Assistant Manager, Business Support And Recoveries at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

1. The role holder will be a member of the Africa Absa Business Support and Corporate Recoveries Team with responsibility for the delivery of turnaround strategies to a portfolio of predominantly Mid Corporate customers experiencing financial stress as well as the delivery of recovery strategies to a portfolio of Corporate Customers experiencing financial distress
2.  He/she will take responsibility for determining the objectives, strategies and actions that need to be adopted to address business-risk issues, reduce the Bank’s risk, and achieve long lasting turnaround solutions so that the customer can be returned to a Relationship Manager in the Corporate/Business Banking Department
3. The successful candidate will also be responsible for determining the objectives, strategies and actions that need to be adopted to address business-risk issues, reduce the Bank’s risk, and achieve managed exit/recovery solutions so that the bank realizes the maximum return in the shortest possible time.
4.  The successful candidate will also be responsible for a portfolio made up of the most involving and complicated corporate and business banking recovery accounts, a selection of which have the highest provisions raised on them, those with the highest exposures, and those which are politically sensitive.

Job Description

Main Accountabilities and approximate time split

Business Management – 40%

1. Lead discussions with Relationship Managers to identify Bank risk, Business risk and critical issues for specific customers. Lead proactive formulation and implementation of strategies to improve Business and Bank risk.
2. Actively manage customers, through customer visiting, to ensure business and banking risk issues are addressed in a timely manner
3. Obtain customers’ commitment to implement appropriate strategies and actions to improve business and Bank risk.
4. Packages, reviewing / quantifying business and Bank risk.
5. Analyze / appraise lending propositions, customers’ plans / strategies and budgets & cash flow – sensitivity analysis.
6. there are mutual relationships
7. Develop network of contacts internally and also with local external professionals in order to maximize effectiveness in assisting customers.
8. Promote the Business Recovery team to internal audiences (including relationship and credit teams and group companies) and professionals.
9. Where appropriate, manage the use of professionals including accountants, turnaround managers, solicitors and property professionals, obtaining customer’s agreement to their use, preparing instructions and reviewing results.
10. Ensure data integrity is maintained
11. Raise provision if required

Recoveries – 30 %

1. Lead detailed negotiations with customers, sometimes in conjunction with Relationship Managers, regarding the agreement to, and implementation of, strategy, e.g. Settlement proposals, etc.
2. Lead proactive formulation and implementation of strategies on managed exits/recoveries.

Sales and Service – 20%

1. Lead detailed negotiations with customers, sometimes in conjunction with Relationship Managers, regarding the agreement to, and implementation of strategy e.g. new lending propositions, terms and conditions of continuing Bank support etc. 
2. Manage relationships with customers in a manner which, through professional communication of often uncomfortable messages, increases customer satisfaction and enhances Absa’s Brand.
3. Identify sales opportunities, progressing these in partnership with Relationship

Sanctioning – 10%

1. Responsible for the BS & R sanctioning as per the discretions held

Technical Skills/Competencies

1. Good credit risk skills
2. Good relationship management skills
3. Strong analytical and numerical skills
4. Strong communication and report writing skills
5. Good knowledge of Microsoft Excel and other spreadsheet/database applications
6. Strong planning, coordination and time management skills.
7. Knowledge and Expertise

Preferred

1. Experience of both corporate relationship management and credit risk analysis
2. Experience of dealing with senior management of corporate entities
3. Strong negotiation skills
4. Detailed understanding of policies for provisions / NAD / write offs.
5. Good knowledge of the local legal system, insolvency law and security issues, and the options available to the Bank.

Essential

1. Good understanding of the role of Business Support and Corporate Recoveries in Africa
2. Previous experience of relationship management of corporate customers
3. Previous experience of credit risk analysis and/or sanctioning
4. Experience of working under pressure and with very little supervision

Experience and Qualifications

Essential

1. Sound banking experience
2. Good knowledge of corporate finance and insolvency laws

Preferred

1. Graduate and/or Professional Banking qualifications (e.g. ACIB,ATIOB)
2. Key issues over the next 12 months
3. Working to achieve releases of provisions to bring Absa Kenya provisions within budget
4. Reducing average case life to be within set targets
5. Increasing the rate of recoveries to achieve set targets
6. Reach accredited status required for the role within 12 months
7. Ensuring adherence to process and procedures to ensure a good report from impending GIA audit visit.
8. Additional details of exceptional aspects of the demands of the role

The individual must be a self starter and be able to diagnose and solve problems.  The role will require working under very minimal supervision and the use of a great deal of initiative.  The role holder must be aware of the various options available to the bank in the process of recovering debts.  Previous knowledge of debt recovery will be a distinct advantage

Education

1. Higher Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)