Trade Service Manager – Documentary Trade

Standard Chartered Bank – We’re an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 160 years, we’ve worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. As a leading international bank, we strive to help people and businesses prosper across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Job Title: Trade Service Manager – Documentary Trade

Job ID: 19089

Location: Lagos

Area of interest: Operations

Key Responsibilities

• To assist the Head of Trade Ops in managing and overseeing the day to day Core Operation team with the aim to achieve:
  • Operational standards / compliance
  • Increased productivity and efficiency
  • Good cost control within the team
  • Good quality control on operational / transactional risks
  • Compliance with regulations relating to Trade
• Drive and monitor initiatives and activities to improve daily operations in view of accuracy, efficiency and services.
• Work closely with Trade Product Operation and GBS to standardize, simplify, improve and streamline process to strive for continuous productivity improvement.
• Work closely with Trade Client Operation team to continuously drive tier 1 client experience improvements.
• Take ownership of Product Operations that ensures transactions flow effectively to meet local regulatory, business and client requirements. Responsible for operating environment and governance enabling product and client requirements allowing Trade GBS Operations to process transactions effectively.
• To lead Product Operations Team with the aim to achieve:
  • Effective operational standards.
  • Increased productivity and efficiency
  • Good cost control within Trade Operations
  • Good quality control on operational / transactional risks
  • Contribution to the future strategic direction and processing innovations for Trade Operations
• Work closely with Transaction Banking and other stakeholders for timely and quality implementation & delivery of new trade products.
• Work closely with group trade operations to ensure group projects & initiatives be properly implemented in country & GBS.
• Work closely with all other functions covered by Country COO to ensure country projects & initiatives be properly implemented in country & GBS.
• Work closely with operations team in branches and GBS for post implementation review to ensure smooth daily operation after product & project delivered.
• Drive and monitor initiatives and activities to improve daily operations in view of accuracy, efficiency and services.
• Increase S2B NG utilization of Clients through identification of target customers, arranging trainings, and monitoring utilization, including escalation to RMs and SAT teams where required.
• Achieve Targets on self-service through e-advice, S2B NG & DTC.
• Work closely with Core & Client Operations team, branches and GBS to standardize, simplify, improve and streamline process to strive for continuous productivity improvement.
• Work closely with Trade Client Operation team for continuous tier 1 client improvements including disruption resolution & commercialisation of digital tools.

Process, Productivity and Budgetary Management:

• Manage Core/Product Operation Team daily operations accordingly to the laid down procedure and standard of service and ensure operations complies with applicable:
  • Generic Product Program and Country Product Addendum
  • Money Laundering Prevention Procedures and report any suspicious activity to the Unit Money Laundering Prevention Officer and Line Manager
  • Sanctions policy & procedures
  • Group Policies / GDOI
  • Legal & Compliance Policies
  • Local Regulations
• Monitor workflows to ensure all transactions are promptly processed as reflected by the agreed turnaround times for customers by team members who possess the compatible expertise.
  • Counter
  • Pre-processing / Scanning
  • Safekeeping
  • Post-processing & despatch
  • Document endorsements & substitutions.
  • Authorised Signatory of Trade Instruments.
  • Archival
  • Regulated in Country Processing Activities.
  • Local Products
• To set realistic but demanding productivity target to units with a view to reduce unit cost.
• Use volume data to do daily/weekly/monthly volume forecasting and organise sufficient resources to handle the volumes within the expected turnaround times
• Assist Head of Trade Ops for collaboration with Technology on futuristic digital opportunities, pre-empt disruptive forces and commercialise innovative use of technologies
• Assist Head of Trade Ops to achieve the financial performance targets of operations and to drive the respective country to prioritize investments into making client journey simpler, faster, better Challenge status quo in driving courageous conversations of doing business with Right Clients with a sustainable cost/ income ratio.

