Analyst – Commercial Rating and Underwriting
Overview of The Department
Commercial Rating and Underwriting (CRU) sits within the Credit and Fraud Risk (CFR) division and forms the institutional credit risk management function within American Express. The CRU team plays the critical role of assessing and managing the risk of institutional exposures across all business units within American Express, and in all regions globally. Credit exposures are primarily generated through corporate and small business card programs, via merchant service relationships where non-delivery risk exists, and among the securities portfolio held for firm-wide liquidity. CRU is led from Salt Lake City with regional teams in New York, London, Singapore, Sydney and India.
In addition to determining the internal credit rating which drives the probability of default of each exposure, CRU also calculates the loss given default of these obligors while underwriting card programs. As a bank holding company, American Express must comply with the highest global banking standards set by Basel and implemented by the bank’s primarily regulatory, the Federal Reserve.
ResponsibilitiesJob Responsibilities
Analyst will be based out of Bengaluru, India and will be responsible for underwriting credit exposures. Underwriting exposures will incorporate a thorough review of business, financial, industry and country risks coupled with support from internal and external rating model outputs. Assessment includes understanding of the need for credit extension, profitability of the relationship and program structures.
Analysts will have opportunity to interact with various teams across the firm including front office sales, business unit risk partners, and credit administration to perform their critical role.
Desired Skills
- Experience as a credit analyst or underwriter dealing with commercial exposures ranging from small business or middle-market to large, multinational institutions
- Thorough understanding of fundamental financial analysis including the ability to review corporate financial statements to determine the ability of the obligor to honor its credit obligations
- Comfort with GAAP/IFRS accounting standards, corporate valuation, and forecasting
- Familiarity with quantitative credit models (such as Moody’s RiskCalc, CreditEdge, etc) and knowledge of how to interpret the outputs, and when deviation from the model has appropriate defense
- Comfort with public agency ratings and supporting analysis
- Understanding of current macroeconomic trends and how to provide recommendations to improve the PD estimation based on the business cycle
- Experience preparing company-specific and industry-wide credit memorandums
Qualifications
- 0-2 years experience rating and / or underwriting at a leading financial institution or rating agency
- Bachelor’s degree from a top tier university with high GPA and a degree (or substantial coursework) in finance, accounting, economics, or statistics
- Chartered Financial Analyst program candidacy a plus
- Proficiency with MS excel, VBA will be a plus
At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.
As part of Team Amex, you’ll experience our powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.
About the TeamWe back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:
- Competitive base salaries
- Bonus incentives
- Support for financial-well-being and retirement
- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location)
- Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
- Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
- Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
- Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program
- Career development and training opportunities
American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.
Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
Skills Required
- 0-2 years experience rating and/or underwriting at a leading financial institution or rating agency
- Bachelor's degree with substantial coursework in finance, accounting, economics, or statistics
- Proficiency with MS Excel
- VBA familiarity
American Express Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about American Express and has not been reviewed or approved by American Express.
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Healthcare Strength — Pay is often viewed as attractive when combined with comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage that supports day-to-day needs. The benefits package is also framed as especially helpful for those supporting dependents.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are positioned as a meaningful part of total rewards through a 401(k) plan with company matching. Financial wellness services and coaching are also highlighted as strengthening longer-term financial security.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is repeatedly characterized as generous and a valued component of the overall package. Time off and flexibility are presented as helping the total rewards feel more complete beyond base salary.
American Express Insights
What We Do
At American Express, we know that with the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. Whether we’re supporting our customers’ financial confidence to move ahead, taking commerce to new heights, or encouraging people to explore the world, our colleagues are constantly striving to uphold our powerful backing promise to our customers and each other every day. These beliefs have been our North Star for 170 years as our business transformed – from helping evacuate travelers during World Wars, to ensuring the safety of our customers’ funds during the Great Depression in the U.S., to creating the Shop Small® movement to help small businesses recover from the Financial Crisis, to providing aid to communities impacted by many natural disasters and so much more. For generations, the key to our success has been the determination and resilience of our American Express colleagues. Now, as a globally integrated payments company, we work together to provide customers with access to products, insights and world-class experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Join us and let’s lead the way together.
