Regional Chief Operating Officer (Southern Africa) at African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)

Reference: PBF 3801
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe

Job Description

• Manages a portfolio of clients with deliberate cultivation based on proactive individualized plans. These plans would be developed in coordination with the product teams and should be designed to increase client engagement;
• Provides client service to each client or government organization. This includes responding to client inquiries in a timely and courteous manner;
• Leads Branch Client Relations team members to accomplish functional goals to ensure high level client service. This includes coaching team members;
• Deal team coordination across the Bank’s products and geographies;
• Finding out what information, products or services the customer requires to meet his/her needs, providing clear, accurate and relevant information;
• Maintaining a strong working knowledge of client portfolios / products with the Bank;
• Resolving customers’ queries within agreed authority;
• Producing file notes after any client meetings, summarising any additional actions required, including follow-up calls;
• Sales activity planning, including reviewing existing customer files to identify sales opportunities;
• Undertaking commercial negotiations;
• Managing new business pitches;
• Compliance with legal requirements, industry regulations, organisational policies and professional codes;
• Preparation of an annual Regional Strategic and Marketing Plans derived from the Bank’s Strategic Plan for Management’s Approval;
• Leading implementation of marketing plans as approved by the Bank and actively securing mandates and business in the region;
• Implementing strategies for entering various segments of the trade finance market and investment banking in the region;
• Evaluating and reviewing new business Pre-Assessment Memos and Credit Proposals from the region, Product teams and Head Office and making recommendations on the same to Director & Global Head Client Relations;
• Representing the Bank in high level meetings, fora and making presentations in conformity with the high standards for which the Bank has become known;
• Managing staff, Bank’s assets and property at the Branch in liaison with the Administrative Services Department;
• Maintaining and improving the Bank’s image across the continent; and
• Any other duties as assigned by Senior Management.

Skills, Knowledge, and Attitude

• Post graduate degree in Business Administration, Banking or Finance from a recognized University or a recognized post graduate professional qualification in Banking;
• Sound experience of at least 10 years with a leading financial services organisation and familiarity with the major trade finance products to be offered to clients especially syndication, co-financing, club deals, correspondent banking products including letters of credit, factoring, forfaiting, structured trade finance, carbon financing, corporate finance risk participations, project-related financing and considerable knowledge of how these work;
• Ability to communicate and function in a culturally diverse and change oriented setting with good knowledge of banking practices in Africa;
• Ability to interact with senior officials of banks, corporates and governments and to represent the Bank in important professional fora where oral presentation of papers will be necessary to high level technical and professional audiences;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Knowledge of the Bank’s other working languages is an added advantage (French, Arabic and Portuguese);
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including ability to organize and manage human resources to attain goals.

Contractual information

• Permanent
• Willing and able to relocate to Harare
• Suitably qualified candidates from all African nationalities are encouraged to apply