Relationship Manager, SME Banking

Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Limited is a financial institution founded in 1911 and based in Nairobi, Kenya, offering a comprehensive range of banking services.

The Relationship Manager for SME Banking is responsible for building and maintaining robust business banking client relationships. This involves actively acquiring new clients, retaining existing ones, and expanding their engagement with the bank's services to ensure sustainable revenue generation, portfolio expansion, and healthy risk-adjusted returns. The role requires a strong focus on delivering exceptional client experiences, providing informed advice, and proactively managing client portfolios while strictly adhering to the bank's operational risk, compliance, and credit governance standards.

1. Grow the number of active business banking clients and deepen their share of wallet across the portfolio.
2. Increase wealth product penetration per client by identifying cross-sell opportunities across core business banking solutions.
3. Deliver revenue growth while maintaining portfolio quality, disciplined credit standards, and strong risk-adjusted returns.
4. Adhere to the bank’s operational risk, compliance, and credit governance processes.
5. Provide outstanding client experience through responsive service, informed advice, and proactive portfolio management.
6. Build and manage a robust client pipeline, follow up on leads, structure opportunities, complete call reports, and convert business efficiently.
7. Develop long-term relationships with business owners and decision-makers by understanding their funding, transaction banking, expansion, and risk management needs, and by delivering appropriate solutions.
8. Keep abreast of market trends, sector developments, and product capabilities to identify opportunities and provide relevant insights to business banking clients.
9. Partner closely with the Wealth team to originate, convert, and grow business-owner opportunities across wealth products, with a focus on driving referrals, increasing wallet share, and unlocking succession planning and family business continuity opportunities.

1. Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Banking, or a related field.
2. Minimum of 3 years of experience in wealth management, commercial, or business banking.
3. Strong relationship management and business development skills, particularly with business owners, promoters, and key decision-makers.
4. Good understanding of wealth products, cash management, and working capital solutions.
5. Strong market awareness, commercial acumen, and ability to identify sector-specific opportunities and risks.
6. Ability to work in a flexible and agile way in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment.
7. Demonstrated customer focus and service excellence.
8. Ability to actively collaborate with team members and stakeholders to achieve common goals.
9. Proven decision-making quality.
10. Experience in sales of products and services to clients.
11. Strong problem-solving skills to identify challenges and develop effective strategies.
12. A strategic mindset with the ability to think critically and plan effectively for the long-term.
13. Proven track record in originating, managing, and growing business banking client relationships.
14. Strong commercial instinct with the ability to identify client needs and translate them into relevant banking and wealth solutions.
15. Experience in wealth management serving corporate clients and family businesses, with strong capability in advisory, relationship management, and identifying holistic wealth solutions.
16. Ability to balance revenue delivery, compliance discipline, and strong client experience.
17. Confident communicator with the credibility to engage business owners, senior decision-makers, and internal stakeholders effectively.
18. Professional qualifications in Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment Part 1 & 2 Certification will be an added advantage.
19. Preference for candidates with investment banking experience, particularly in structuring, advisory, capital raising, or complex deal execution.
20. Ability to operate effectively in an international environment and collaborate across product and coverage teams.
21. Maintains a high standard of personal conduct and consistently demonstrates the bank’s valued behaviours.