Manager, Client Relations(Anglophone West Africa) at African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)

About the job

The position holder will be required to execute the following key responsibilities:

• Undertake the preparation of annual Regional Strategic and Marketing Plans derived from the Bank’s Strategic Plan for Management’s approval;
• Implement the annual marketing plan and client coverage and business development activities for a given portfolio of clients with deliberate cultivation based on proactive individualized plans. These plans would be developed in coordination with the product teams and would be designed to increase client engagement, cross selling and share of wallet;
• Prepare new business Pre-Assessment Memos and Credit Proposals from the region, Product teams and Head Office and make recommendation on the same to the Director, Client Relations (Anglophone West Africa);
• Work with other deal team members on the Bank’s products and geographies to ensure timely transaction processing till closure;
• Market and sell all products of the Afreximbank Group, including FEDA, PAPSS, AfrexInsure, Africa Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC), ATG and other digital solutions, other related companies of the Afreximbank Group e.g. Africa Energy Bank, etc.
• Generate bankable leads through anticipating customer needs and finding out what information, products or services the customer requires to meet his/her needs, providing clear, accurate and relevant information;
• Sales activity planning, including reviewing existing customer files to identify cross selling and renewal opportunities;
• Managing new business pitches and undertaking commercial negotiations;
• Ensuring a strong working knowledge of client portfolios / products with the Bank and flag any early alert signals on clients’ portfolio performance;
• Implement timely resolution of customers’ issues and regional service coverage for provision of an impeccable client service to each client or government organization. This includes timely turn around in terms of responses to client inquiries;
• Producing call reports and file notes after any client meetings, summarising any additional actions required, including follow-up calls and reviewing call reports produced by team members;
• Serve as the Bank’s first line of defence to ensure KYC compliance as well as compliance with national legal requirements, industry regulations, organisational policies and professional codes;
• Provide support to internal stakeholders in resolution of challenged credits and work out situation;
• Provide support during the organisation of scheduled strategic events, mobilise attendance and/or sponsorships to ensure overall success in line with the bank’s standards;
• Where required, representing the Bank in high level meetings, fora and making presentations in conformity with the high standards for which the Bank has become known;
• Maintaining and improving the Bank’s image across the continent; and
• Performing any other duties as may be assigned by Senior Management from time to time.

Compliance Responsibilities

• Understand and adhere to the Bank’s AML, Regulatory and Conduct Compliance policies and procedures, notably;
• Staff Handbook
• Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Financing of Terrorism and Counter Proliferation Financing
• Conflicts of Interest and Policies on Staff Involvement in External Engagements/Activities
• Anti-Bribery & Corruption
• Insider Trading Guidelines

Requirements: Qualification and Skill

• Master’s degree in business administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in corporate banking, relationship management or client services.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Possess extensive experience in high-level senior executive relationship management.
• Demonstrate a proven track record of managing large, complex client relationships and credit activities in multiple jurisdictions.
• Exhibit strong understanding of the African market, economic landscape, and regulatory environment.
• Sound experience of at least 8 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; and
• Ability to demonstrate proof of passion and commitment to the socio-economic empowerment of African countries and the ability to support the achievement of Afreximbank’s mandate.

Technical CompetenciesProficiency

• Individual has in-depth and specialized knowledge that may affect strategy of team/function.
• May lead, coach and guide teams of varying sizes and complexity.
• Interaction with the entire function and is accountable for the entire function.
• Is able to analyze complex scenarios and provide suggestions to senior team members.
• May act as technical or regional representative of the Bank at external stakeholder

Leadership Skills

• Influential in expertise area, extending to other organizational functions and may provide advice to senior individuals for input to team/functional strategy.
• Experienced in managing and coordinating larger teams of junior professional level staff.
• Communicates effectively to foster a collaborative environment and helps in building trust within teams to achieve successful project outcomes.

Interpersonal Skills

• Actively contributes to strengthening network of internal and (where relevant) external relationships by mentoring colleagues and presenting technical knowledge to foster collaboration and support project outcomes.
• Influences decisions at functional level and contributes to external negotiations, using technical knowledge where required.
• The ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and succinctly to manage delivery of projects and communicate information to senior staff members.

Problem Solving & Business Impact

• Uses experience and deeper technical knowledge to identify core issues, analyze complex data and synthesis information in order to support the development and implementation of strategic solutions.
• Supports technical initiatives, inputting into strategy and occasionally contributes new ideas to drive innovation within the function.

Supporting Afreximbank Mandate

• Has a substantial understanding of Afreximbank Group’s products and services and how own area contributes to Afreximbank Group’s values and mission.
• Has good knowledge of the continent and African diaspora’s political, economic and trade landscape and is able to offer well informed opinions on the subject internally and to external counterparts.
• Identifies practical ways in which Afreximbank Group’s values and mission can be cascaded to junior colleagues and external parties.

Key Interactions

• All Group Functions including subsidiaries
• Financial Institutions
• Central Banks
• National Oil Companies
• Trade Bodies and Regulatory Agencies
• Other relevant customers as may be identified by the Bank; and
• other relevant stakeholders involved in their day to day operating or financing activities.