Senior Transactor: Structured Trade and Commodity Finance

at  Absa Bank Limited

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.
With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.
Job Summary
To assist in the active marketing and execution of Structured Trade Finance product solutions to South African and African clients in the Natural Resources Sector to increase Absa market share. The task involves assisting in the marketing as well as networking through strategic relationships, both internal and external, to book transactions that meet Absa risk criteria and achieve acceptable returns on capital employed. Suited to an individual with degree in Commerce/Science/Engineering coupled with 3-5 years’ experience working in structured trade and commodity finance environment. Exposure to Natural Resources an advantage
Job Description

Accountability: Business Performance

• Create shareholder wealth through assisting in growing the profitability of the portfolio by developing new and existing customer potential including sales opportunities and new product initiatives identified.
• Deliver enhanced quality of service delivery in areas such as technical competence (product related), transaction project management, producing credit applications, reviewing legal documentation, meeting of deadlines, client satisfaction, developing new product offerings/structures.
• Assist to manage and mitigate risk - regularly review client activities and transactions and identify areas of potential risk to both the client and Absa requirements and specifications - as it applies and through ensuring the required procedures and controls are implemented.
• Liaise with internal and external service providers, insurers, freight forwarders, transporters, logistic companies, Specialized Funding Solutions (SFS) Legal, Credit Product and Sector) to mitigate operational and credit risks.
• Ensure that best practice, skills and knowledge are shared through ongoing interaction, team meetings and roadshows across the Natural Resources Division and the larger Structured Trade & Commodity Finance (STCF) team and where appropriate and compelling working with other areas of the Absa Group.
• Work closely with the rest of STCF Transactional Management, Legal, Relationship Teams and Specialized Funding Solutions to ensure effective and efficient working relations.

Accountability: Internal Stakeholder Relationships

• Continuously review, improve and amend relevant templates and processes. (such as credit approval templates and reports).
• Assist in ensuring adherence to agreed Service Level Agreements and manage turnaround times to ensure in principle feedback to clients are provided within specified time frames.
• Keep up to date with Commodity Finance market trends especially in the Natural Resources Sector in order to ensure effective delivery to client base. (Media resourcing, daily news updates, market trends etc.)
• Assist to promote cross selling opportunities to regions and other areas.

Accountability: Client Service Delivery

• Assist in negotiating and closing structured commodity finance deals with local and global corporate and commercial clients in the Natural Resources Sector.
• Assist in identifying, through internal networking with Regional Relationship Executives, new client relationships and opportunities both with current Absa and non-Absa clients.
• Assist in the proactive creation of partnerships with our most valued customers so that we are engaged in customers’ planning and strategy in relation to STCF Natural Resources Sales.
• Work across the Group in integrating activities and direction to deliver a consistently high quality product offering which fully harmonizes the range of relevant solutions for the customer base across the organization.
• Attend STCF Roadshows and Training Workshops to promote Commodity finance solutions.

Accountability: Product & Strategy

• Assist to conduct product promotion visits to all major business centers in order to promote the Commodity Finance product offering.
• Assist in implementing effective origination and sales strategies in partnership across Geographies.
• Assist with deal structuring and implementation.
• Contribute to the continuation of the team’s primary strategy of transaction execution by delivering expert knowledge and product solutions to the regional business centers.

Education
Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)
Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.
Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertise

Accountability: Business Performance

• Create shareholder wealth through assisting in growing the profitability of the portfolio by developing new and existing customer potential including sales opportunities and new product initiatives identified.
• Deliver enhanced quality of service delivery in areas such as technical competence (product related), transaction project management, producing credit applications, reviewing legal documentation, meeting of deadlines, client satisfaction, developing new product offerings/structures.
• Assist to manage and mitigate risk - regularly review client activities and transactions and identify areas of potential risk to both the client and Absa requirements and specifications - as it applies and through ensuring the required procedures and controls are implemented.
• Liaise with internal and external service providers, insurers, freight forwarders, transporters, logistic companies, Specialized Funding Solutions (SFS) Legal, Credit Product and Sector) to mitigate operational and credit risks.
• Ensure that best practice, skills and knowledge are shared through ongoing interaction, team meetings and roadshows across the Natural Resources Division and the larger Structured Trade & Commodity Finance (STCF) team and where appropriate and compelling working with other areas of the Absa Group.
• Work closely with the rest of STCF Transactional Management, Legal, Relationship Teams and Specialized Funding Solutions to ensure effective and efficient working relations

Accountability: Internal Stakeholder Relationships

• Continuously review, improve and amend relevant templates and processes. (such as credit approval templates and reports).
• Assist in ensuring adherence to agreed Service Level Agreements and manage turnaround times to ensure in principle feedback to clients are provided within specified time frames.
• Keep up to date with Commodity Finance market trends especially in the Natural Resources Sector in order to ensure effective delivery to client base. (Media resourcing, daily news updates, market trends etc.)
• Assist to promote cross selling opportunities to regions and other areas

Accountability: Client Service Delivery

• Assist in negotiating and closing structured commodity finance deals with local and global corporate and commercial clients in the Natural Resources Sector.
• Assist in identifying, through internal networking with Regional Relationship Executives, new client relationships and opportunities both with current Absa and non-Absa clients.
• Assist in the proactive creation of partnerships with our most valued customers so that we are engaged in customers’ planning and strategy in relation to STCF Natural Resources Sales.
• Work across the Group in integrating activities and direction to deliver a consistently high quality product offering which fully harmonizes the range of relevant solutions for the customer base across the organization.
• Attend STCF Roadshows and Training Workshops to promote Commodity finance solutions

Accountability: Product & Strategy

• Assist to conduct product promotion visits to all major business centers in order to promote the Commodity Finance product offering.
• Assist in implementing effective origination and sales strategies in partnership across Geographies.
• Assist with deal structuring and implementation.
• Contribute to the continuation of the team’s primary strategy of transaction execution by delivering expert knowledge and product solutions to the regional business centers