The genesis of Gulf African Bank (GAB) can be traced back to 2005, when a group of motivated Kenyans envisioned establishing an Islamic bank as an alternative to conventional banking in the country. By conducting business on the principles of Shari’ah, the bank would provide an ethical and fair mode of banking for all.

Job Purpose

• The role of Relationship Manager (RM), SME Banking, is to build and maintain a highquality portfolio of SME clients
• The RM is responsible for understanding the needs of his/her clients and developing tailored solutions to meet these needs using the Bank’s suite of products and services targeted to the segment. The RM is responsible for managing his/her clients across the financing cycle, ensuring compliance with the Bank’s internal policies, regulatory guidelines and Shariah guidelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop effective strategies to manage customer relationships, anticipate customer needs and provide a superior quality service to position the Bank as the market leader in this segment
• Acquire new to bank quality customers, grow existing customer base in order to boost the asset and liabilities of the portfolio while rendering exceptional service and maintaining quality
• Build and maintain productive and strategic relations with customers/ line manager/ stakeholders to drive the development and delivery of business solutions and revenue growth for the assigned sectors
• Keep abreast of external factors influencing business e.g. economic, procedural and regulatory requirements
• Ensure timely and accurate maintenance of customer and deal pipeline information as required
• Monitor relationship performance regularly to ensure that the return is commensurate with the type of customer
• Take timely and proactive corrective action to mitigate potential losses, exercising effective portfolio stewardship and control
• Ensure strong cross-selling of existing and new products to existing and new clients; and in this process, maintain effective liaison with all relevant business units in the bank
• Filing concise, but informative call reports after customer visits
• Effectively executing all the agreed business development and growth strategies in accordance with the long, medium- and short-term plans of the Bank and as set by the Head of SME Banking
• Understand customer needs and propose a solution based on Bank’s current product and service offering
• Review and provide detailed input into the credit proposals prepared by the SME Analyst, noting that the RM is ultimately responsible for preparing a comprehensive, high-quality credit proposal
• Support the credit appraisal, disbursement and recovery (where necessary) processes in line with the policies and procedures
• Take a proactive approach to client planning across the portfolio collaborating with product partners and senior management, as appropriate
• Ensuring that Shariah-related guidelines, Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money
• Laundering (AML), and other policies are adhered to
• Ensuring that all customer information and queries are treated in line with confidentiality agreements as per the RM’s employment contract with the Bank.

Qualifications and Experience

• Business graduate from an accredited university preferably with a major in Finance,
• Marketing and/or Economics; a Post Graduate degree (MBA, Masters in Finance / Strategy) is a plus
• At least five (5) years’ experience in banking, with proven experience of at least two (2) years in a similar position or at least 3 years banking experience and sales/marketing background, where he/she managed a portfolio of SME or Business Banking clients
• Experience managing borrowing customers and analysing financing proposals, especially for SME

Personal attributes:

• Entrepreneurial skills and commercial thinking
• Strong in business development
• Good negotiation and influencing skills
• Good in planning, prioritizing and organizing
• Relating and Networking
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Good in delivering results and meeting customer expectations