Portfolio Risk Manager

We’re DF Capital – a specialist bank providing award-winning commercial finance, retail finance, and savings products to consumers and small businesses.

Based in Manchester, we serve thousands of customers across the UK and into Europe, supporting their ambitions with tailored financial solutions.

We help our customers realise their ambitions by doing things differently – combining the agility and innovation of a specialist lender with the security and service standards of a regulated bank. Whether it’s flexible lending structures or straightforward savings options, we focus on what matters most to our customers.

In 2025, we launched DF Capital Retail Finance – a subsidiary of DF Capital Bank Limited – to offer specialist hire purchase solutions to retail customers.

Our goal is simple: to do the absolute best for our customers, our communities, and each other.

Your new role:

As part of the wider Credit function, you will be responsible for the proactive management, oversight and remediation of a portfolio of higher-risk customers placed on the Bank’s Watchlist. The role focuses on identifying emerging risks, protecting the Bank’s collateral position, reducing loss exposure and returning customers to a stable operating position where appropriate.

The role acts as the primary strategy manager and decision maker for Watchlist customers, working closely with Relationship Management, Credit Risk, Field Audit, Operations, Recoveries and external advisors to implement risk mitigation strategies and deliver improved portfolio outcomes.

Specifically, you will be responsible for:

• Assume end-to-end ownership of a portfolio of Watchlist customers, ensuring all accounts are managed in accordance with the Bank’s Watchlist Framework, Lending Standards and Risk Appetite.
• Act as the primary risk owner for assigned accounts, maintaining an in-depth understanding of each customer's financial performance, operational challenges, inventory profile, supply chain dependencies and overall viability.
• Develop customer-specific monitoring strategies tailored to the nature and severity of identified risks and make appropriate lending decisions under a delegated mandate to support the success of those strategies.
• Ensure risk ratings accurately reflect current customer circumstances and are updated promptly following material events.
• Lead formal Watchlist reviews and determine appropriate escalation, de-escalation or recovery strategies.
• Maintain comprehensive account strategies detailing:

o   Key risks

o   Early warning indicators

o   Mitigating actions

o   Exit plans

o   Key stakeholder responsibilities

o   Trigger points for escalation

• Take ownership of risk mitigation outcomes and ensure actions are delivered within agreed timeframes.
• Lead the development and execution of customer remediation plans designed to stabilise performance and reduce lender risk exposure.
• Working closely with the Collections & Recoveries Managers to ensure that any Watchlist Dealers that can’t be rehabilitated are placed into Recoveries in the best possible position, assisting with any ongoing decision making and support requirements.
• Engendering a positive and professional working environment that engages customers to ensure customer retention and thus maximise opportunities at all times.

Requirements:

Must possess the required proficiency to perform essential tasks. 

 You will have experience in and examples of:

• Minimum of five years’ experience lending to Commercial customers across a variety of product types.
• Effective decision making through diligent analysis of available information including evaluation of possible alternatives to get the best outcome for the bank and its customers.
• Ability to balance immediate customer needs with the bank’s risk appetite, making decisions under pressure while maintaining a focus on bad debt tolerances.
• Building, improving, and interpreting data sets.
• Detailed statistical analysis, being able to spot, interpret, and articulate to others meaningful information from trends and statistics.
• Writing comprehensive reports including the basis for your recommendations/decisions in accordance with your delegated Mandate.
• You will have excellent attention to detail and be able to work well on your own and as part of a team.
• Ability to engage and build effective working relationships with colleagues across all areas of the business.
• Confidence to articulate findings and recommendations to a broad cross-section of colleagues and influence others to take appropriate actions to address issues found.
• You will have strong verbal and written communication skills.
• You will be flexible and dynamic in your approach to resolving issues.
• You’re independent and well organised with a ‘can do’ attitude.
• You are hardworking and passionate about achieving great results.
• You pitch in and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty.
• Desire to learn and develop in a fast-paced environment

• Competitive salary dependent upon experience
• Private medical insurance for you and your Family
• 10% Employer pension contribution
• 30-day annual leave entitlement plus Bank/Public Holidays
• Free Gym Membership
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Discretionary share awards
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Save As You Earn company share acquisition scheme
• Tax efficient salary sacrifice scheme to obtain bicycles and electric vehicles
• 4 days of paid Volunteering leave to support our local communities
• World class offices in the vibrant location of Ancoats
• Company Car or Car Allowance