Governance and Risk Management:

• Monitor workflow of transactions during pre-processing and post processing ensuring items are completed within agreed TAT and any items escalated in case of TAT breach.
• Support to effectively implement all operational, regulatory and financial control measures and monitoring plans for compliance and control standard as per the defined Enterprise Risk Management Framework.
• Assist to coordinate periodic business monitoring (self-assessment) activities within the business unit and escalate findings and or breaches to Business Unit Head and BRM, when they occur.
• Proactively communicate with the Business Unit Head and BRM on operational risk issues. Escalate significant events to Business Unit Head /BRM as appropriate. Support operations team pre/post audits and assurance reviews.
• Provide support on any regular and ad hoc tasks related to unit operational risk management assigned by BRM from time to time
• Embed the Group’s values and code of conduct. Develop a robust culture to ensure adherence with the highest standards of ethics, and compliance with relevant policies, processes and regulations among employees.
• Observe and analyze workflows to identify system disruptions that impact turnaround time and initiate actions to resolve.
• Responsible for escalation of tier 2 client transactions from GBS & Country Business Teams. Take ownership of escalated items and work towards resolution and ensuring a smooth flow of transaction processing.
• To provide subject matter expertise to Client Operations team for Tier 1 clients including direct interaction with clients and internal teams as required.
• Lead deal reviews, structuring & advisory activities through to effective production implementation and transfer of ownership to GBS and Client Operations. Where applicable replicate across clients, products and markets.
• Lead initiatives enabling the digitisation of transactional flows and commercialisation of digital self-service tools.
• Assist Head of Trade Ops for collaboration with Technology on futuristic digital opportunities, pre-empt disruptive forces and commercialise innovative use of technologies.
• Assist Head of Trade Ops to achieve the financial performance targets of operations and to drive the respective country to prioritize investments into making client journey simpler, faster, better Challenge status quo in driving courageous conversations of doing business with Right Clients with a sustainable cost/ income ratio.
• Responsible for generic activities such as but not limited to financials, reconciliations, business continuity planning, regulatory reporting, external vendors and business efficiency initiatives.

Other Responsibilities:
Business Continuity Management:

• Assist Head of Trade Operations to ensure an adequate Business Continuity Management (“BCM”) plan is in place across the business, to facilitate continuity of critical business operations in the event of significant business interruption.

People and Talent:

• Train up team members to maximize the productivity of resources available and to ensure that they have the required level of expertise to answer customers’ queries and apply the operational standard required by the Bank.
• Monitor morale and constantly motivate direct reports to ensure that optimum level of productivity and service standards are achieved.
• To act as a sponsor for the team for all changes facing Trade Operations group to ensure that such changes are implemented successfully
• Lead and support a change in mindset, building a culture of client centricity, agility, and accountability through standardised metrics and measurement, with the expectation that everyone in Operations are drivers and owners of client outcomes.
• Review team structure and capacity plans in accordance with change in business structure and demand.
• Ensure succession planning for critical roles in place.

Regulatory & Business conduct:

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Always work towards achieving the outcomes set out in the Bank’s conduct Principles: Fair Outcomes for Clients; Effective Financial Markets; Financial Crime Compliance; The Right Environment.
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.
• Monitor the effective communication and implementation of regulatory changes

Key Relationships
Internal;

• Head & team members of Trade Operations
• Head & managers of GBS
• Trade BRM
• Group Trade Operations & Centre of Excellence
• Local TB Product Management
• CCIB Head, RMs and CMs
• BB Head & RMs
• Business Technology
• Front Office & Middle Office
• Other Operations Functions
• Other Functions (HR, Finance, Legal & Compliance, Tax)
• Audit and investigations

External:

• Customers
• Vendors
• External consultants
• Bank Audit / Accounting firms
• Local and Regional Regulators

Qualifications

• Education – University graduate or above
• Experience – Minimum of 10 years abundant Operations working experience in Trade Finance
• Certifications – CDCS/CSDG

Skills and Experience
Professional Skills

• In-depth understanding of various types of trade products, process flow, regulations and accounting rules.
• Strong analytical, problem solving and operational skills.
• Good management skill and able to coach the team to achieve agreed target.

Soft Skills:

• Sound PC / MS Office skill.
• Strong organizational skills and well-developed business abilities.
• Good interpersonal skills and communication skills
• Self-motivator, able to manage multiple tasks and work under pressure.

Other Preference:

• Passion in identifying and driving new operations improvement opportunities.
• Other than above roles, job holders should follow other job duties and responsibilities assigned by line manage from time to time.