations.
  
  

Personal Attributes & Skills

• Ability to both look at the industry and macro drivers and form and present opinion on the credit quality of an asset, from a current and strategic lens
• Confidence in interacting with asset managers and other stakeholders, and proactively building professional network with other technical experts. Able to translate technical information to a variety of audiences.
• Able to analyse and decipher complex data, make investment recommendations and distil key credit aspects.
  
  

We Want To Hire The Whole Version Of You.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

Find out more about

• Guide for Candidates: thephoenixgroup.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates
• Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.thephoenixgroup.com/careers/talk-to-us