RO Chinese Desk at Sidian Bank

JOB PURPOSE

The Relationship Officer will assist Relationship Managers to manage portfolio for Chinese owned businesses with the aim to maximize profitability of overall portfolio by identifying and providing financial solutions. The role will provide support to the sales force by assisting the Relationship Managers to conduct credit reviews, risk evaluation, monitoring and control of designated RM portfolio to ensure that the department maintains quality loan Book. The Relationship Officer will also be responsible for all audit and compliances issues within the department.

KEY RESPONSIBILTIES 

• Sales & Business Development support
• Maintain Quality Loan Book 
• Credit administration & audit
• Portfolio monitoring & control
• Customer Experience
• Personal leadership and development

Sales & Business Development Support:

• Work with the Relationship Managers to grow the chinses business through product volume, new client acquisition and increase the number of products held per client.
• Develop and implement client strategies in conjunction with product partners and relevant parties to identify the right product and service opportunities.
• Cultivate existing relationship, understand and anticipate Chinese clients’ needs as well as identify incremental sales opportunities.
• Visit and assess possible needs for the client or cross selling opportunities and provision of financial solutions and ensure value chain maximization; prepare & attach a call report for the client .i.e. post visit analysis of the client.
• Assist the Relationship Manager(s) in handling the administrative part of managing Chinese client relationships.
• Maintain product knowledge and work closely with product team in crafting tailor–made solutions according to customer’s needs.
• Obtain all account opening and required documentation from the customers in order to support all customer transactions and applications.
• Act as backup for Relationship Managers during their absence (Client and business query resolutions).
• Support in Hit Lists maintenance of potential clients in the relevant sector as well as sanitization of the hit lists in liaison with the relevant stakeholders.
• Wallet Sizing – review positions with existing clients/institutions with an aim of cross selling and mining all potential available business.
• Participate in sales planning initiatives and design appropriate relationship plans to generate new business throughout marketing calls, promotions and presentations.

Maintain Quality Loan Book:

• Obtain all the necessary documents for a thorough analysis of a facility request as per the bank’s lending manual & credit policy.
• Comprehensively analyze the account statistics for the last one year and ensure the credit proposals have been well analyzed and presented by liaising with Credit team and product technical teams.
• In liaison with the potential/existing corporate client and RMs, do customer visits prior to completing the Loan application.
• Respond as appropriate to the actionable points based on the analysis of the account plans.
• Present the completed loan application to the Credit Committee and obtain its’ approval/decline.
• Monitor the progress on perfection of securities and ensure that the perfection of securities has been done correctly; the correct amounts have been charged, where necessary, the property has been insured against all perils for the full amount and the Bank’s interest in noted in the insurance documents.
• Confirm that all the conditions have been met by the client and complete the compliance certificate.
• Focus on portfolio growth in assets and liabilities and cross selling of other Bank’s products.
• Advise the customer on the status of their credit applications via an appropriate letter of offer/letter of reject.

Credit Administration and Audit:

• Follow through of the credit application from the proposal stage to disbursement.
• Follow up on closing of outstanding covenants and advise the credit analysts appropriately.
• Ensuring the portfolio under management remains of good quality and as per the bank`s credit policy.
• Daily verifying that each client under the portfolio is within the limit/no arrears positions and there are no signs of development of ‘hardcore’ position in case of overdrafts. Ensure pre-approval of excesses is obtained.
• Promptly advice the Remedial Credit Unit clients that require their attention before the position gets from bad to worse.
• Monitor to ensure correct interest rates are marked to avoid income leakage.
• Keep abreast with the developments in the international markets, banking industry in general and particularly the industry/sector in which each of the clients operates and relate it to the client’s business.
• Obtain status reports on the client, directors, guarantors if any, suppliers etc.
• Make regular customer visits and ascertain the level of activities, stocks, etc.
• Obtain and analyse annual/management reports on annual/quarterly basis
• Strict adherence to all regulations, statutes, standards, practices and all internal processes and procedures as per the relevant manuals and comply with all relevant external legislation and regulations with regard to Compliance requirements.

