African Development Bank Group (AfDB) -  the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. 

POSITION : Senior Trade Finance Operations Officer

The Hiring Department

• The primary role of the Financial Sector Development Department is to help the Regional Member Countries increase the reach, depth, and breadth of their financial systems, while safeguarding financial stability.
• The Department has four long-term objectives:
  • Development of a vibrant private sector through an inclusive access by households and enterprises to financial services;
  • Strengthening markets participants;
  • Developing efficient capital markets, and
  • Deepening regional financial integration.
• Working in partnership with other Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization complex departments, the Financial Sector Development Department is responsible for implementing the Bank Group’s Financial Sector Development Policy and Strategy 2014-2019 towards vibrant, innovative, robust and competitive financial systems, both national and regional, and in both the public and private sector levels of Regional Members countries.
• The Financial Sector Development Department plays a transversal role across the Bank’s five strategic priorities, applying its financial deepening and access tool kit to the High Five (H5) agenda.
• Fundamentally, the scalability and policy momentum inherent in the H5 agenda create an important opportunity for expanded relevance of the Financial Sector Development Department core skill-set: flexible financing instruments and delivery frameworks for financial inclusion, smart resource mobilization and capital markets development.
• The Financial Sector Development Department leverages partnerships to bring about greater developmental impact in financial sector development.
• The Trade Finance Division oversees all the trade finance activities of the Bank.  The Division seeks to address the trade finance gap in Africa by providing guarantees and liquidity support to commercial and development finance Banks involved in trade finance, Corporates, as well as various economic actors including parastatals engaged in this critical sector, with the objective of broadening access to affordable financing in Regional Members countries.
• The division leads project teams that identify, appraise and process trade finance related projects until first disbursement, at which point primary responsibility, is passed to the portfolio management division depending on the specific product.
• The division also implements technical assistance and non-transactional programs in these areas.  

The Position

• The position of the Senior Trade Finance Operations Officer will be focused on maintaining and enhancing the relationships with partner financial institutions that use the guarantee instruments.
• This includes responding to enquiries about eligible instruments, eligible transactions and other aspects of the relationship. The job holder will be responsible for preparing and processing client requested amendments to ongoing guarantee projects. 
• He /She will also perform tasks/activities relating to the monitoring and reporting of guarantee instruments.
• To be responsible for managing ongoing relationships with financial institutions using the Bank’s trade finance guarantee instruments to promote the sustainable development of the Bank’s trade finance business in Regional Members countries:
  • This includes evaluating client requests for changes to the terms of ongoing guarantee projects, preparing evaluation notes for clearance and approval by the designated internal approving authority and implementing the approved changes.
  • It also includes monitoring/reporting on utilization of guarantee projects and preparing regular reports for the benefit of various internal stakeholders including the Board of Directors.
  • It also includes promoting and showcasing the Bank’s development impact achievements in trade finance in Africa, and projecting the Bank’s image as a leader in trade finance through representation in various fora, publications, and networking with key stakeholders.
• The job involves working closely with colleagues in trade finance project origination, credit risk (PGCR), legal (PGCL), economic research (ECMR), financial control (FIFC), information technology (CHIS) and non-sovereign project portfolio management among others. It also requires closer collaboration with colleagues in the regional centers.

 Responsibilities

Impact on the Business:

• Participate in developing and promoting new trade finance products by providing regular feedback on the needs of users guarantee instruments and changes in market dynamics.
• Work with partner institutions to ensure the repayment of overdue transactions by issuing banks to forestall a call on the Bank’s guarantee.
• Work with consultants as and when required for the delivery of business objectives.
• Monitor the utilization of various trade finance limits, compliance with conditions and covenants of guarantee agreements, and reconciliation of income due to the Bank on each guaranteed transaction.
• Monitor the performance of trade finance guarantee portfolio - analyse, recommend and implement changes to ensure the products remain relevant to the needs of clients.
• Participate and lead trade finance guarantee project origination and supervision missions. This involves visiting clients and assessing their compliance with the terms of the guarantee agreements including eligibility of trade instruments, adherence to limits, assurance that the Bank is paid its correct pro-rata share of fees/income, and reporting on development impact.
• Prepare comprehensive annual project supervision reports and supervise/coordinate the preparation of project completion report at the end of each project.
• Manage the preparation of evaluation notes for amendments to the terms of ongoing guarantee projects for presentation to the appropriate internal review committees for clearance and approval.

