Vacancies at Equity Bank Kenya

Purpose

• The Group Head of Reconciliation will provide management, leadership and development to the Bank Reconciliation team and general oversight of reconciliation across the Group, ensuring accurate and timely completion of daily and monthly reconciliations of all bank General Ledgers. As part of the management team, the Group Head of Reconciliation will play an integral role in ensuring improvement of current processes, systems, controls, ensuring efficiency through processes surrounding Reconciliation and building centre of excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish controls to ensure reconciliation is performed in a timely manner implementing a process to reconcile General Ledgers daily.
• Establish detailed process documentation for performing reconciliation and maintain documents to ensure they are current and result in the best operational service and delivery.
• Lead a team responsible for the development and program management of a consolidated roadmap for all departments across Reconciliation Services in the Group.
• Be part of the Program management team for Equity Group Reconciliation Transformation Strategy.
• Build and maintain strong internal working relationships across all countries.
• Success will be measured on the reduction of platforms, breaks, audit points, cost, and unreconciled balances.
• Develop and maintain relationships with external and internal partners and clients.
• Monitor, track, and report on performance against service level goals and benchmarks.
• Provide subject matter expertise to business-driven initiatives, internal partners, leadership, or projects related to Reconciliation, as necessary.
• Liaise with Risk & Compliance Department to ensure policies and procedures pertaining to Group Reconciliation are appropriately implemented.
• Participate in enterprise-wide control and governance programs and assist the company to implement control and governance programs from enterprise perspective.
• Involve in projects relating to the enhancement of reconciliation capabilities / processes for all monthly intragroup reconciliations.
• Oversees the development of Operational Procedures for the centre of excellence.
• Builds a scalable operation that can ultimately support all jurisdictions and can absorb additional volume from any acquisition activity.
• Provide technical expertise in the use of Reconciliation system functionality to the teams and business lines

Qualifications
 
Job Holder specification

Formal Education:

• At least an Undergraduate Degree from a recognized university. ACCA / CPA Certification will be an added advantage. 

Experience:

• Financial Services, banking, regulatory and commercial experience Team management

Technical Experience:

• 5 - 7 years in Banking Operations, performing General Ledger reconciliation, data management and performance.

Essential:

• Previous operational controls experience at a manager level
• Ability to produce, analyze and interpret reports that demonstrate compliance and successful risk mitigation

Desired:

• Experience of digitizing services.
• Experience of Robotic Process Automation in General Ledger Reconciliation space.

Functional/ Technical Skills

Skill/ Experience

• Experience working at a manager level within an operational service environment within Financial Services.
• Proven track record in operational or assurance roles, ideally within the Financial Services industry.
• Experience of delivering operational Controls and Assurance functions with a good understanding of finance, assurance, and controls.
• Highly numerate and articulate with a strong commercial acumen – confident at presenting strategy and plans at team level.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills to be deployed at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to work under pressure and to respond quickly to changing circumstances and tight timetables.
• Self-motivated, disciplined and organized.
• Experience in developing and managing teams.
• Proven ability to convey complex or financial information simply and clearly to a range of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and risks in the wider Financial Services arena.
• Strong Network of contacts and ability to bring external knowledge and thinking into the organization.
• Ability to learn from the non-Financial Services markets e.g. telecoms and Insurance and apply thinking to the products and services offered by Equity Group.

Accountability

Span of Control

• Manages professional employees and/or team leaders spanning across Equity Group.

Accountability of Performance

• Has accountability for the performance and results of a team within the Group. Defines operating standards of own team.

Tactical/Strategic responsibility

• Provides input into Group Digital Operations plans and policies to address resource and operational challenges. Addresses issues of business impact beyond own team.

Budget & Resourcing accountability

• Exercises management authority on BAU decisions such as recruitment, talent management, performance reviews and improvement plans

Problem Solving

• Decisions and problem-solving are guided by policies, procedures, and business plan; receives guidance from Group Director Operations

Time Frame

• Focus is week to week, looking to ensure each area is performing to targets. Looking at performance trends as opposed to day to day changes

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Purpose

• Provide oversight / Overall supervision and monitoring of the processes in the Treasury Operations department, Trade Operations, Corporate payments, and Custody to ensure that:
  • All transactions are handled promptly and efficiently and in compliance with the bank’s procedures and controls and applicable laws and regulations set by CBK, KBA, KRA and other regulatory bodies.
  • Adherence to risk management framework.
  • Effective management and development of staff.

