Role Summary

We are hiring for an experienced senior risk professional to lead Trade & Working Capital (TWC) SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) Risk across our international footprint.

This role is responsible for shaping and implementing risk strategies, policies, and portfolio management frameworks that support sustainable business growth while maintaining a robust risk and governance environment. Working closely with senior stakeholders across Risk, Business, Operations, and Governance functions, you will drive credit risk excellence, portfolio resilience, and regulatory compliance for the SME lending portfolio.

Role Responsibilities

Define and implement risk management strategies for the SME Trade & Working Capital portfolio across multiple markets.
Design and enhance credit risk policies, standards, and governance frameworks covering client onboarding, underwriting, monitoring, and portfolio management.
Shape portfolio risk appetite and drive an optimal balance between growth, returns, and risk.
Monitor portfolio performance and identify emerging risks, adverse trends, and early warning indicators.
Establish portfolio guidelines, controls, escalation frameworks, and risk mitigation measures across countries.
Provide insight and recommendations on evolving market, economic, regulatory, and industry developments affecting SME lending.
Lead thematic risk reviews and forward-looking portfolio assessments to strengthen portfolio resilience.
Partner with Business, Risk Operations, and Analytics teams to improve credit processes, controls, and management information capabilities.
Ensure effective governance of financial and non-financial risks, including fraud, ESG, model, and operational risk considerations.
Represent Risk in relevant forums and collaborate with stakeholders to support sound credit decision-making and policy execution.

Role Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline; postgraduate qualifications are advantageous.
Seasoned Banking / Risk professional with experience covering SME, commercial, corporate, or wholesale lending risk.
Strong expertise in Trade Finance, Working Capital, and credit risk management within complex banking environments.
Proven experience in credit policy development, portfolio management, underwriting, and risk governance.
Deep understanding of retail, SME, and commercial lending risk frameworks and controls.
Demonstrated ability to manage risk through changing economic, regulatory, and market conditions.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sound independent judgments.
Strong stakeholder management, influencing, and communication skills at senior executive level.
Experience working across multiple countries, cultures, and regulatory environments.
Ability to lead complex initiatives and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

About Standard Chartered

We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us.

Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.

Together We

Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term

What We Offer

In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.

Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.

Head, Trade & Working Capital SME Risk(Hong Kong, Singapore)