Structured Trade and Commodity Finance Lead at Co-operative Bank of Kenya

Are you looking for an employer who promotes individual excellence and mutual respect in a team-driven culture with a key focus on social empowerment? The Co-operative Bank of Kenya, “The Kingdom Bank” is the place for those looking to new horizons. This position in our Corporate & Institutional Banking Division presents the perfect opportunity for you if you are seeking to grow your career in Structured Trade and Commodity Finance.

The role holder will be responsible for actively initiating & supporting new product development, roll-out and implementation. They will also originate, structured and close trade deals against customer opportunities sourced either jointly or directly.

The Role

The successful jobholder will be required to:

• Identify general and specific opportunities and threats under Structured Trade Finance to position trade finance products and solutions for the overall competitive advantage of the Bank, within the stipulated service level agreements.
• Champion risk approvals for structured trade finance deals and provide risk management of trade portfolio and structured solutions to mitigate risk.
• Handling commodities financing with a clear understanding of the associated market risks and the possible mitigants that may relate to the specific commodity being financed.
• Collaborate with external key stakeholders within structured trade finance including but not limited to Collateral Managers, Clearing Agents, Shipping Lines and Government Bodies like Kenya Revenue Authority.
• Liaise with other departmental teams within the bank in structuring commodity-financing transactions, to ensure that customer needs are attended to in an efficient and timely manner while safeguarding against potential operational risks.  
• Develop and manage a trade deal pipeline using SFE tools, manage end to end deal conversion and ensure revenue momentum is sustained. 
• Draw up weekly customer calling plan for trade customers to drive trade business. Negotiate key trade terms with clients/resolving issues between product and client and provide expert trade advisory services to customers. 
• Ensure that the processes, structures, and systems required to effectively service existing clients and develop new clients are in place and continuously reviewed using SLA’s. 
• Monitor and drive customer approved trade credit facility utilization. Ensure the portfolio managed remains of good quality as per bank’s credit policy.
• Provide Relationship Managers & Customers with continuous trade product knowledge through training, and workshops forums to maximize trade opportunity identification/solutions.
• Proactively manage new and existing trade clients ensuring increased output to grow bank’s share of wallet.
• Review trade product pricing periodically and do competitive and SWOT analysis.
• Drive overall client satisfaction and service benchmark of trade offering and build customer loyalty. 
• Benchmark against world-class Trade finance providers and ensure that standards of the trade finance unit meet similar standards
• Ensure that the processes, structures, and systems required to effectively service existing clients and develop new clients are in place and continuously reviewed using SLA’s.
• Ensure complete and accurate customer charges database is in place and is known to all users.
• Continually drive and ensure consistent and superior client orientated culture and high-quality service delivery to trade customers.
• Be responsible for marketing research and identifying business from existing and new customers.
• Customer Calls /Presentation- execute calling programme on allocated customer portfolio and conduct sales presentation as appropriate.
• Implement and monitor KYC and ALM measures in line with the Bank and Regulatory requirements.

Qualifications, Skills and Attributes

The successful candidate will be required to have the following skills, attributes and competencies:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business related field from a recognized university.
• At least 3 years’ experience in sales and relationship management at a senior level.
• Sound Trade Products knowledge with ability to package trade finance transactions, including knowledge of rules and regulations that govern trade finance. 
• Credit analysis skills
• Ability to interact and negotiate with customers. 
• Customer focused & results orientated. 
• Excellent verbal communication, written and presentation skills. 
• Good organizational and time management skills.
• Good business knowledge and awareness as well as a business development mind with ability to develop and implement project proposals to fill in the identified business needs
• Should be results-oriented, possess the ability to work under pressure and deliver on time
• Excellent leadership skills, communication skills, analytical, problem solving and interpersonal skills