Relationship Manager at Standard Bank

Job Purpose

To grow and retain a portfolio of high value commercial relationships by performing a proactive, mobile, value adding financial partnership role, ensuring that close personal attention is given to
providing a full array of customised financial solutions and services tailored to meet the growth needs and potential of the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities

• Profitable Growth in Sales
  • Providing advice on, promoting, selling and structuring a wide and diverse range of financial solutions customised to best meet the financial needs of high value commercial customers.
  • Selling includes acquiring and opening new business accounts on a face-to-face basis, as well as Cross-selling additional value added solutions to the existing portfolio to assist clients in growing their businesses
  • Identifying and taking ownership of sales leads generated for associate Group company stakeholders e.g. Vehicle and Asset Finance; Electronic Banking; Bancassurance/wealth management (where available) etc. to ensure a quick and knowledgeable response.
  • Mining and analysing customer data to identify and plan for expansion and/or additional business opportunities.
  • Developing and implementing a client calling schedule to visit all clients in the portfolio.
  • Identifying opportunities to migrate top-end relationships.
• Customer Service Quality and Efficiency
  • Providing a central advisory/information/ query handling service point for the portfolio.
  • Performing a proactive liaison role between customers and back office service fulfilment and credit functions.
  • Interacting frequently and closely with all clients to analyse and establish ongoing needs and to assist clients to better understand their financial requirements.
  • Accurately and efficiently processing customer mandates/ documentation requirements for financial facilities.
• Lending Support and Risk Management
  • Planning and implementing annual credit reviews for the portfolio.
  • Explaining and structuring/ customising credit loan facility options, parameters and qualifying criteria.
  • Supporting customers in the completion of credit application information requirements, e.g. balance sheets, financial statements and management accounts.
  • Motivating and processing non-scored credit applications.
  • Notifying customers regarding the approval/ decline of credit loan facilities.
  • Exploring alternative solutions in the event of declines from Credit.
  • Monitoring of daily referrals to ensure that client facilities are managed within the parameters set by Credit. Exercising discretion regarding account conduct based on a close knowledge and understanding of client activities.
  • Managing and controlling industry sector, client exposure, and securities held to contain risk.
• Compliance with Legislation
  • Compliance with general banking and Credit policies and procedures.
  • Ensure compliance with KYC requirements.
  • Responsible for the implementation and adoption (within Branch, Department or Section) of all Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions related requirements contained in policies, procedures and processes. This includes the consideration and approval of PEP on-boarding and continued business engagement in instances where no adverse information is available.
• People Management
  • Managing the Account Analyst to ensure that work standards and quality work output targets are set, achieved and maintained.
  • Managing the performance contribution of support staff.
  • Identifying strengths and development areas and ensuring that support staff receive the requisite learning and skills development interventions.
  • Proactively coaching and mentoring subordinates

Key dimensions of the job (to be completed by each Portfolio)

• Size & Complexity of Portfolio: 74 – 90 relationships
• Customer contribution: Above R70,000 per annum
• Annual revenue: Typically greater than US$800,000 per annum
• Lending: Non-scored
• Growth Potential: High growth potential, low share of wallet
• Service: Proactive partnership with personal attention
• Location: Serviced at customer premises

Important relationships

• Building ongoing close relationships with high value customers in the portfolio, as well as with various commercial business associations, is a critical requirement for the purpose of generating ongoing credibility, income and positive sentiment for the bank.
• The attainment of work results is critically affected by the ability to proactively market and sell complex specialised and/or customised financial structures and solutions in a highly competitive environment.
• Strengthening and leveraging well developed internal networks with group specialists and specialist consultants from associated Group companies & Business Units e.g. CIB, Agriculture, Electronic Banking, Bancassurance / Wealth (where available) and Vehicle and Asset Finance etc, is critical to the successful development of customised and tailor-made financial solutions that span the full spectrum of multi-product offerings.
• Leveraging internal networks with the Business Centre, Retail Branch staff, back-office Account Support/ fulfilment centre staff, Retail Credit Centre and Business Banking management stakeholders, as well as Group Legal specialists (when needed) is central to the successful delivery of a simpler, better faster service.
• The relationship with Credit needs to be an excellent one.

Preferred Qualification and Experience

Relevant Business related Degree from recognised University, particularly in the Commercial field (Business flavour)

Experience

• Previous portfolio relationship management experience (5-7 years in total) as a Business Manager and/or Account Executive managing a portfolio is preferable. This experience provides an understanding of how businesses operate, as well as understanding the business risks, industry risks and financial requirements pertaining to the commercial market.
• A minimum of 6 months previous working experience in Credit is preferable to gain practical exposure to lending principles and to establish credible relationships.

Knowledge/Technical Skills/Expertise

• Strong numerical skills and financial acumen to analyse, evaluate and identify trends in complex consolidated financial statements, balance sheets and ratios.
• A sound understanding of cash - flow cycles pertaining to the industry being analysed.
• A good knowledge of financial spreadsheet applications (e.g. Excel) to capture and analyse financial data.
• Good knowledge of general banking practices and procedures.
• A good understanding of the principles and practices of business economics and the current business economic environment.
• A good current knowledge of different industry sectors and sector risk profiles/ trends; this includes an understanding of the impact of climactic conditions on the agricultural market (if there are agric clients in the portfolio).
• A thorough knowledge of multi-level products available to business banking customers (features & benefits) and pricing structures.
• A good knowledge of financial investment options, vehicle and asset finance and electronic banking options for lead generation purposes.
• Good knowledge of Personal Banking product offerings.
• A good knowledge of competitor offerings and structures.
• A sound knowledge and understanding of Credit principles and practices, including an understanding of credit application, securities and balance sheet requirements.
• A strong working knowledge of the terms and conditions of multiple legal entities (companies, close corporations, sole proprietorships etc.) in the commercial market and the legislative restrictions & requirements governing these from a financial services perspective.
• Sound understanding of current taxation laws as they apply to the portfolio of customers.

Negotiation skills.

• A good working knowledge of administration processes and procedures pertaining to Business Banking transactions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of how to use the Group Reference Guide to access/ look up relevant information.

Business Knowledge and Contribution

• Risk Management
• Project Management
• People Management
• Financial Management
• Change Management
• Knowledge Management

Inter-personal Competencies

• Delivering Results
• Serving Our Customers
• Communicating with Impact
• Working in teams
• Building Relationships
• Leadership