Officer – Trade Finance Operations

JOB TITLE: OFFICER – TRADE FINANCE OPERATIONS

JOB PURPOSE

To ensure that all Trade related transactions are captured, confirmed and settled accurately within the required time period with minimum risk and cost to the Bank, thereby providing a high Standard of Professionalism and Customer Service.

KEY RESPONSIBILTIES

• Excellent processing of all LCs in Issuance, advising, Transfer, Confirmation, Presentation, examination of documents, acceptances, and payments in adherence to UCP latest version and ISBP, URR standards.
• Processing of Guarantees and its entire lifecycle management including, vetting of guarantee formats, Issuance, handling of claim, amendments, confirmation and advising in strict adherence to country law and international laws governing guarantees (URDG758).
• Processing of documentary collections as per URC 522 with zero tolerance to operational risk.
• Processing Open account transactions such as Invoice discounting, LPO Financing, Contract Financing, Supply Chain Financing amongst others while ensuring that the facilities are correctly approved, securities are perfected as per bank policies and procedures. This will also involve sending branches and customer relevant advices and reminders of maturing bills and past due position of Trade Finance Transactions.
• Confirming FX deals with the Global Markets dealers and reconciliation of Nostro items and ensure closure of the same within 3 days and escalation of items more than 3 days to the manager.
• Keeping safely customers documents and keeping accurate and complete records/files for all transactions as per policy and country law.
• Assisting in maintaining an excellent relationship between the bank and its clients, Trade Finance and Branches and any other stakeholders.
• Ensuring Anti-money Laundering guidelines, sanctions restrictions and policies are adhered to and that suspicious transactions are detected and reported.
• Reconciliation of Nostro items that are pertaining trade, while also ensuring that such items are regularized effectively and promptly.
• To ensure safe custody of shipping documents.
• Release of shipping documents in accordance with Trade Finance procedures with zero tolerance to operational risk.
• To provide efficient customer service at the Trade Finance counter and respond promptly and with a helpful attitude to enquiries or requests for onward advice to new or outstanding transactions.
• To participate in Kenya BCP/DRP Testing to ensure that functionality at all times.
• Giving advice to business units, Rms and Branch Managers on matters relating to customer Limits, KYC documents, pricing, products, service delivery, customer complaints/inquiries and provision of trade services

Self-Development

• Identifying appropriate training needs and courses (internal/external) to attend in respect
• Conducting research and asking questions on unfamiliar in aspects of one’s job
• Up-skilling oneself regarding new procedures and knowledge of the Operations products and services.
• Business acumen-Monitoring Costs within the Section
• The successful reduction of unnecessary costs and thereby increase revenue of the Operations as a whole on Personal telephone calls, Stationery costs, Overtime Costs, Losses and Recovery of all revenue in all trade transactions.

OTHER CRITICAL FUNCTIONS

• Cost reductions that have positive effect in influencing achievement of the banks cost to income ratio
• Budgets that are in line with strategic objectives and submitted within budgetary deadlines
• Outsourcing of services and non-core processes
• Automation of existing manual processes
• Project proposals and implementation processes that are accepted an undertaken within projected timelines
• Ability to maintain a balance between all Operations support functions while adding value by building efficiencies
• Originality, structured and tactical approach in providing business support solutions

Key Dimensions of the Job

Routine.

• Implement and monitor routines to ensure optimal efficiency thereby containing losses

Losses

• Ensure that losses are kept to minimum through strict adherence to policy and procedures

Customer Service

• Provide excellent customer Service, ensuring timeous delivery of products and attention to queries in terms of laid down procedures and fraud detection.

Documentation

• Conduct due diligence checks in terms of laid down procedures and fraud detection

Productivity

• To monitor the workflow to ensure that productivity is in line with set targets

Revenue Recovery

• Ensure that revenue is tracked for the whole department