About the position
Bidvest Bank is looking for a Trade Solutions Sales person to be based in Cape Town .
The structuring of Trade Solutions bespoke to each client in line with their growth and resilience plans.
Some of the responsibilities include implementing Documentary Trade Solutions, Open Account Trade Solutions, Foreign Exchange Hedging Solutions and in cases assisting clients with their Foreign Cash requirements (e.g., Travel Cards, Foreign notes for business travel, Banking of USD cash arising from business activities etc)
Execute the entire process from client lead identification, first client meeting, credit assessment, the writing of the credit paper specific to the solution, presenting of the application to the relevant credit committee, upon approval onboarding and ensuring that the solution meets the clients' expectations and delivers in line with their growth and resilience plans.
Responsibilities:
Management of costs and budgets
- Provide and thereafter manage a seamless/frictionless customer experience across trade solutions, payments, and forex for the client.
- Provide input into overall budgets and business plans for Trade Solutions, Foreign exchange, and Payments:
- Manage and control efficiencies to alleviate losses
- Monitor and manage operational costs monthly
- Directly responsible for the assigned sales and revenue budget
Revenue Generation
60% Weighting
- Manage the profitability of trade solutions without compromising client profitability.
- Profit generation through the efficient managing the supply chain for trade solutions
- Manage margins considering client pricing, funding costs and client risk profile
- Position the bank in such a manner to ensure maximum profitability - Drive the adoption of Bidvest bank as a clients full-service banking partner.
- Ensure pricing is correct both from input pricing and client profiled pricing
Cost saving and revenue initiatives
- Pursue potential cost saving/ revenue enhancement initiatives for the Bank where applicable
Customer service and daily operations
- Provide expert advice to coverage teams on the best solutions for the client based on their needs.
- Drive improvement of the supply chain and improve product functionality in order to improve client experience.
- Manage Trade pricing/concession and address revenue leakages across client's supply chain (i.e., trade solutions, payment, forex etc.) aiming for ever increasing and culminating in full share of wallet.
- Collaboration with the operational function teams to streamline client onboarding process, which is based on principle "onboard once" and service/solution multiple times.
- Ensure that your clients are following best practice risk and operating procedures as per strategic and operational plans
Service Excellence
- Your clients must be 100% satisfied with your responsiveness: speed of responses, reaction time, going the extra mile, turnaround time. You need to make an appreciable, quantifiable difference to the business of Bidvest's clients.
- There is to be a measurable degree of customer satisfaction from customers
- Output results from "client servicing" activities. Includes value of advice to customer &/or stakeholders
- Guide the marketing and communication team to broaden awareness of the product both internally and externally
- Actively drive the simplification of the trade and supply chain value management to improve client experience.
People Management:
- Support & reinforce the application of newly acquired skills and have these trained to the relevant bank personnel unfamiliar with the4 product and its processes.
- Provide regular trainings and support to the sales and coverage teams to ensure to help build confidence in the product and stimulate sales
- Ensure skilled coaching and mentoring and keep employees on a development continuum.
- Ensure training is a part of employees' daily routine & encourages them to tap into the knowledge of their colleagues & to set performance improvement goals.
- Provide back up support to sales departments nationally
Audits
- Ensure that there are no high-risk findings against you or your clients.
- Ensure that all compulsory compliance, declarations, trainings and other Bidvest and Legal requirements are discharged timeously.
- Action any monthly reconciliations as required.
Trade, payment, and forex
- Build and maintain key relationships by meeting with other main role-players in Industry. Attend targeted industry and sector events to expand the profile and reach of Bidvest bank.
- Produce the budgeted returns.
- Maintain close relationships with other firms in order to support business in this area.
- Keep up to date with interest rate movements and currency fluctuations internationally through daily studying of country and international economic indicators, etc. and be able to discuss the impacts of these on a client's business
Risk Management
- Be able to carefully evaluate clients for viability, integrity, and all other risk drivers.
- Ensure that your client set adheres to the controls for the bank within statutory, credit and regulatory requirements.
- Comply with internal and external regulatory requirements
- Help monitor the positioning of your clients within the risk control framework for credit risk and capital management
Reporting
- Ensure that all reporting is up to date and provides a high standard of insight e.g., Call reports, Sales pipelines, Target lists, Client Events etc.
- Stats, time management, Capacity versus volume versus output and quality.
Process Management
- Raise & discuss any issues regarding system / process weaknesses as identified for internal systems & controls to be implemented.
- Communication to ensure the required departments apply the correct procedures identified.
- Improve processes, turnaround times and controls within the trade product sphere of responsibility.
Training
- Keeping abreast of own Development and ensure exposure is gained based on development areas.
- Provide training & development staff in unit.
- Develop skill set by undertaking relevant training throughout year (3 times a year)
- Facilitate an environment where other employees can apply what they have learned i.e., assist you in growing your trade portfolio.
- Develop training and encourage career advancement.
Requirements:
Qualifications -
- B Com or equivalent Degree (NQF 6) in Accounting or Economics.
Industry Specific qualifications in Trade Finance, Forex Dealing, Banking - Post Graduate Degree
- ACI Dealing certificate
- ICC Trade Finance certifications
- FAIS certified
Experience - Ideal
- 3 to 5 years' Trade solutions
- 3 to 5 years' Foreign Exchange solutions
- 3 to 5 years' Banking sales (e.g., Relationship Manager)
Knowledge and skills:
- Expert in Local and International Banking Industry regulations
- Expert knowledge of South African Reserve Bank regulations ad rulings
- Financial acumen - the ability to understand, navigate, analyze a client's financial statements
- Financial acumen - the ability to understand, navigate, analyze a client's debtors, creditors, insurance, and other documents in support of a credit application.
- Ability to operate effectively under pressure
- Attention to detail
- Good communication skills
- Resourceful
- Proficient in all relevant Banking systems
- The ability to make a difference and leave a lasting value additive impact on a client's business.
- Work in a dynamic, collaborative, progressive, and high-performing team
- Progressive Thinker
- Diligent
- Meticulous
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, with Advanced Excel skills
- Ability to identify weaknesses in the control environment and implement change
Desired Skills:
- Trade solutions
- Foreign exchange solutions
- Banking sales
- Trade sales
