Senior Relationship Manager, SME Banking at Standard Chartered Bank Kenya

Job Summary

• As a Standard Chartered Relationship Manager in SME Banking, you will be responsible for driving client acquisition, deepening relationships, and delivering tailored banking solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises. The role focuses on originating and managing quality SME relationships, supporting business growth, and meeting the bank’s strategic objectives while maintaining strong operational risk, compliance, and regulatory standards. The ideal candidate will also be able to identify opportunities to support business owners with wealth management needs, including succession planning, family business continuity, and intergenerational wealth conversations.

Key Responsibilities

• The role holder will be responsible for establishing and maintaining strong SME client relationships that translate into sustainable revenue, portfolio growth, and risk-adjusted returns for the bank through acquisition, retention, and deepening of business banking relationships.

The growth and performance metrics measured include:

• Grow the number of active SME clients and deepen share of wallet across the portfolio.
• Drive growth in funded and non-funded income through lending, transactional banking, trade, and wealth products.
• Increase product penetration per client by identifying cross-sell opportunities across core SME banking solutions.
• Deliver revenue growth while maintaining portfolio quality, disciplined credit standards, and strong risk-adjusted returns.
• Adhere to the bank’s operational risk, compliance, and credit governance processes.
• Provide outstanding client experience through responsive service, informed advice, and proactive portfolio management.
• Build and manage a robust client pipeline, follow up leads, structure opportunities, complete call reports, and convert business efficiently.
• Develop long-term relationships with business owners and decision-makers by understanding their funding, transaction banking, expansion, and risk management needs, and by delivering appropriate solutions.
• Keep abreast of market trends, sector developments, and product capabilities to identify opportunities and provide relevant insights to SME clients.
• Partner closely with the Wealth team to originate, convert, and grow business-owner opportunities across wealth products, with a focus on driving referrals, increasing wallet share, and unlocking succession planning and family business continuity opportunities.

Skills and Experience

• Strong knowledge and experience in SME, commercial, corporate, or business banking.
• Strong relationship management and business development skills with business owners, promoters, and key decision-makers.
• Good understanding of lending, cash management, trade finance, wealth products, and working capital solutions.
• Strong market awareness, commercial acumen, and ability to identify sector-specific opportunities and risks.
• Ability to work in a flexible and agile way in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment.
• Preference for candidates with investment banking experience, particularly in structuring, advisory, capital raising, or complex deal execution.
• Ability to operate effectively in an international environment and collaborate across product and coverage teams.
• Maintains a high standard of personal conduct and consistently demonstrates the bank’s valued behaviours.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Banking, or a related field.
• Professional qualifications in banking, credit, corporate finance, or treasury would be an added advantage.