SME Cluster Manager at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

• Reporting to the Head of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), the jobholders will directly lead a relationship team managing a portfolio of Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with annual turnover of over Kshs. 30 million in-addition to their own portfolio in selected regions.
• Managing and coordinating Cluster SME Sales Management process for relationship managed clients
• The jobholder will also have a key role in championing and managing change as a result of initiatives/programmes impacting the SME Business segment within the cluster.
• The role holder will be responsible for the full SME Targets for their specified Cluster including the portfolio business.
• Grow SME Market Share in their cluster by Identifying opportunities for growth and executing.
• Manage SME NPS for the cluster >60
• Maximize sustainable risk-adjusted portfolio contribution / EP on both an individual portfolio and aggregate team/Cluster basis
• To ensure there is sufficient focus on SME Enterprises, with overall responsibility for the delivery of regional sales and service targets, including product penetration

Job Description

Key Accountabilities/Deliverables

Sales and Service: Time Split 35%

• Grow own and sub-team’s portfolio profitability by identifying new and existing customer potential including sales opportunities and new product promotion initiatives.
• Formulate SME business development strategies and objectives to meet changing market needs.
• Create relationships with SME Relationship Managers/SME Bankers/Universal Bankers in assigned branches to ensure that any customer needs and service issues are communicated and followed up on timeously.
• Proactively research competitive threats/opportunities within the cluster’s market and geographical area.
• Increase product penetration for existing customer base by reviewing own and team’s portfolio to determine potential cross sells and proactively recommend new products to customers.
• Conduct regular face-to-face customer visits and arrange focused social events and individual entertainment. Having primary responsibility of top 200 Revenue generating clients for SME.
• Initiate credit applications for new and existing customers by completing the documentation with customers, completing the required financial analysis and submitting applications to SME credit for approval.
• Conduct risk analysis on the customer base including financial statements and their current portfolio held with Absa. Submit proposals to SME Credit Risk for new loan applications including motivating interest rates based on the risk profile at the time.
• Communicate all key messages to customers including agreed service standards, negotiated pricing, relationship team contact points (including introductions to new personnel) and new product changes.
• Maintain SME Cluster NOS at >50
• In conjunction with the SME Head, organize SME meetings / conferences aimed at exploring ways of raising our game to beat competition.
• Champion the culture of change needed to reinforce consistent sales and service performance.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with key stakeholders and colleagues in own and other functions to deliver first class sales and service to customers.
• Pro-actively support the Business Club/Women in Business proposition, providing input to seminars and trips arranged for customers, and ensuring a high level of customer retention.
• Onboard Relationship Managed clients for assigned cluster.

People Management: Time Split 35%

• Lead the SME Relationship Managers in the cluster using a team-based management approach.
• Coach the cluster team (LG, UBs, RMs) members on SME, relationship development, service quality and risk.
• Support team members to identify their strengths and weaknesses in their own skills and support development of personal development plans.
• Agree PM objectives and assess performance of SME Relationship Managers against agreed PM objectives.
• Build and develop a high performing team through embedding performance development and coaching.
• Regularly review patterns of staff performance based on the sales dashboard and balanced scorecard statistics.
• Sign off leave requests received from the team members.
• Initiate discipline charges for the team as and when required, following the laid down Disciplinary, Capability & Grievance processes discipline process on advice from HR. Also acts as first level escalation point for grievance.
• Act as the escalation point for their unresolved queries and complaints on SME received from the entire cluster.
• Motivate staff to deliver, and ensure they are recognized through recognition schemes.

Business Management: Time Split 30 %

• Work with the cluster team to achieve sales targets in the cluster/region through business development activities. Ensure a proper sales discipline is in place i.e., each SME RM/Banker submits weekly sales plans, and reports on realization of the same.
• Agree sales and services targets for the team against key financial, sales, service and operational targets.
• Through regular client surveys (formally and informally) identify any broader issues in the customer base around pricing, product promotions and product features. Feed any identified trends back to the Head of SME Banking for further follow-up.
• On a regular basis, interface with product specialists, in particular the Vehicle and Asset Finance team, to ensure that product knowledge is kept up to date and that all opportunities are followed up.
• Disseminate SME policy, product, service quality and marketing information to branches in the allocated area and educate SME Relationship Managers/Branch Managers/SME Bankers/Universal Bankers in the cluster on SME campaigns and SME products.
• Together with SME Credit, conduct annual reviews of existing facilities to check utilization and the continued health of the cluster SME portfolio.
• Monitor conformance of team using new relationship development procedures.
• Review excess reports and approve excesses within assigned limits.
• Champion, manage and monitor implementation of change programs/initiatives impacting the cluster team.
• Consult customer owners/managers on financial/credit issues and general business practice/ideas.
• Develop Customer Relationship Plans for selected customers in portfolio across the sub-team and provide a quality assurance role.
• Assess quality of credit applications from the cluster through sampling credit applications

Role/person specification

Preferred Qualification

• Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Experience

• Minimum 3 years in SME sales management experience in a bank with good appreciation of Absa’ business culture, objectives, products and services.
• Proven track record in SME sales, SME credit risk relationship and portfolio management
• Role holder will be required to be able to travel to visit branches within their assigned region on a regular basis to support.
• Up to date knowledge of competitor and market activity in local area

Knowledge and Skills

• High attention to detail & high sense of urgency.
• The need to be flexible and adaptable in order to meet the challenging demands of the job.
• Ability to work under pressure to very tight timescales whilst producing output of the highest quality.
• Ability to deal with and relate well with staff of all levels.
• High focus on internal customer service excellence.

Behavioral Competencies

• Relationship Management & Networking Skills
• Time management skills
• Leadership and Team skills
• Strong planning & organization skills
• Excellent listening skills

Technical Competencies

• Commercial awareness and customer focus
• Proven sales ability
• Well-developed numeracy & analytical skills
• Training/coaching skills
• Good PC skills
• Well-developed Credit Risk Skills