Global Infrastructure and Project Finance Group - Credit Opinions, Associate Director

Global Infrastructure and Project Finance Group – Credit Opinion, Associate Director

Global Infrastructure and Project Finance Group is currently seeking an Associate Director based out of our Toronto office.

The Global Infrastructure and Project Finance Group (GIG) covers approximately 650 credits across transportation, power & energy, social, digital and water infrastructure, as well as sports facilities and UK whole business securitization. The group comprises approximately 85 analysts with backgrounds particularly in project finance, structured credits and corporate finance, based in Fitch’s offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Austin, London, Milan, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Dubai, Madrid, Monterrey, Ciudad del México, Singapore, and Sydney.

The portfolio includes public and private ratings and credit opinions covering a variety of transaction types, including project finance, corporate finance and structured credits. The issuers include owners of airports, toll roads, ports, rail infrastructure, power plants, oil and gas facilities, renewable assets, digital infrastructure or public private partnerships. The team’s output consists mainly of annual surveillance reviews, new ratings, internal credit assessments and sector research reports which are published primarily through Fitch’s website.

What We Offer:

• High value for independent opinion
• Opportunity to take a lead role analyzing cutting-edge transactions
• Collaborative work environment
• Opportunity for career growth in one of the fastest growing sectors
• Great company culture with strong belief in DEI
• Hybrid working

We’ll Count on You To:

Fitch Ratings is seeking a credit analyst with at least 5-7 years of project finance related experience across infrastructure sectors such as Transportation, Public Private Partnerships and Power & Renewable sectors. The primary responsibilities of the successful candidate will be to focus on the analysis of and assigning credit opinions on various infrastructure and project finance transactions.

Your involvement will take the form of leading the analysis for new loans and reviewing surveillance of existing rated loans on your allocated portfolio.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Undertake, as Primary Analyst, credit opinions on newly assigned transactions as well as monitoring any existing credit opinions on your allocated portfolio. Present credit recommendations to committees.
• Interact with external parties, including asset managers, as part of the credit assessment process.
• Closely follow market developments in the relevant sectors and assess the potential impact on the allocated loan portfolio.
• Work on credit analysis and research on new and existing North America (NA) transactions.
• Evaluate innovative credit structures and participate in global criteria development.
• Identify relevant trends, assess their credit impact and highlight these trends in updated industry and market focused reports/presentations.
• Gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative data and legal documents for the purpose of producing credit opinions, publishing credit reports, and contributing to special research reports.

What You Need to Have:

• Master’s degree in Finance, Business or Public Administration preferred.
• Proven project finance and infrastructure credit skills gained in a bank credit department, a rating agency, buy side credit department, etc.
• Good understanding of capital structures and financial documentation with exposure to both project finance and corporate-style construct.
• Ability to identify key risk factors in a transaction.
• Excellent Excel skills and thorough familiarity with Excel-based financial models.
• Ability to read and fully comprehend complex structures and to ask probing questions to issuers and their advisers.
• Keep fully up to date with sector trends in order to assess the impact on particular transactions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and display a strong degree of flexibility to take on additional responsibilities, as required.
• Solid writing and verbal communication skills.

Given the requirement for rating agencies to provide independent opinions, strength of character and discipline is required and you must be able to appreciate the wider regulatory environment in which Fitch operates. You should be able to work independently in an international environment while also being a good team player, being able to cope with time pressure and deadlines and handle multiple assignments simultaneously.

What Would Make You Stand Out:

• A degree in Finance, CPA/CFA qualifications are beneficial but not essential.

Why Fitch?

At Fitch, we have an open culture where employees are able to exchange ideas and perspectives, throughout the organization, irrespective of their seniority. Your voice will be heard allowing you to have a real impact. We embrace diversity and appreciate authenticity encouraging an environment where employees can be their true selves. Our inclusive and progressive approach helps us to keep a balanced perspective. Fitch is also committed to supporting its employees by advancing conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion. Fitch’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have been established by employees who have joined together as a workplace community based on similar backgrounds or life experiences. Fitch’s ERGs are available to connect employees with others within the organization to offer professional and personal support.

With our expertise, we are not only creating data and information, but also producing timely insights from every angle to influence decision making in this ever changing and highly competitive market. We have a relentless hunger to innovate and unlock the power of human insights and to drive value for our customers. There has never been a better time to make an impact and we invite you to join us on this journey.

Fitch Group is a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries. Wholly owned by the Hearst Corporation, we are comprised of three main businesses: Fitch Ratings | Fitch Solutions | Fitch Learning.

Fitch is committed to providing global securities markets with objective, timely, independent and forward-looking credit opinions. To protect Fitch’s credibility and reputation, our employees must take every precaution to avoid conflicts of interests or any appearance of a conflict of interest. Should you be successful in the recruitment process at Fitch Ratings you will be asked to declare any securities holdings and other potential conflicts prior to commencing employment. If you, or your immediate family, have any holdings that may conflict with your work responsibilities, you may be asked to divest yourself of them before beginning work.

Fitch Group is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.

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