Director, Underwriting Risk Management, Risk Management Department

SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION SINGAPORE BRANCH; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION SINGAPORE BRANCH seeks an experienced risk professional to oversee underwriting activities across APAC. You will evaluate transactions, monitor portfolio risk, and guide senior management with strategic risk insights.

You will drive risk management across regions, enhance frameworks, and ensure governance for underwriting operations while coordinating with Head Office and regional teams on regulatory alignment and business initiatives.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent experience in a financial institution; advanced qualifications such as CFA, FRM or MBA are advantageous.
• Minimum 15+ years of banking or financial services experience with credit/underwriting risk and related functions.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and stakeholder management in English; regional/global collaboration.
• Ability to lead initiatives in a fast-paced, cross-border environment with meticulous attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Underwriting Transaction Oversight: lead independent review and challenge of APAC underwriting transactions and support risk-based decision making.
• Ongoing Risk Management and Governance: oversee unsold exposures, MtM review, and risk trend analyses for the portfolio.
• Risk Framework and Strategy: develop APAC underwriting risk management strategy and enhance risk frameworks and monitoring processes.
• Product and Business Initiative Risk Assessment: assess risk of new structured debt products and coordinate with Head Office and regional stakeholders.

Skills

Credit risk

Underwriting risk

Stakeholder management

Communication

Leadership

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

CFA/FRM/MBA advantageous

Job description

Seeking an experienced risk professional to play a key role in the oversight challenge, and governance of underwriting activities across the APAC region by evaluating underwriting transactions, overseeing portfolio risk, enhancing regional risk frameworks, and providing strategic risk guidance to senior management.

Job Responsibilities

Underwriting Transaction Oversight

• Support Senior Management and lead an independent review and challenge of underwriting transactions across APAC, partnering with stakeholders in Credit and First Line of Defence to support risk-based decision making by providing strategic oversight and expert assessment of credit, market, structural and execution risks associated with underwriting transactions.

Ongoing Risk Management and Governance

• Oversee monitoring and management of unsold exposures and underwriting portfolio including review of MtM and distribution strategy as well as escalation of key risk concerns.
• Drive portfolio-level analysis of the regional underwriting book presenting risk trends, concentrations, market developments and strategic recommendations to appropriate committees.
• Ensure full governance oversight for the Underwriting Business

Risk Framework and Strategy

• Drive the development and execution of the APAC underwriting risk management strategy.
• Lead enhancements to underwriting risk frameworks, policies, governance standards, and monitoring processes to ensure robust risk management and alignment with evolving regulatory and market expectations.
• Foster collaboration across regions and functions to promote best practices, consistency of risk standards, and continuous improvement of underwriting risk management capabilities.

Product and Business Initiative Risk Assessment

• Lead the risk assessment and governance review of new structured debt products, transactions and strategic business initiatives from a credit risk perspective.
• Coordinate cross-functional engagement with regional and global stakeholders, including Head Office, to ensure appropriate risk governance, regulatory compliance and alignment with strategic objectives.

Job Requirements :

• Degree or equivalent experience in Financial Institution; advanced qualifications such as CFA, FRM, MBA, or equivalent are advantageous.
• Minimum 15+ years of relevant experience within the banking or financial services industry, with strong experience in credit risk, underwriting risk, structured finance, leveraged finance, capital markets, or related risk management functions and a good understanding of key wholesale banking products and solutions
• Strong communication, interpersonal and stakeholder management skills with fluency in written and spoken English
• Team Player and highly self-motivated with strong ownership, execution discipline, and the ability to lead initiatives in a fast-paced and complex environment. Meticulous with an eye for detail.
• Comfortable operating in a regional or global organization, managing cross-border stakeholder relationships and driving initiatives across multiple jurisdictions