Senior Manager: SME (D4)

Job overview

This role calls for a highly commercial banking leader with deep SME and business banking expertise, strong people leadership skills, and a record of growing revenue, improving client value, and strengthening business outcomes. The Senior Manager: SME is expected to bring together strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, risk awareness, and analytical capability to create innovative client solutions, drive change, and support sustainable growth in a competitive banking environment.

Job purpose

The position exists to shape, build, and implement the enablers of the client value proposition so that the SME segment grows in a mutually beneficial way and remains aligned to the bank’s strategy. The role is accountable for achieving the financial goals of the SME segment through functional leadership, relationship management, and client engagement.

Leadership scope

Manage Function

Key responsibilities

• Develop cross-functional alignment within the cluster to create and roll out solutions that strengthen SME sales capability and expand cross-sell opportunities across the bank, while tracking implementation of the agreed sales strategy.
• Maintain a clear understanding of client and stakeholder expectations, and nurture strong relationships through regular engagement and collaboration.
• Provide steady sales leadership by tracking targets, supporting the team, and creating an environment that enables strong performance.
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including executives and industry contacts, to open up new sales and service opportunities.
• Shape and manage SME business strategies and sales campaigns to improve profitability.
• Monitor team outcomes by building and applying tools, capabilities, and support mechanisms that help the team meet sales-growth and KPI targets.
• Improve performance by designing tailored solutions for business-wide and client-specific challenges within the SME segment.
• Track progress against strategic priorities and recommend adjustments that improve revenue, cost efficiency, operational performance, and competitiveness.
• Prepare analysis and reporting for business committees on objectives and target achievement, with a strong focus on cross-sell performance.
• Strengthen capability by identifying current and future system and development needs that improve efficiency, process quality, revenue, and sales delivery.
• Identify strategic risks and reinforce internal controls, while ensuring sound risk management practices are followed for onboarding, screening, and fulfilment of CVPs.
• Enhance processes and systems that support better client service and stronger sales outcomes across SME.
• Lead strategic enablement initiatives and relationship activities, including growth planning, action tracking, relationship management, and business forecasting.
• Offer expert decision support across the value chain to unlock additional sales growth opportunities.
• Ensure full compliance with governance requirements, segment strategy, the operating model, and all relevant legislation and regulations.
• Contribute as a subject matter expert in project teams and lead delivery against business specifications.
• Drive change management activities around solutions and improvements so that business objectives are achieved.
• Carry out ongoing research and convert insights into improvements for the client value proposition.
• Lead and empower the SME team consistently so targets are achieved and business needs are met.

Qualifications

Applicants should hold a professional qualification or an Honours degree. A Master of Business Administration is preferred and will be considered an advantage.

Experience

• A minimum of five years’ experience in banking, specifically with a focus on SME clients.
• At least five years of leadership experience at middle-management to senior-management level in banking.

Knowledge and skills

• Change leadership
• Client service management
• Governance, risk, and controls
• Understanding of the bank’s vision and strategy
• Project management principles
• Management reporting tools and mechanisms
• Analytical and systems thinking
• Financial management principles
• Risk and governance controls
• Stakeholder relationship management
• Strategic planning and execution

Behavioural competencies

• Customer orientation
• Ability to energize and mobilize the organisation
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Commitment to excellence
• Talent development and team building
• Building partnerships and networks

Additional information

People from designated groups, as defined in the Affirmative Action Act 29 of 1998, are encouraged to apply. If you need assistance or more information, contact the Nedbank Recruiting Team. Namibia is mentioned in the source text.