Manager, Trade Operations at Standard Bank Group

Operations: a range of essential and complex services to ensure processes across the bank work as effectively and efficiently as possible

Job Purpose

Provide strong management and operational support to the Senior Manager, Specialised Operations by taking responsibility of and managing all aspects of Trade Operations.

Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities

• Strategic Execution
  
  • Understanding the overall Bank Strategy and how the operational aspect of Trade Operations fits into the Bank’s strategy.
  • Develop and nurture working relationships with Business units – CIB and PBB to ensure that the strategy and business objectives of the Client and the Bank are achieved. In this regard, the job holder is expected to support Business Partners by identifying new and additional opportunities and as a subject matter expert support the business with trade related client engagements.
  • Drive and role model a superior client orientated culture within Trade Operations.
  • Continually recommend improvements and adaptations to existing systems, processes and structures to ensure current and future sustainability of quality service.
• Efficient and Effective Delivery in business unit
  
  • Verify and check (original applications/documents on paper) assigned trade transactions, to ensure they meet the Bank’s laid down operational policies and guidelines, and to ensure neither bank nor customer is placed at risk.
  • Log and check transaction inputs/entries in Transaction Processing System to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  • Ensure safe custody of documents ensuring accurate and complete records/files are maintained for all transactions as per laid down policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.
  • Maintain high levels of operational efficiency, cost control and performance in Trade Services through the strict adherence to SLAs, KPIs and KCSA’
  • Provide efficient customer service at the Trade counter and maintain relationships with existing Trade Customers by understanding the Customers’ Business needs, providing requisite advice on Trade Services and ensuring customer satisfaction.
  • Inculcate a culture of “Get it Right First time” – zero errors and no customer complaints.
• Optimise the risk profile in the business units
  
  • Identify the major risks faced by the Trade Operations unit and ensure that the required controls are in place to monitor and reduce exposure.
  • Ensure compliance with approved limits and levels of authority.
  • Limit potential losses to the bank by ensuring that laid-down Trade processes and procedures are adhered to.
  • Ensure all Trade suspense and operational accounts are reconciled at required frequencies and that reconciling items are dealt timely and correctly. In this regard, ensure timely and regular reconciliation of all items pertaining to Trade Finance e.g. NOSTRO, Liability Accounts and suspense accounts.
  • Ensure that revenue recoveries are done in a timely manner for Trade services provided.
  • Ensure detailed analysis of incidents is conducted and remediation actions implemented to prevent recurrence.
  • Responsible for the implementation and adoption within Trade Operations unit of all Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions related requirements contained in policies, procedures and processes, including Business Continuity Management. This includes monitoring and identifying any material compliance related breaches and escalating them to the Compliance Office.
  • Ensure Satisfactory audit ratings and track to closure all action plans arising from risk assessments, ops risk reviews, internal and external audits and regulatory inspections to improve the control environment.
• Manage change in the business units
  
  • Support business process re-engineering to ensure that Trade processes are lean, efficient and effective through the elimination of non-value adding activities and identification of opportunities that support/drive the migration of transactions to economically viable alternative electronic delivery channels.
  • Aid in identifying high impact projects/programs/initiatives within the line of business with a view to continuous improvement.
  • Ensure value adding assessments of projects/programs/initiatives are conducted to ensure identified risks are appropriately mitigated prior to the projects/programs/initiatives going live.
• Compliance
  
  • Ensure implementation and adoption within Trade Operations of all Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions related requirements contained in policies, procedures and processes. This includes monitoring and identifying any material compliance related breaches and escalating them to line management and the Compliance Office.
• People Management
  
  • Ensure management of headcount is within agreed budgets and continuous evaluation of productivity of assigned staff is undertaken to determine optimal resourcing.
  • Evaluate and manage the performance of direct reports to achieve a high standard of competence, motivation and service orientation, focusing on the development and retention of talent.
  • Ensure succession plans are in place for key positions within assigned units by ensuring appropriate training and development programs are implemented with a view to capacity building.
  • Identify strengths and development areas and ensure that staff receive adequate training intervention aimed at ensuring staff are appropriately skilled to do their jobs.
  • Proactively coach and mentor direct reports
• Stakeholder Engagement
  
  • Builds and maintain credible and value adding relationships with stakeholders, including management, peers, internal and external audit.

Preferred Qualification and Experience

Qualifications

• First Degree
• Field of study: Business Commerce
• Other qualifications, certifications or professional memberships
• Trade Products Certification/Accreditation – Certified Documentary Credit Specialist (CDCS), Trade Skills Assessment and Certified Specialists on Demand Guarantees (CSDG)
• A thorough knowledge and understanding of the provisions and definitions contained in the ICC Uniform Rules.

Eperience

• Business Support
• Banking operating systems, processes and controls.
• Years: 7-10 years
• Experience Description: At least seven years of experience at middle level management within the Trade Operations function. Experience at a front-line function an added advantage. Practical and deep knowledge of Trade Products.

Knowledge/Technical Skills/Expertise

• Product Knowledge
  
  • The ability to fully understand core product features and fully interpret operational requirements, evaluate business opportunities, process and system requirements and changes for effective delivery.
  • Applies concepts without requiring supervision, able to provide technical guidance when required
• Time Management
  
  • Sound judgement required in prioritizing work.
  • Mastered the concept, able to act independently, provides guidance and training to others
• Risk/ Reward Thinking
  
  • The ability to provide due consideration to risks, rewards and the cost of control measures in evaluating business opportunities, process and system changes
  • Applies concepts without requiring supervision, able to provide technical guidance when required
  • Competency Label: Product Risk Identification
  • The examination of the essential elements of risk such as; assets, threats, vulnerabilities, safeguards, consequences and the likelihood of the threats materialising
    Mastered the concept, able to act independently, provides guidance and training to others
• Management Reporting
  
  • The ability to prepare quantitative and qualitative analysis on the operations landscape of the business including interpretation and analysis for use by senior management.
  • Mastered the concept, able to act independently, provides guidance and training to others