Counterparty Credit Risk Director

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.

The anticipated salary range for this role is between $178,000.00 and $231,000.00. The specific salary offered to an applicant will be based on their individual qualifications, experiences, and an analysis of the current compensation paid in their geography and the market for similar roles at the time of hire. The role may also be eligible for an annual discretionary incentive award. In addition to cash compensation, SMBC offers a competitive portfolio of benefits to its employees.

Role Description

We are seeking a highly skilled Director to lead the Counterparty Credit Risk (CCR) Portfolio Analysis function, with oversight across both Derivatives and Securities Financing Transactions (SFT). This senior role is responsible for delivering clear and actionable portfolio insights, ensuring robust exposure governance, and strengthening the firm’s CCR risk management framework. The Director will oversee core areas including portfolio analysis, stress testing, CCAR deliverables, CCR Risk Appetite design and monitoring, and engagement on new transactions and business initiatives. The role will have a few direct reports.

The role requires strong expertise in interpreting CCR exposure models and translating complex exposure dynamics into meaningful risk insights for senior management and committees. The Director will work closely with Sales & Trading on pre‑deal analysis, assess new product and business initiatives from a CCR perspective, and partner with Quant/Modeling teams to ensure accurate and complete exposure representation across the risk infrastructure.

This position also plays a key role in driving global consistency in CCR processes and standards by collaborating with regional and global stakeholders across the firm. The ideal candidate combines deep CCR knowledge, strong technical and analytical skills, and the leadership capability to guide a high-performing team, influence cross‑functional partners, and uphold strong governance and control standards.

Role Objectives

• Portfolio Oversight: Lead review of counterparty credit exposures across Derivatives and SFT, including major counterparties, collateral trends, exposure movements, and concentration risks.
• Exposure Interpretation: Oversee interpretation of PFE/EPE/Stressed Exposures and exposure changes; provide clear explanation of drivers, limit triggers, and significant exposure shifts.
• Pre‑Deal Analysis: Partner with Sales & Trading to assess new transactions pre‑execution, ensuring compliance with credit limits.
• New Product & Business Support: Lead CCR review for new products/business initiatives, define exposure requirements, assess risk implications, and ensure readiness across systems/processes and.
• Model Engagement: Direct Quant/Model Development teams on CCR exposure model enhancements and ensure methodology updates accurately reflect product features and risk drivers (interpretation/challenge role—not model building).
• Risk Appetite Management: Design, maintain, and monitor the CCR Risk Appetite framework; oversee thresholds, triggers, escalation, and remediation routines.
• Stress Testing Leadership: Lead CCR stress testing across Derivatives and SFT, including risk factor identification, scenario design, exposure behavior under stress, methodology improvements, and documentation.
• CCAR Execution: Own CCR deliverables for CCAR, ensuring high-quality analysis, documentation, and alignment with Finance and Enterprise Stress Testing.
• Executive Reporting: Deliver high-quality CCR materials for senior risk committees and executive forums, clearly articulating exposure trends and emerging risks.
• Global Alignment and Transformation: Drive firmwide efforts to harmonize CCR processes, frameworks, and standards across regions; influence global partners to ensure consistent practices.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop a high-performing CCR Portfolio Analysis team, fostering strong analytical rigor, governance discipline, and effective challenge.
• Continuous Improvement: Enhance reporting, data quality, visualization tools, and automation to improve CCR transparency and operating efficiency.

Qualifications and Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field. A master’s degree or relevant certification (e.g., CFA, FRM) is a plus.
• Experience: Minimum of 12+ years of experience in Counterparty Credit Risk, or a related risk discipline, with strong exposure to Derivatives and SFT. Experience with CCR stress testing, exposure interpretation, and CCR regulatory deliverables (e.g., SR 11-10, BCBS 588, CCAR) is a must.
• Technical Skills: Strong understanding of CCR exposure concepts (PFE, EPE, EAD) and collateral/netting structures. Familiarity with xVA and ability to interpret model-driven outputs. Proficiency with analytical tools such as Excel and data visualization tools is preferred; strong organizational and process discipline required.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex CCR concepts to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders, including senior management and committees.
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, manage cross-functional initiatives, and drive high-quality execution across stress testing, portfolio analysis, and governance processes.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize large datasets, identify key risk themes, challenge assumptions, and drive well‑reasoned decisions.
• Risk & Governance Mindset: Strong control orientation, with experience establishing documentation standards, quality checks, escalation routines, and governance frameworks aligned to enterprise expectations.
• Team Skills: Ability to work collaboratively across Front Office, Finance, Market Risk, Quant/Model teams, and Technology. Self-starter with the ability to multi‑task, prioritize, and maintain momentum in a fast-paced environment.

SMBC’s employees participate in a Hybrid workforce model that provides employees with an opportunity to work from home, as well as, from an SMBC office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location. Prospective candidates will learn more about their specific hybrid work schedule during their interview process. Hybrid work may not be permitted for certain roles, including, for example, certain FINRA-registered roles for which in-office attendance for the entire workweek is required.

SMBC provides reasonable accommodations during candidacy for applicants with disabilities consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know at [email protected].