Team leader Trade Services NCBA Bank

Manage the Bank’s Trade Services function within Technology, Operations & Enterprise Projects which is key to the organizational strategy in ensuring that Trade processes are aligned to the bank’s policies and guidelines and are pulling towards same direction to achieve strategic goals and ensuring that transactions are processed efficiently & effectively to enhance customer service with no revenue leakage.

Key Accountabilities (Duties and Responsibilities)
Financial (20%)
• Sensitise the Trade Operations team to ensure that procedures & policies are articulated to avoid any operational losses, errors, omissions, penalties or Customer compensation.
• Put mechanism in place for completeness of revenue collection on all manual processes within the trade services.
Product support and risk monitoring on trade operations.
• Ensure effective incidents reporting on lapses & closure as recommended by risk to avoid any exposure within trade operations.
• Ensure full participation in budgeting and that the approved budget timely communicated to the team to ensure monitoring of performance against budget.

Internal business processes (40%)
• Effectively implement appropriate process mechanism in trade to ensure that transaction processing is handled in a timely and efficient manner and that all elements of operational risk, e.g. fraud, follow up of Audit.
• Work closely with the IT Team to ensure all manual processes within the units are enhanced or automated to improve on efficiency and turnaround time.
• Provide support and guidance on process improvement on process efficiency and controls.
• Drive risk management process with the units and ensure it’s robust & ensure usage of RCSA tool & escalation of any issue arising with procedure reviews to reflect changes in the market and technology with initiative for STP on manual processes.
• Ensuring that the departmental Business Continuity /Disaster Recovery Plan BCP/DRP) document is up to date and proper signs off done with clear process direction.
• Ensure that an Operational Risk Management Framework is established within the unit and maintained such that all limits are properly approved and utilized in accordance with such approvals and that periodic reporting and escalation of key issues is adopted
• Maintain a reporting schedule of defined Key Risk Indicators and measure performance against these on a monthly basis to reduce possible losses due to omissions and mistakes.
• Providing a readily available, service-focused, knowledgeable and experienced point of contact for new and existing market customers.
• Ensure all Trade liability, margin accounts and suspense accounts are reconciled on the indicated frequency.
• Ensure that fees and commissions owed to us by clients are collected as per the set procedure.
• Ensure snap checks are undertaken on the set frequency of Trade Transactions and processed in accordance with Credit Approval, Trade Policy, UCP600, URC522 and SLAs.
• Ensure LC export & import documents are scrutinized for discrepancies before processing and Export LCs requiring confirmation are workable before adding confirmation.

Customer (25%)
• Track and ensure Customer Operational Issues emanating from Trade Services units are resolved within the stipulated turnaround time or escalated accordingly.
• Sensitise the team to adhere to the SLA & TAT and resolution of customers’ trade concerns, queries & complaints articulated promptly.
• Enhance working relationships with other departments including Contact Centre, Corporate, Retail, Institutional Banking, credit & other operational units to improve Customer relations.
• Identify areas of potential risk in the department that could compromise customer confidential information.
• Set and maintain service management processes within the departments to ensure delivery at set times as per SLAs for both internal & external customers.
• Ensure LCs, Document checking under LCs, guarantees, and Documentary Collections are processed promptly.

Learning and growth (15%)
• Entrench the culture of adhering to policies and procedures across the trade operations units
• Identify areas of focus and strengthening of staff and recommend competency improvement through, coaching and training appropriately.
• Track Operational risk issues related to the management and running of the units and its related functions and submit the departmental Operational risk document as need may be.
• Ensure relevant documentation relating to processes and procedures are in place and reviewed regularly to adhere to the standard set by compliance and other internal and external regulatory bodies.
• Manage direct and indirect reports and ensure the team objectives are met through effective leadership, motivation and mentorship, with continuous coaching and feedback to direct reports.
• Identify and communicate training needs across the team, on International trade and trade products to ensure they are well versed with trade finance policy and related rules.

Ideal Job Specifications
Academic:
• Bachelor’s degree from a recognised University

Professional:
• Professional Banking Qualification (ACIB) an added advantage
• Certified Documentary Credit Specialist(CDCS)an added advantage

Desired work experience:
• At least 4 years work experience in Banking. Significant Operations experience preferably at a Central Operations, General Branch Banking Operations including Foreign Exchange operations, International Trade Finance. Government Securities etc.