Portfolio Manager: Agriculture

Merchant West; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

Merchant West seeks a Junior Portfolio Manager to oversee a portfolio of client facilities, monitor risk, and maintain strong client service. The role involves relationship management, deal support, and ensuring governance compliance across the portfolio.

The ideal candidate has a BCom or BSc (Agri) with relevant finance/ maths subjects and at least 1 year in a client-facing financial role, with strong analytical and communication skills.

Qualifications

• BCom degree or BSc (Agri) with Finance and/or Mathematics, Accounting as a subject(s).

Responsibilities

• Manage and monitor a portfolio of client facilities to ensure strong financial performance and asset quality.
• Track client exposures, repayment behaviour, and overall portfolio health.
• Ensure portfolio performance aligns with Merchant West risk and profitability targets.
• Maintain strong relationships with clients to ensure ongoing service delivery and satisfaction.
• Engage with clients to understand business needs and identify additional opportunities.
• Resolve client queries and manage relationship issues in a timely manner.
• Monitor client financial performance and identify potential credit risks.
• Ensure compliance with approved credit terms, covenants, and facility conditions.
• Escalate risk concerns and recommend corrective actions where required.
• Support business units with deal structuring and execution within the portfolio.
• Assess financial impact of restructuring or additional funding requests.
• Identify opportunities to grow and optimise the portfolio.
• Prepare and maintain accurate portfolio reports and documentation.
• Ensure all client records and portfolio data are up to date and compliant.
• Provide regular updates on portfolio performance to management.
• Ensure adherence to credit policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Maintain proper documentation and audit trails for portfolio activities.
• Support audit and compliance processes related to portfolio management.

Skills

Portfolio management

Financial analysis

Credit risk evaluation

Deal structuring

Relationship management

Portfolio reporting

Credit policy interpretation

Financial modelling

Education

BCom or BSc (Agri) with Finance/Math/Accounting

Job description

Role Purpose:

The Junior Portfolio Manager is responsible for managing and maintaining a portfolio of client facilities by ensuring strong portfolio performance, effective risk management, and high levels of client service. The role involves monitoring client exposures, maintaining ongoing client relationships, and ensuring compliance with Merchant West credit policies and governance frameworks. The Portfolio Manager works closely with business units to support deal execution, manage risk, and identify opportunities for portfolio growth and optimisation.

Main Accountabilities:

Portfolio Management and Performance

• Manage and monitor a portfolio of client facilities to ensure strong financial performance and asset quality.
• Track client exposures, repayment behaviour, and overall portfolio health.
• Ensure portfolio performance aligns with Merchant West risk and profitability targets.

Client Relationship Management

• Maintain strong relationships with clients to ensure ongoing service delivery and satisfaction.
• Engage with clients to understand business needs and identify additional opportunities.
• Resolve client queries and manage relationship issues in a timely manner.

Portfolio Risk Monitoring

• Monitor client financial performance and identify potential credit risks.
• Ensure compliance with approved credit terms, covenants, and facility conditions.
• Escalate risk concerns and recommend corrective actions where required.

Deal Support and Portfolio Growth

• Support business units with deal structuring and execution within the portfolio.
• Assess financial impact of restructuring or additional funding requests.
• Identify opportunities to grow and optimise the portfolio.

Reporting and Portfolio Administration

• Prepare and maintain accurate portfolio reports and documentation.
• Ensure all client records and portfolio data are up to date and compliant.
• Provide regular updates on portfolio performance to management.

Credit Governance and Compliance

• Ensure adherence to credit policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Maintain proper documentation and audit trails for portfolio activities.
• Support audit and compliance processes related to portfolio management.

Qualifications:

• BCom degree or BSc (Agri) with Finance and/or Mathematics, Accounting as a subject(s)

Experience:

• 1+ years’ experience in a client facing role with a financial background or agricultural background
• Relationships and client/ dealer base within the sector

Skills:

• Portfolio management and performance monitoring
• Financial statement analysis and credit risk evaluation
• Deal structuring and transaction assessment
• Client relationship and stakeholder management
• Portfolio reporting and financial analysis
• Credit policy interpretation and application
• Financial modelling and cash flow analysis
• Portfolio systems and financial software utilisation.

Competencies:

• Commercial judgement and financial acumen
• Analytical thinking and problem solving
• Decision making and sound risk judgement
• Stakeholder engagement and collaboration
• Negotiation and influencing capability
• Accountability and ownership
• Results orientation and performance focus
• Integrity and governance discipline