Head of EMB Credit Risk Approval - ED

OCBC Malaysia; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 400,000 - 640,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Benefits package

Community initiatives

Professional development

Wellbeing & growth

Job summary

OCBC Malaysia seeks a seasoned Head of EMB Credit Risk Approval to lead risk oversight for Emerging Business credit decisions and to ensure disciplined, compliant approvals and portfolio growth. You will oversee governance, policy adherence, and timely outcomes with strong leadership across the team.

The role requires 10+ years in credit risk, exceptional judgement, and a proactive mindset, paired with excellent English communication and stakeholder management.

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in accounting, finance, commerce, economics, business, or related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years in credit risk or credit approvals with senior decision-making capability.
• Strong credit judgement with integrity and risk awareness.
• Proactive, adaptable and open to change with continuous improvement mindset.
• Excellent planning, organisation and stakeholder management skills.
• Independent, self-motivated and able to exercise authority.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to a team of credit approvers, ensuring policy adherence and approval discipline.
• Review and approve EMB credit applications, including exceptions and restructurings.
• Oversee EMB Credit Procedure Guide, ensure regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
• Manage department capacity and drive turnaround time improvements; coach the team.

Skills

Leadership

Credit judgement

Risk awareness

Stakeholder management

Change readiness

Education

Diploma or Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Economics, Business

Job description

WHO WE ARE:

As Singapore’s longest established bank, we have been dedicated to enabling individuals and businesses to achieve their aspirations since 1932. How? By taking the time to truly understand people. From there, we provide support, services, solutions, and career paths that meet their individual needs and desires. Today, we’re on a journey of transformation. Leveraging technology and creativity to become a future-ready learning organisation. But for all that change, our strategic ambition is consistently clear and bold, which is to be Asia’s leading financial services partner for a sustainable future. We invite you to build the bank of the future. Innovate the way we deliver financial services. Work in friendly, supportive teams. Build lasting value in your community. Help people grow their assets, business, and investments. Take your learning as far as you can. Or simply enjoy a vibrant, future-ready career. Your Opportunity Starts Here.

Position

Head, EMB Credit Risk Approval Rank: Executive Director

Job Purpose To provide strong credit risk leadership over Emerging Business (EMB) credit approvals, ensuring sound credit decisions, disciplined adherence to risk appetite, regulatory compliance, and efficient delivery of approval outcomes that support sustainable portfolio growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Credit Approval & Risk Oversight Provide leadership and direction to a team of credit approvers, ensuring consistent application of credit policies, standards, and approval discipline. Assess credit standing, structure facilities, and approve all Emerging Business (EMB) credit applications, including credit exceptions. Evaluate and approve trade transaction exceptions, current account excesses, end-financing empanelment proposals, and other ad-hoc exceptions, where required. Review and approve rescheduling and restructuring proposals in line with credit policy and risk appetite.
• Governance & Compliance Oversee the timely review and enhancement of the EMB Credit Procedure Guide, ensuring alignment with business developments, risk appetite, and regulatory requirements. Ensure full compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, internal controls, and audit expectations. Act as the key point of contact for internal, external, and regulatory audits relating to credit approval matters.
• Portfolio Reviews Conduct post-mortem reviews on delinquent or problem accounts to identify root causes, systemic issues, and control gaps. Partner with Policy and Collections teams to ensure early identification of credit deterioration and timely implementation of corrective actions. Provide clear and constructive risk feedback to business stakeholders to support prudent and sustainable EMB portfolio growth.
• People & Operational Management Manage departmental capacity and resources to ensure credit approval turnaround time are consistently delivered within agreed service level targets. Continuously enhance credit approval processes to improve efficiency, quality, and productivity. Build a strong risk culture through coaching, mentoring, and effective performance management of the credit approval team.

Job Requirements

A recognised Diploma or Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Economics, Business, or a related discipline.

Minimum 10 years of relevant credit risk or credit approval experience, with proven senior-level decision-making capability.

Strong credit judgement with high integrity and sound risk awareness.

Proactive, adaptable, and open to change, with a continuous improvement mindset.

Excellent planning, organisation, and stakeholder management skills.

Independent, self-motivated, resourceful, and confident in exercising authority.

Excellent command of written and spoken English.

This Role reports into Head of Retail Credit Risk Management.

What we offer:

• Competitive base salary.
• A suite of holistic, flexible benefits to suit every lifestyle.
• Community initiatives.
• Industry-leading learning and professional development opportunities.
• Your wellbeing, growth and aspirations are every bit as cared for as the needs of our customers.

Let’s build the bank we need for the future we want. Find the best version of yourself in a friendly, supportive team. Build lasting value in your community. Help people grow their assets, business, and investments. Take your learning as far as you can. Or simply enjoy a vibrant, future-ready career. Your Opportunity Starts Here

As the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932 from the merger of three local banks, we have grown from strength to strength to become a regional financial services group. With a deep history in Asia, we offer the most comprehensive coverage across ASEAN and Greater China, complemented with a presence in the leading economies of New York, London and Sydney. We are the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets with one of the world’s highest credit rating (Aa1 by Moody’s and AA- by both Fitch and S&P). We offer private banking services through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Bank of Singapore, which operates on a unique open-architecture product platform to source for the best-in-class products to meet its clients’ goals. Our insurance subsidiary, Great Eastern Holdings, is the oldest and most established life insurance group in Singapore and Malaysia.