SME Banker – Arusha at ABSA | September 2024

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Job Summary

 To manage and sustain a portfolio of Business Banking – Enterprise customers, building long-term relationships founded on efficient and reliable support for their business. This is achieved particularly through quick risk assessments and managing consistency and quality of operational service within own portfolio.
 The primary objective is to maximize sustainable risk-adjusted / EP portfolio contribution.
 The jobholder will additionally be responsible for business development both with new customers and with his/her existing portfolio.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

Accountability: Sales and Service: – 70% 

• Conduct annual review of customers’ borrowing facilities (and interim review if customer circumstances [risk profile] dictate).

• Actively seek to grow own portfolio and cross sell to ensure delivery of set Targets as per current PD template.

• Consult customer owners/managers on financial/credit issues and general business practice/ideas.

• Determine the key messages, e.g., agreed service standards, and negotiated pricing, relationship team contact points (including introductions to new personnel) and new product changes. Calculating the most appropriate means of communicating them to customers.

• Deal with, and find resolutions for, customer complaints.

• Determine the products that are most effective in meeting customers’ needs and be able to sell these, at short notice, both reactively and proactively.

• Plan and co-ordinate any marketing approaches for new business and actively develop existing relationships. Co-ordinate approaches to the portfolio by businesses across the Group.

• Monitor and ensure adherence to risk service standards.

Accountability: Business Management: – 25% 

• Research, create and follow up on a target list for potential new business.

• Identify priority customers using the Customer Prioritization Guidelines to assess their present and potential contribution.

• Gather all the required information that is needed to prepare and assess credit applications.  Role holder will be expected to input certain key information such as judgmental information.

• Monitor and control the quality of the portfolio using “Condition of Sanction” triggers where possible and in accordance with RM guidelines and Bank policy.

• Manage “Early Warning List” customers to reduce risk, following H.O. and Regional guidance provided.

• Adhere to procedures and guidelines within the BB RMCD.

Accountability: Staff Management: – 5%

1. Adhere to procedures and guidelines within the BB RMCD.

Risk and Control Objective

• In the event of major issues in the business unit, act as crisis coordinator and allocate tasks to the crisis teams.

• Review the risk and compliance profiles of the business unit on a regular basis and provide consultative support to the Managing Director on changes that are required to rebalance risk and reward where required.

• Understanding of own role in the end-to-end processes in which you play a part, including applicable risks and controls.

• Adhere to Absa’s policies and procedures applicable to own role, demonstrating sound judgment and responsible risk management.

• Keep up to date on all regulatory changes and can articulate the impact to the Business, be well informed on the industry thinking.

• All mandatory training completed to deadline. 

Technical skills / Competencies

Personal Attributes:

• Meeting customers’ needs                                                

• Managing relationships                                                    

• Personal organization                                                                       

• Self-development            

• Adaptability   

• Working with others

• Decisiveness

• Active listening

• Analytical thinking

• Judgment

• Entrepreneurial mindset

Skills required to undertake the role:

• Relationship skills

• Risk skills

• General Corporate skills

• Leadership and team skills

• Product skills

• Communication skills 

Knowledge of the bank’s products, services and policies required to undertake the role:

• The job holder will be required to have a detailed knowledge of the core set of Business Banking products.

• For Complex products, a good knowledge will be required sufficient to: –

• Recognize the changing needs of the customer.

• Identify products/service that best satisfies customer need.

• Introduce the product/service.

• Co-ordinate the introduction of the relevant Group product specialist.

• Deal with customers directly as required.

• A good knowledge of the products & services available in the Personal Sector is also required to satisfy the individual financial needs of business owners/key individuals.

• The job holder will require a broad understanding of policies and strategies across the Group as they relate to the demands of the customer base.

Knowledge, Expertise and Experience

Education

1. For Complex products, a good knowledge will be required sufficient to: – 

Training likely to assist effectiveness in the role, and which may have been completed prior to undertaking this role:

• Risk assessment and management

• Presentation, influencing and negotiating

• Communication

Additional details of exceptional aspects of the demands of the role:

• Required to form relationships with customers, therefore minimum tenure will be 2 years.

• The job holder will need to be able to communicate in such a way as to ensure their ongoing credibility when dealing with financial controllers of companies, in addition to owner-managers.

• The jobholder’s portfolio will consist of a full range of Business Banking customers, including the more challenging customers, who will often be subject to competitive approaches from other banks.

• Business development activity will be similarly demanding.

Absa Values

Absa Values and Behaviors represent the set of standards which governs the actions of all of us who work for the bank and against which the performance of every one of us in Absa are being assessed and rewarded:

• Trust

• Resourceful

• Stewardship

• Inclusive

• Courage

Education

Higher Certificates and Advanced National (Vocational) Certificates: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)