Relationship Manager, Agribusiness - Standard Bank Group

Job Purpose

• To grow and retain a portfolio of agricultural relationships by performing a proactive, mobile, value adding financial partnership role, ensuring that close personal attention is given to provide a full array of customised financial solutions and services tailored to meet the growth needs and potential of the agric. portfolio.
• Promote and enhance the bank’s image and profile by representing the bank at important agricultural events.

Key Responsibilities/Accountabilities

Profitable growth in sales

• Provide advice on, promoting, selling and structuring a wide and diverse range of financial solutions customised to best meet the financial needs of players in the agricultural value chains.
  • Selling includes acquiring and opening new business accounts on a face-to face basis, as well as
  • Cross-selling additional value added solutions to the existing portfolio to assist clients in growing their businesses

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• Identify and take ownership of leads generated for the promotion of the Agric. Value Chain.
• Develop and implement a client-calling schedule to visit all clients in the portfolio.
• Identify opportunities to migrate top-end relationships.

Customer service quality and efficiency

• Provide a central advisory/information/ query handling service point for the portfolio.
• Performing a proactive liaison role between the various players and the Head Agribusiness in fulfilment of credit functions.
• Interact frequently and closely with all clients to analyse and establish ongoing needs and to assist clients to better understand their financial requirements.
• Accurately and efficiently processing customer mandates/ documentation requirements for financial facilities.

Lending support and risk management

• Explaining and structuring/ customising credit loan facility options, parameters and qualifying criteria.
• Support customers in the completion of credit application information requirements e.g. balance sheets, financial statements and management accounts.
• Motivate and process non-scored credit applications.
• Notify customers regarding the approval/ decline of credit loan facilities.
• Explore alternative solutions in the event of deadlines from Credit.

Legislative compliance

• Complete disclosure to the customers in terms of accreditation, service fees, and commission.
• Ensure proper record keeping

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People management

• Manage the Relationship Manager Assistant to ensure that work standards and quality work output targets are set, achieved and maintained.
• Manage the performance contribution of support staff.
• Identifying strengths and development areas and ensuring that support staff receives the requisite learning and skills development interventions.
• Proactively coaching and mentoring subordinates.

Preferred Qualification and Experience

• Minimum of a first degree in Agric or any Agric-related programme or relevant qualification in Agribusiness Management, Agriculture Finance and Banking.
• Preferably, 3-5 years’ experience in managing Agric value chains, with a solid understanding of how these value chains work.
• A minimum of 2 years previous working experience in Credit or in a credit environment is preferable to gain practical exposure to lending principles and to establish credible relationships.

Knowledge/Technical Skills/Expertise

• A good understanding of the principles and practices of agriculture within the current national economic environment.
• Strong numerical skills and financial acumen to analyse evaluate and identify trends in complex consolidated financial statements, balance sheets and ratios.
• A sound understanding of cash flow cycles pertaining to agriculture.
• A good knowledge of financial spreadsheet applications (e.g. Excel) to capture and analyse financial data.
• Good knowledge of general banking practices and procedures.
• A good current knowledge of different agricultural sectors and sector risk profiles/ trends; this includes an understanding of the impact of climactic conditions on the agricultural market
• Good knowledge of Personal Banking product offerings.
• A good knowledge of competitor offerings and structures.
• A sound knowledge of Managing Local Market (MLM) sales principles and practices to manage and optimise portfolio retention and growth.
• Negotiation skills.
• A good working knowledge of administration processes and procedures pertaining to Banking transactions.
• Knowledge of how to use the Group Reference Guide to access/ look up relevant information.