Trade Finance - Vice President in London

Here at SMBC Group, we want to help you find the next step in your career so read on to discover if this opportunity is the one for you. We like to recognise potential in our people, so we welcome your application even when your experience doesn’t perfectly align with the job description. Whilst we’ll always strive to be better, we’re proud of our inclusive culture, and encourage our applicants and colleagues to be their authentic, unique selves.

United by a sense of purpose towards our customers – to be a trusted partner for the long-term – and our universal banking platform in EMEA, SMBC Group has an international growth agenda and award-winning products, meaning we provide exciting opportunities to work on a diverse range of projects and initiatives. We deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers as well as investment banking and advisory services, and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets.

The role requires client facing dealing to interact with investors for trade finance products. An ability to structure and lead the execution of the distribution is required as is a knowledge of relevant documentation for both the underlying assets and documentation with investors.

• Identify and onboard new investors / counterparties and distribution structures for trade finance products (both corporate and FI assets) alongside maintaining relationships with the existing portfolio of investors.
• Structure and lead the execution of the distribution / risk-mitigation of both corporate and FI assets when required.
• The role requires strong communication skills to interface with various other departments in EMEA, branches across the regions and other global locations both within GTFD and other departments of the Bank.

The anticipated salary range for this role is £90,000 - £136,000, with the final offer determined based on the candidate’s skills, experience, role scope, location, and relevant market factors. In addition to base salary, the role may be eligible for a discretionary incentive award and a competitive benefits package, including core benefits such as pension provision.

The role sits within the EMEA Trade & Working Capital Solutions team, reporting into the Head of Distribution Desk. This role will proactively contribute to distribution / risk-mitigation of trade products on a deal-by-deal, facility level or portfolio basis, including running the distribution of transactions with a high level of autonomy. The role includes taking personal control of transactions as deal team lead.

Engagement involves leading on marketing assets to investors, coordination with wider deal teams within SMBC at the outset of a deal and ensuring smooth transaction execution. There is a significant customer facing element to the role covering all types of customers including banks and non-bank financial institutions, institutional investors and Multilaterals/DFIs. The role may be expected to have its own network of investors and other industry players.

Internally, the role interfaces with various other departments in EMEA, branches across the regions and other global locations both within GTFD and other departments. These interfaces will occur largely on a transaction specific basis whilst working as part of a deal team. In addition, there will be times when these consultations will be related to broader strategy and policy matters, i.e. not transaction specific.

The role requires an overall knowledge of trade products, practice, documentation and execution, including knowledge of financing / risk-mitigation approaches such as insurance, treasury, asset finance and corporate finance. The role requires managing own time and some management support tasks on strategy and management reporting tasks.

• Ability to work with and understand appetite of investors/partners, the role is client facing and is expected to have daily interaction with external counterparts, primarily other banks and financial institutions, non-bank financial institutions, multilaterals/DFIs, lawyers, advisors etc at working and senior levels.
• The role involves working on numerous transactions / inquiries each month of various values while managing the Bank’s lead role.
• The role requires the holder to be able to continuously build industry network and involves new business development in allocated areas and relationship and portfolio management.

The role will support the development and implementation of the Trade & Working Capital Solutions strategy for the distribution of new and existing transactions across the diversified industries, commodity and energy and emerging market sectors in EMEA. The role will promote GTFD’s O&D and risk mitigation strategy through building counterparty relationships (and with Loan Capital Markets and other GTFD teams) and suggesting distribution and risk mitigation strategies during the transaction evaluation and structuring process.

Liaising with all relevant departments within EMEA required for marketing and execution including Credit, operations, compliance, Legal, other marketing departments (CIB, SFS and S&T pillars), Loan Capital Markets, Treasury, and other branches and offices across the global GTFD network. Work with external investors / counterparties and internal deal teams to negotiate and put in place all relevant legal documentation required for transaction execution.

Understanding the Bank’s internal procedures and processes, and relevant regulations and compliance matters and applying them correctly and in compliance with all rules and regulation. To carry out marketing activities for Distribution Desk team. Dealing with customers / external investors for distribution of regulated products including telephone and face to face meetings. Preparing externally facing marketing materials in line with the guidelines and seeking compliance approval where required.

Taking responsibility for a specific customer group typically consisting of banks / non-bank financial institutions, institutional investors, Multilaterals/ DFIs and funds. Responsible for sourcing trade product transactions from the wider banking market to support the growth of the Bank’s portfolio where applicable. Provide information to clients on SMFG products and services, including investment products.

Driving Change, Driving Results, Judgement and Decision Making, Strategic and Visionary, Trust and Integrity.

For all the expertise and experience you bring to help us make a difference, it’s only sustainable if we support you to build your career and be your best self so we offer competitive company benefits, centred around promoting positive well-being and work-life balance. We also believe in fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, where all team members' perspectives and contributions are valued. Initiatives in place which promote a diverse and inclusive culture and healthy work life balance include hybrid working, Sport & Social Clubs and Diversity and Inclusion networks.

As an employee of SMBC you have access to a host of both useful and exciting benefit offerings. See below some of the benefits on offer to you:

• Hybrid and flexible working
• Competitive paid leave days
• Benefits to support your physical wellbeing, including private medical insurance and life and invalidity insurance
• Various policies to support your mental wellbeing, including a robust behavioural health network with counselling and coaching services
• Access a wide range of learning and development opportunities and career progression opportunities

We recognise our role as a bank to support social change and welcome all applications, including those from groups often under-represented in financial services. We value the uniqueness of professional and personal backgrounds and perspectives as they play a vital role in continuing the sustainable growth of our organisation. We’ll ensure reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process are offered due to a disability or long-term condition whenever requested.

We are committed to transparent and equitable pay practices. Compensation is determined using objective criteria, including skills, experience, and role responsibilities, and applied consistently throughout our recruitment processes. We do not request candidates' pay history and are committed to preventing unjustified pay disparities.

About SMBC: A trusted partner for the long term. United by a sense of purpose towards our customers - to be a trusted partner for the long-term - and our universal banking platform in EMEA, we deliver a full suite of corporate finance products and solutions to our customers, including corporate, structured and trade finance, leveraged finance, loan market and treasury products. We can also provide investment banking and advisory services and a range of innovative solutions in global capital markets.