Key Accountabilities

Operational efficiency

• Process and procedures management for corporate operations departments.
• Review and timely submission of statutory reports.
• Ensure AML/ Due diligence requirements and KYC for local and international counterparties, correspondent banks & other treasury service providers Group.
• Financial institutions liaison- local banks & International Banks (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda).
• Liaise with and Engage service providers – for provision of services/systems – Group.
• Update and Coordination of the BCP for the departments.
• Follow up long outstanding entries or items at risk with a view to escalate.
• Follow up with the relevant units for completion of the CBK KEPSS questionnaires and schedules.
• Follow up on the funding of nostro accounts.
• System user management and approval.
• Assist with Cash messages and queries on charges by CBK. 
• Follow up with CBK on KEPSS issues arising.
• Review and sign accounting entries processed by the department.

Customer Experience

• Monitoring issues arising daily and follow up.
• Monitor errors/ reversals.
• Monitor unresolved customer queries for resolution.
• Taking ownership of complex, unresolved queries for resolution.
• Educating staff in respect of products and services offered by Corporate Operations.
• Educating customers in respect of products and services offered by the Trade Operations, Corporate payments, and Custody as and when required.

Financial

• Ensure all transactions are processed within the SLA and TAT.
• Monitor through the review of reconciliations and exception reports that deals are done within approved limits and guidelines and settled as per dealing agreement with both local and foreign counterparties.
• Follow up and ensure approvals are received for any excesses over the limit.
• Monitor incidences of late settlement / incorrect settlement for counterparty deals and address/ escalate issues arising/noted.
• Monitor through review of reports adherence to set risk management guidelines as per laid down approvals, Net open currency exposure (position) limits, trend on rates quoted and escalate issues arising/noted.
• Follow up and ensure approvals are received for any deviations from set risk management guidelines.
• Monitor deviations and discretions from the approved guidelines and investment policies for example, on dealer trading limits, counterparty limits, trading portfolios and escalate issues arising/noted.
• Follow up and ensure approvals are received deviations and discretions from the approved guidelines and investment policies.
• Monitor that the local regulations relating to treasury activities and financial reporting requirements are complied with.
• Monitor the correspondent / Nostro accounts balances.
• Monitor/ review the reconciliations and follow up on any issues arising.
• Monitor correspondent bank account charges and liaise with the correspondent bank on any issues arising/ negotiation on the tariff.
• Engage service providers on any issues arising.
• Strict adherence to laid down policies and procedures for the bank, and other regulatory bodies.
• Active participation in the testing of new products/ system enhancements
• Recommend changes to established policy when considered necessary to influence the shaping of improvements to business performance.
• Identify opportunities for improvements in effectiveness and efficiency in the workplace, customer relations, and risk/ loss management.

Audit, Compliance & Risk Management   

• Strict adherence to all bank procedures, controls, and policies.    
• Compliance with P & Ps.
• Updating the treasury departments BCP document.
• Communicate to relevant staff any changes in the industry affecting Corporate Operations policies and procedures to avoid violation.
• Implementation of agreed audit recommendations relating to corporate operations and middle office.

People Management

• Ensure that the performance and productivity.
• Oversee staff development through coaching and on the job training.
• Management of staff work performance and providing regular feedback to staff in this respect.
• Hold regular meetings to update staff.

 
Qualifications
 
Technical Skills & Competencies

• Excellent numeric skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Keen/ Attentive to detail.
• Strong analytical and Judgement skills.
• Listening and questioning skills.
• Integrity.
• Goal oriented/ results focused.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Team player.

Knowledge & Expertise

• Relating to specialist knowledge and expertise required to undertake the role including knowledge of the Bank’s products, services, and policies.
• Excellent knowledge of/ experience in corporate operations.
• Experience in other bank operations is desirable.
• Knowledge of the AML/ KYC requirements for Banks.
• Knowledge of Swift and various message types.
• Knowledge of MSOffice suite especially MS excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Understanding of operational risk (fraud, credit risk and errors).
• Knowledge of CBK and Other Regulatory Bodies requirements/regulations.

Experience & Qualification

• Minimum of 10 years of banking experience
• Under- graduate degree from a recognized university with a bias to a business-related field
• Must be outgoing and a point of contact in sharing best practice with colleagues.

Training Requirement Specific to The Role

• Customer Service.
• Performance Management training.
• People management skills.
• Know Your Customer/Suspicious Transaction Monitoring/Anti-Money Laundering.
• Fraud Prevention.
• PC Skills including Keyboard skills.
• Product Training.