Regional Trade Sales Manager (Nyanza/Western) at Equity Bank Kenya

Overall job Purpose

The overall objective of the role is to drive the delivery of aggressive incremental Trade & revenues for Supreme branches and drive their day-to-day trade business growth. The role’s key focus is to lead the country teams to focus on an ambitious growth of Trade business, building strategic trade relationships globally and maximizing cross selling opportunities and profitability for FI business.

The role is also responsible for the co-ordination and management of both the trade & products including putting in place strategies to increase the various rebates that the Bank receives from the correspondence relationships with our Key FIs to support our cash & trade business. The role is also responsible for ensuring that adequate Limits have been put in place by our various international correspondent bank to support the local businesses. The holder will act as a liaison between the local and international financial institutions.

Key Accountabilities

Accountability: Operational Plan [ 15%]

• The design, development and delivery of the country trade sales operational plan.
• Formulate own operational plan across the various Trade products, including sales, product and channel’s needs, customer proposition and lending approach to FIs.
• Ensure the plan is aligned with the Group Trade Strategy and the Trade Sale Strategy and is supported by the various partners within the bank.
• Discover trade relationship opportunities that need to be explored to increase our products distribution.
• Accountability: Financial Performance [30%] 
• Overall responsibility for the growth of the Bank’s trade business revenues & profitability.
• Deliver financial targets for the Trade business in the countries, whilst positioning the Bank’s trade products revenue growth for medium term.
• Manage Cost-to income ratios for the business to ensure they are aligned with the countries objectives.
• Price deals appropriately in order to ensure the attractiveness of the deal to FI clients and that the return is commensurate with the risk and that the bank’s return is maximized.

Accountability: Sales Management [30%]

•   Develop in-depth understanding of the trade business [trends & threats], the local economic/regulatory drivers.
•   Build and maintain a productive and strategic trade products relationship with local trade Customers in our presence /non-presence market and other parts of the world in order to drive the         development and delivery of trade business for the bank.
•  Champion the delivery of consistent, seamless and trusted customer service to ensure business retention and loyalty from Financial Institutions.
•   Co-ordinate marketing approach and portfolio focus of the various Trade business to ensure a high quality customer experience in order to maximize the Group’s revenues from the trade business.
•   Obtain adequate credit facilities and support in set up of appropriate credit lines for local & foreign banks on best terms ensuring that the bank achieves a same day TAT for setting up Limits.
•   Working with the Group Trade Product Head and the Credit Team embed a series of Trade products technical tools [including Risk-Return Calculators, FI Credit scoring etc ] to ensure the customer needs and the value of the solution to the clients are correctly understood and are profitable.
•   Develop in-depth understanding of trade products for the Bank (trends, threats, and flows) and the economic/regulatory drivers.
•   Participate in external trade forums/seminars to enhance the bank’s visibility as a “Go To” Trade Bank.
•   Responsible for driving all the Trade business tactical strategies including all the initiatives identified in the Trade Strategy & the Financial Institution Trade Products Papers.
•   Responsible for Trade products reviews and enhancement.

Accountability: Business Delivery [15%]

• Identify impediment to booking trade deals and resolve with the assistance of interrelated areas in the bank to ensure the deals in the pipeline are booked
• Proactively build an internal and external network that will facilitate the generation of Trade client leads (e.g. industry/trade associations, chamber of commerce, industry seminars etc.)
• On-going cross selling and upselling to the bank’s defined top Trade customers.
• Negotiate and close “stand alone” sales. Ensure that all client follow up activity including call reports, letters, tenders etc are produced to a high standard in a tight time frame and that all stakeholders are fully informed
• Provide input to product development and design of marketing and sales materials founded on understanding of Trade client’s needs.
• Ensure that all sales and performance management measures (e.g. sales pipeline tool, database, meetings etc) are adhered to.
• Respond to key Trade RFP’s pitch writing and presentation.
• Develop and implement various trade initiatives to drive sales and improve the bank’s visibility in terms of trade finance.

Accountability: Stakeholders Management [10%]

• Maintain relationships with the relevant internal stakeholders' groups within the countries to ensure the embedment of the commercialization ethos and drive collaboration.
• Seek out relevant local and global partners to ensure that trade business delivers the relevant and holistic business proposition.
• Manage skills training and knowledge transfers within the team, including Intra & inter teams training and knowledge transfer within the Group. Prioritizing the skills transfer to Branches and subsidiaries.
• Transfer and sharing of the best practice to ensure the teams receive appropriate training and development opportunities.
• Ensure we adhere to a high performing organization profile and that the necessary tools are in place to maximize the ability of our people.

Qualifications

Desired Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Commerce or equivalent
• Post graduate degree preferable
• 5 to 8 years’ experience in banking or Product management role.
• Proven track record in Financial Institution business either as a Product Manager or a Relationship Manager.

Knowledge & Skills 

• Strong selling and negotiation skills-must be “Deal closer”
• High quality written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Time Management
• Networking
• Enthusiasm and high level of drive

Competencies

• Personal and interpersonal skills
• Positive attitude
• Technical knowledge
• Commercial effectiveness
• Control Environment
• Management and Leadership