Portfolio Monitoring and Control:  

• Effectively and efficiently manage the Department Credit Administration (PAR, Excess, and Collateral).
• Interrogation of the account plans to ensure all leads identified are closed.
• Attend and participate in the daily morning huddle for the team to drive business and focus on opportunity
• Follow up and coordinate with analysts on all facility requests and all other department request presented to them for approval.
• Monitoring of the Departmental loans PAR to maintain a low PAR of not more than 3% on a weekly trend 
• Prepare and give response on Corporate PAR on behalf of the Department for Early Alert Meetings.
• Ensure clients are advised on renewal of overdraft limit expiry dates to ensure timely review of overdraft limits at least 3 months prior to expiry. 
• Ensure all Fees and Commission are recovered and correct interest rates are maintained to avoid income leakage
• Ensure offer letters and all security documents are obtained and correct.
• Ensure there is proper filing and documentation on the credit files.
• Preparation of response to audit report, in charge of department audit review and implementation to ensure the department maintains a rate not lower than satisfactory.
• Managing the portfolio in compliance to Bank’s policies on KYC, AML and prudential guidelines.
• Ensure the covenants highlighted in approval conditions are adhered to consistently.
• Strict adherence to all regulations, statutes, standards, practices and all internal processes and procedures as per the relevant manuals and comply with all relevant external legislation and regulations with regard to Compliance requirements.
• Ensure that as a staff you actively contribute to the department/division attaining a “Satisfactory” rating in both internal and external audit by performing your role to the required standards and adhering to all internal processes and procedures as per relevant manuals, policies and regulations of the Bank.
• Ensure that all risk management requirements within your remit are addressed and where necessary escalated through the available.

Customer Experience:                                                                                      

• Make a follow up of the issues raised/captured under the call report with the customer/person/relevant department.
• Ensure that customers enjoy quality service. 
• Ensure non-investigative queries are responded within the same day.
• Investigative client queries should be handled within 48 hours with a final or holding response
• Ensure a focused efficient and effective customer service framework which will increase the flow of business from existing customers and generate business from new customers.
• Make regular customer visits, to keep abreast of their activities.
• Provide excellent customer service and assist to open new accounts for clients and maintain necessary documents for all operations and maintain effective relationships with clients.
• Maintain knowledge of all bank products, credit standards, services and trends to provide efficient customer service.

Personal Leadership & Development:

• Manage self: Show drive and motivation, an ability to self-reflect and a commitment to learning.
• Communicate effectively communicate clearly, actively listen to others, and respond with understanding and respect.
• Commit to Customer Service: provide, customer-focused services in line with banking sector and organizational objectives – adherence to the bank customer service charter and ensure personal accountability so as to meet the laid down Service Level Agreements (SLA) and work within stipulated Turn Around Time (TAT).
• Work Collaboratively Collaborate with others and value their contribution.
• Deliver Results Achieve results through the efficient use of resources and a commitment to quality outcomes;
• Think and solve problems, analyze and consider the broader context to develop practical.
• Keeping abreast with staff communications, attending staff meetings – morning huddles and weekly progress meetings.
• Responsible for own career within the bank and preparing an annual Personal Development Plan (PDP) and ensuring its actualization.
• Adherence to the banks policies and procedures, dress code, code of conduct, HR policies and procedures and follows laid down grievance and disciplinary procedure to ensure a conducive work environment.
• Closure of identified deficiencies from concluded audits, correction within stipulated timelines, and ensure no repeat findings
• Live the brand values as a Sidian Bank brand ambassador and always project the right image of the bank to both staff and customers.

DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY

• The RO in their course of work, make regular client visits to review business requirements, assessing assets and securities held or offered and obtaining related financial documents to be able to put forward any borrowing requests from clients and making recommendations for consideration by approving authorities; 
• The RO is charged with conducting reviews and renewals of existing portfolio managed relationships for Banking Facilities and any banking service requirements and making recommendations for consideration by approving authorities;
• Processing ad-hoc/additional/new requests/excesses under managed portfolio and making recommendations for consideration by approving authorities.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

• University degree in a relevant business discipline e.g. business administration or finance.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least two (2) years in sales and business development.
• Experience in handling Chinese business clients is highly desirable.
• Sound knowledge of Business Banking/SME products, services and processes together with exposure in retail banking branch operations.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Highly effective communicator in Mandarin language with excellent interpersonal and motivational skills.
• Excellent customer service, client relationship management, communication, negotiation, problem solving and interpersonal skills.
• Sense of judgement and common sense with both qualitative and quantitative tools to provide sound and comprehensive analysis/evaluation on complex credit applications.
• In-depth knowledge of the bank branch operations, rules and regulations, laws, granting loans, and credit risk management.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

• Diploma in Banking – AKIB (added advantage)