Clients/Stakeholders:

• Maintain regular contact and nurture excellent working relationships with partner institutions and peer multilateral development banks to benchmark guarantee instruments, share best practices and market knowledge, and keep abreast of innovations in the trade finance market.
• Prepare regular trade finance guarantee portfolio reports for the benefit of various internal stakeholders including senior management and Board of Directors.
• Develop and nurture excellent professional working relationships with trade finance investment officers and other colleagues in the Bank.
• Represent the Bank in seminars, workshops and conferences on trade finance.
• Ensure timely and efficient communication with all external partners.
• Deliver accurate and relevant management information to various stakeholders

Teamwork:

• Contribute to the planning of various initiatives designed to facilitate interaction with other departments and regional centres of the Bank and external partner institutions.
• Participate in the preparation of annual work program/budget of the team.
• Promote an environment of diversity in line with the Bank’s brand values.
• Readily serve as a peer reviewer of Performance Appraisal Reports and other documents originated by colleagues for quality improvement purposes.

Operational Effectiveness & Control:

• Identify and develop best practices in trade finance middle and back office operations.
• Ensure that the trade finance database system is fit for purpose by highlighting areas of improvement in a timely manner and working with the information technology department to develop appropriate solutions.
• Keep abreast of market developments and share knowledge with colleagues.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues both in the regional centres and at headquarters to ensure timely and effective delivery of business objectives. This would involve active consultation and communication through personal action and active follow-up where necessary.
• Undertake seamless handover of approved and signed trade finance guarantee projects from trade finance investment officers in line with the Bank’s guidelines and procedures.

Management of Risk:

• Ensure compliance of all guarantee projects with related agreements and various Bank guidelines, including anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing (AML/ATF) guidelines.
• The job holder will also continually assess the operational risks associated with the role and inherent in the business, taking account of changing economic or market conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, operating procedures and practices and the impact of new technology.
• This will be achieved by ensuring all actions take account of the likelihood of operational risk occurring.

Selection Criteria

• Hold at least a Master's Degree or its equivalent in Business, Finance, Banking, Economics or related discipline.
• Have a minimum of five (5) years’ post-master’s degree experience in commercial banking and/or development banking in areas such as trade finance operations, transaction reconciliations and risk analysis, with in-depth knowledge of best practices in managing trade finance guarantee instruments, especially letters of credit issuance and confirmation.
• Ability to work accurately, methodically and to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently when required; demonstrated mature sense of judgment.
• Operational project management: Demonstrate broad knowledge of project management tools and methodologies; identify risks and mitigation measures; interpret background analysis and proposed solutions.
• Lead the accomplishment of key tasks within the team and ensure timely execution.
• Anticipate potential obstacles to achieving team goals and provide insight and guidance to team members to effectively address those obstacles.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.  Ability to communicate in Arabic or Portuguese would be and advantage.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Financial institution and/or corporate client relationship management experience and skills would be an advantage. Work experience in both commercial and development banking would be an added advantage.
• Communication: Provides clear and concise oral and written communication; presents oral information with clarity and appropriate style and adapts language and style to suit the requirements of a particular audience.
• Problem solving: Applies business knowledge to the resolution of problems and identifies solutions to the benefit of the client (internal and external) and the organization.
• Client orientation: Ensures that the client is considered to be of primary importance in all transactions and interactions. Strives to understand, and when appropriate, anticipate client needs, and ensures that the client receives the best possible service from the Bank.
• Team working and relations: Works with others to maximize the effectiveness of the team as a whole, sharing the knowledge and workload. Develops strong working relationships with colleagues and contributes to creation of a positive team environment. Ability to work and cooperate with others from diverse backgrounds.
• High level of trade finance guarantees processing skills, strong operational risk analysis skills, sound knowledge of trade finance products and current market trends.
• Excellent organizational, analytical and coordination skills.
• High level of integrity and ability to work under pressure to deliver timely quality services.
• Competence in the use of Bank standard software (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and SAP