Commercial Banking - Policy Manager

Role & responsibilities

1. Policy Formulation and Review

• Develop and periodically review credit and lending policies for Commercial Banking (including working capital, term loans, trade finance, bill discounting, etc.) in alignment with:
• RBI Master Directions on Loans and Advances
• RBI Prudential Norms on Income Recognition, Asset Classification and Provisioning (IRACP)
• Fair Lending and Customer Protection guidelines
• Large Exposure Framework (LEF)
• Basel III / ICAAP requirements.
• Draft, update, and circulate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and circulars governing credit appraisal, sanction, disbursement, and monitoring processes.
• Ensure policies reflect risk-based pricing, due diligence standards, and collateral management practices as per RBI norms.

2. Regulatory Compliance & Governance

• Track and implement all regulatory circulars, notifications, and Master Directions issued by RBI impacting Commercial Banking.
• Maintain a regulatory compliance matrix and ensure timely dissemination of changes to relevant stakeholders.
• Liaise with Compliance, Risk Management, and Legal teams to ensure policies are consistent with regulatory and internal frameworks.
• Support in preparation of submissions and reports for RBI inspections, internal audits, and Board-level committees (Credit Policy Committee, Risk Management Committee, etc.).

3. Credit Risk Framework & Portfolio Management

• Define and periodically review sectoral exposure limits, borrower group exposure norms, and internal rating requirements as per RBI prudential norms.
• Incorporate Early Warning Systems (EWS) and stress-testing mechanisms within the policy framework.
• Monitor policy exceptions, portfolio performance, and credit quality to identify policy gaps and recommend corrective measures.
• Ensure adherence to internal risk appetite statements and capital adequacy principles (Basel III).

4. Operational Excellence & Process Improvement

• Partner with Credit, Business, and Operations teams to ensure policy implementation through system integration (LOS/LMS).
• Support automation of policy rules and regulatory checks within credit decisioning systems.
• Identify process improvements for faster credit delivery while maintaining compliance and control.

5. Stakeholder Management & Capacity Building

• Conduct training sessions and workshops to sensitize business and credit teams on policy requirements and regulatory changes.
• Provide expert policy interpretation and guidance to front-line and credit officers.
• Represent the policy function in internal governance forums and regulatory interactions.

Preferred candidate profile

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Good knowledge of Commercial Banking products, financial analysis, and risk assessment.
• Deep understanding of RBI regulatory frameworks governing lending and credit risk.
• Strong analytical and drafting skills for credit and operational policy documents.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• High level of integrity, governance orientation, and attention to detail.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, and policy management systems.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Timely review and update of policies as per regulatory changes.
• Zero or minimal regulatory non-compliance observations.
• Reduction in policy deviations and audit findings.
• Improved standardization and governance of credit processes.

Requirement

1. 8-10 years in Banking

2. Should have worked in a leading but small private bank

3. 3 years in the last role with responsibility for policy/risk in commercial banking

4. Knowledge of trade products such as LCs and PCFCs