Business and Commercial Banking (Bcb) Risk, Commercial Lending Solutions Graduate Programme

Company Description Standard Bank Group is a leading Africa-focused financial services group, and an innovative player on the global stage, that offers a variety of career-enhancing opportunities – plus the chance to work alongside some of the sector’s most talented, motivated professionals.

Minimum Requirements

• BCom Accounting or SAICA endorsed Accounting Degree
• Must be a South African citizen.
• Should you have work experience, it should not exceed 18 months.
• Matric certificate to be submitted with application.
• Full academic transcripts to be submitted with application for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Responsibilities

• Commercial Asset Finance
• Business Lending
• Centralised Lending
• Collections
• Fleet and Wholesale Finance
• Collateral Management
• Gaining comprehensive insight into each stage of the credit risk process and its impact on business operations.
• Developing a strong understanding of credit evaluation and risk decisioning, supporting asset growth objectives across the Commercial segments.
• Partnering with business teams and applying an ecosystem‑based approach to understand and meet client lending needs, in support of Standard Bank’s Universal Financial Services Organisation aspiration.
• Performing quantitative and qualitative analytics, analysing data to evaluate existing strategies and develop innovative challenger approaches that enhance Business and Commercial Banking portfolios.
• Comprehensive Training – Receive in‑depth training from industry experts, building a solid foundation in commercial credit and risk management.
• Professional Development – Benefit from mentorship, networking opportunities, and continuous learning resources to support your growth.
• Real‑World Exposure – Work on meaningful projects and real lending cases that have a tangible impact on the business.
• Career Pathways – The programme opens the door to long‑term career opportunities within BCB Risk and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank.
• Develop a strong understanding of credit evaluation processes, ensuring high‑quality, well‑reasoned credit decisions are made within relevant product and segment credit policies.
• Support the development and application of lending and risk strategies that proactively manage credit risk while enabling sustainable portfolio growth.
• Work closely with Credit Risk Management teams across the full lending lifecycle, including origination, evaluation, sanctioning, drawdown, and ongoing monitoring.
• Assist with the preparation of credit agreements, fulfilment of pre‑conditions, release of limits, and management of post‑sanction and ongoing credit conditions.
• Gain exposure to risk governance and operational processes, reviewing standard operating procedures and service level agreements to ensure alignment with internal credit policies, regulatory requirements, and best practice standards.
• Participate in projects and ad‑hoc initiatives that support lending strategy, process improvement, training, and the enhancement of customer journeys across Business and Commercial Banking.
• Build strong working relationships within BCB Risk, the broader Lending Credit teams, and key business stakeholders by collaborating effectively across functions and portfolios.
• Contribute to a culture of partnership between Risk and Business in delivering sound lending decisions.
• Support business teams in developing a deeper understanding of clients, sectors, and portfolios, and in assessing whether lending opportunities align with approved risk appetite.
• Apply both quantitative analysis and commercial judgement to support practical customer‑centric lending solutions.