Assistant Manager, Client Services

Role Purpose (overall high level summary of the role):

HSBC Global Trade Solutions (GTS) is one of the largest trade services organisations in the world, offering a comprehensive range of forward-thinking supply chain and traditional trade solutions (letters of credit, bank guarantees, etc.) for Corporate and Institutional (CIB) clients. It has been repeatedly recognised by the industry’s most prominent publications and associations in numerous awards for its strength in combining innovation and service excellence with end-to-end client solutions.

The GTS Client Services (CS) Assistant Manager is a client-facing role and the central point of contact for all client transactional needs and service solutions for the assigned client portfolio (Global Priority, Premium or Standard). The main purpose of the role is to:

• Deliver a valued and best in class client experience, built on deep Services expertise, strong internal networks across frontline (GTS Trade Sales and Relationship Managers) and back office functions, and a deep understanding of the client’s trade business across the Group
• Own, manage and successfully resolve clients’ transactional queries, issues and complaints, in line with agreed SLAs and relevant standards (incl. financial crime and regulatory)
• Provide timely (often pro-active) and accurate guidance and recommendations to clients to help them manage their business effectively and build trust in our offering and service proposition with a view to gaining new business
• Contribute to the achievement of revenue growth through retention, reduced sales time on service, proactive management of GTS service performance and increased clients’ usage of self-service solutions
• Provide transactional trade advice to assigned clients, GTS Trade Salesand RMs, and provide input to account planning
• Embrace HSBC’s values and always strive to deliver fair outcomes for clients and HSBC

On top of the above CS’ responsibilities, from time to time if the need arises, Client Services Assistant Manager may be required to give support to the Services team, such as Operational/Transactional tasks, Guarantee reviews, etc.

Principal Accountabilities:  Key activities and decision making areas

Impact on Business/Function:

• Deliver GTS’s Client Services (CS) strategy and target operating model in line with CS’s global segmentation model (Priority, Premium, Standard)
• Understand the clients’ transaction routines, provide support and guidance and anticipate their service needs and resolve transaction and service issues
• Where suspicion or doubt arise from the clients’ transactional activity, escalate issues or concerns to local GTS management and Financial Crime Compliance teams for guidance
• Adopt and deliver global initiatives and practices for GTS’s CS that enable globally consistent, yet locally competitive, segmented service experience for assigned client portfolio.
• Contribute to business retention and growth as evidenced by Revenue reports and available Management Information
• Actively monitor the client’s Facility Utilisation and look for opportunities to gain new business
• Promote the ease of use of our digital tools and increase the clients’ effectiveness by encouraging them to use self service solutions / tools

Customers / Stakeholders:

• Help embed a client-centric culture by putting the client at the heart of our service provision
• Provide high quality service to clients by resolving service quality issues in a timely manner and implementing preventative measures to protect service levels.
• Conduct client visits and service reviews based on business need and client segmentation model
• Elevate the client experience as evidenced from external feedback, client reviews and feedback from managers, RMs and BDMs
• Solicit regular client feedback on service performance through client visits and service reviews, to name a few
• Work collaboratively across the matrix within GTS (BDMs, RMs, Product & Propositions, back office teams), wider CIB) to deliver an enhanced client value proposition for assigned clients

Leadership and Teamwork:

• Set the highest professional standards personally and as a member of the team.
• Foster a strong, collaborative culture and positive team dynamics consistent with Group Values.
• Maintain good working relationships with Transaction Services staff, BDMs, GSC staff (where applicable), RMs and other internal teams (and external parties, where applicable) and operate in an open and transparent way being fully accountable for supporting business.
• Ensure personal development is a core priority and complete agreed learning and developmental activities.

Operational Effectiveness and Control:

• Ensure adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, Group policies, procedures and standards including the timely implementation of recommendations made by external auditors and regulators.
• Contribute to continuous process improvement and quality measurement to create efficiencies to enable CS staff to focus on role of making world trade easy.
• Adopt operational specifications for CS that adhere to Group requirements for risk and compliance management in relation to client interactions, operational risk management and data protection.
• Contribute to close monitoring of the operational risk and exercise appropriate action to minimize the likelihood of operating risk occurring including risk identification, assessment, mitigation and control, loss identification and reporting.

Major Challenges (The challenges inherent in the role that require a continual test of the role holder’s abilities)

• The role requires a broad understanding of all GTS products, services and procedures, as well as an ability to offer effective transactional advisory and guidance to clients, BDM and RMs. The jobholder will conduct client visits and service reviews to demonstrate product benefits, helping our clients run their businesses efficiently and effectively, building a positive client experience and assisting the BDM / RM demonstrate value in GTS’s products and coverage.
• The jobholder must be able to deal with multi-jurisdictional/demanding clients by responding to their enquiries quickly and accurately within SLAs. Careful analysis and judgment is required to resolve a multitude of enquiries. A high level of communication/coordination skills is also required as the jobholder must interact with both clients and internal staff in multiple countries (building a global network of contacts for each relationships specific needs) and time zones (e.g. Transaction Services, GSD, BD, RM, etc.), as well as external parties where applicable (e.g. credit insurers, etc.).
• The jobholder should always keep abreast of the global business environment, relevant regulatory changes and new service and/or solutions available to capture opportunities to drive revenue growth through delivery of excellent and market leading service, and meeting/ exceeding clients’ expectations.

Role Context (The environment and operating conditions of the role including the extent of guidance and authority)

Global Trade Solutions (GTS) is a core business for HSBC. The traditional finance of trade cycles and the information contained therein relies heavily on the professional expertise of GTS Services and on technology. The ability of Services teams to process transactions efficiently and accurately has long been seen as a differentiator in the market.

GTS Client Services is a client facing unit within GTS Services who:

• takes full ownership of clients’ transactional needs and coordinate between clients, Transaction Services, Business Development, GSD (where applicable), CMB, CIB & other internal/ external parties for transaction fulfilment and service performance
• advises clients on trade transactional practices & products
• interacts with clients (and clients’ customers, applicable to RF) to collect client payments & apply risk controls
• encourages client adoption of self-serve solutions to enable proactive service
• understands clients’ transactional routines, build relationships & identifies potential increases in revenue flows for Business Development Managers and Relationship Managers to follow up on
• monitors client experience, client feedback & service quality

Role Dimensions (e.g. balance sheet size, lending/expenditure limits, size/volume of transactions, budget)

The role will be part of GTS CS who have financial and non-financial accountability in terms of reducing revenue attrition, increasing Transaction Services and Sales capacity, improving client satisfaction and self-service which will ultimately contribute to GTS profits. The GTS CS teams support approximately 70,000 clients globally, advising and supporting more than 6 million transactions per year. These individuals will be responsible for servicing and contributing to the retention and growth of the value of GTS clients.

Knowledge & Experience / Qualifications  (For the role – not the role holder. Minimum requirements of the role.)

Essential

• Deep knowledge and experience in GTS products / processes
• Be able to demonstrate strong commitment to service excellence and client relationship management skills in current role
• Proven track record of demonstrating excellent problem solving skills and ability to use the matrix effectively to resolve issues and connect clients to opportunities
• Be able to think through, problem solve, prioritise, and handle difficult situations with pragmatism, common sense and empathy
• Demonstrable experience of challenging the status quo, processes and operations in order to deliver an enhanced client experience
• Able to deliver difficult messages and remain calm under pressure
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills with excellent written and oral presentation skills
• Japanese (native) and English (business) language skills

Desirable

• CDCS certification (or another relevant trade qualification) is highly desirable