Head of Client Services - Global Trade and Receivables Finance

Job description

Employment Type: Regular
 
HSBC Global Trade and Receivables Finance is one of the largest trade services organizations in the world, offering a comprehensive range of forward-thinking supply chain and traditional trade solutions. It has been repeatedly recognized 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.
 
GTRF serves as a core service provider for Commercial (CMB) and Global Banking & Markets (GBM) clients. The Country Head of GTRF Client Services (CS) in Canada is responsible for proactively managing, leading and driving GTRF’s CS function, client experience, and service performance in Canada.
 
The jobholder is responsible for leadership of the CS teams across Canada to
Define and execute Canada’s GTRF CS strategy and operating model, aligned with the global GTRF CS target operating model;
Achieve the overall business objective of revenue growth through revenue retention, reduced sales time on service, proactive management of GTRF service performance and increased clients’ usage of self-serve solutions;
Act as escalation point for CS Managers and ensure client satisfaction by leading the CS teams Canada  to render consistently excellent and market leading service;
Drive collaboration with Transaction Services, GSD (where applicable), Business Development, Relationship Management and other internal/ external units on service performance, initiatives and issues;
Collaborate with the Country Head of GTRF Services and Global Head of GTRF CS in driving a culture of long term, high quality needs-based solutions for clients, setting a market leading standard for service and client experience.
 
Impact on Business/Function:
 
Define and execute Canada’s GTRF CS strategy and operating model, aligned with the global GTRF CS target operating model.
Drive adoption of global initiatives and practices for GTRF CS across Canada that enable globally consistent yet locally competitive, segmented service experience for clients (and the clients’ customers, applicable to RF), Premium and Standard, and develop and manage internal capabilities required to effectively deliver these propositions.
Work with Heads of GTRF Services Managers across sites to deliver globally connected service experience that is aligned with the GTRF Services target operating model.
Lead the country development and execution of a high quality client-centric service culture that delivers superior post-sales support to mainly CMB and GBM clients across the range of GTRF products in Canada.
Manage the CS function within the operating budgets for the country and track performance of CS teams across Canada against Performance Scorecards and Dashboards.
Ensure strategic alignment with Global and Country imperatives.
Participate in projects relating to new products/ propositions/ solutions/ procedures with inputs from client angle, and providing leadership where applicable.
 
Customers / Stakeholders:
 
Lead and ensure effective internal and external communication and sharing of CS strategies, initiatives, achievements and performance with key executive stakeholders.
Ensure that the client is at the heart of everything we do both personally and as an organization by driving a client-centric culture.
Lead and manage CS teams across Canada in the delivery of high quality service to clients, timely resolution of service quality issues, and implementation of preventative measures to protect service levels.
Represent Canada at relevant local/ regional/ global forums and act as a GTRF CS champion to ensure that key objectives are given appropriate priority within GTRF.
Successfully deliver CS experience to GTRF Clients, both Premium and Standard through the CS team across Canada including client orientation in getting started with GTRF and ongoing service support.
 
Leadership and Teamwork:
 
Timely provision of job descriptions, objectives, performance reviews, development plans and clear performance management and coaching on key issues for direct reports and all CS teams across Canada.
Drive a client-centric service culture fulfilled by working with Global CS, Regional and Country Heads of Services to establish, manage and develop CS teams across Canada who become locally and globally recognized as leaders in client service.
Drive building and maintaining good working relationships with Transaction Services, Business Development, GSD (where applicable), CMB, GBM and other strategic internal/ external units and operate in an open and transparent way being fully accountable for supporting business.
Ensure staff development is a core priority and enable all CS teams across Canada to take reasonable time for learning and developmental activities.
 
Operational Effectiveness and Control:
 
Ensure all CS teams in Canada fully adhere and comply with all applicable laws and regulations, Group standards, policies and procedures  including the timely implementation of recommendations made by internal/ external auditors and regulators.
Continue the development of a culture of continuous process improvement and quality measurement to create efficiencies to enable all CS teams across Canada to focus on role of making world trade easy.
Lead and manage adoption of operational specifications for CS across Canada that adhere to Group requirements for risk and compliance management in relation to client interactions, operational risk management and data protection.
Ensure close monitoring of the operational risk within CS across Canada 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 key challenge of the role is to lead significant mind-set shift within the GTRF business to embed a client-centric service culture and deliver on stretching business targets to ensure our service experience becomes/remains market leading. A strong ability to develop a CS function across Canada aligned with the global model and manage execution of client-centric service for the GTRF client segments are required, to successfully implement strategies and initiatives, often based on limited resources. The jobholder will need to demonstrate excellent people management and change leadership skills, given that CS is relatively new within GTRF. Stakeholder management across internal (Global Businesses, Product, Business Development, Marketing, Global/ Regional/ Country Management) and external constituencies (clients, clients’ customers where applicable, service providers, industry associations, competitors) is essential given the competitive nature of the market environment and the complexity of the GTRF business and HSBC.
 
A familiarity with regulatory frameworks in the relevant businesses and the ability to keep pace with the ever changing market conditions are required. The jobholder needs to understand the trends and dynamics of our clients businesses and competitive environment, and the consequent impact on GTRF in order to extend our market position and achieve business targets.
 
The jobholder will launch (where applicable), lead and manage successful performance of the CS function across Canada, ensuring full adherence to Global Standards and all Risk & Compliance policies. With increasing market expectation of service excellence, an ability to articulate the benefits and persuade stakeholders of the merits of Client Services versus current practice is required. In particular, the role demands the ability to understand the current processes undertaken, the strengths and weaknesses of these processes and the ability to implement and manage execution of a robust operating model that establishes and sustains top quality service performance and enhanced client experience. A particular challenge is knowing where best to focus efforts to create optimal value to effectively lead, motivate and develop all CS teams across Canada in achieving business targets, and being the role model and driver for a client-centric GTRF business.
 
Role Context
 
Global Trade & Receivables Finance (GTRF) is a core business for HSBC. The traditional finance of trade cycles and the information contained therein relies heavily on the professional expertise of GTRF 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.
 
GTRF Client Services is a client facing unit within GTRF Services who
take full ownership of clients’ transactional needs and coordinate between clients, Transaction Services, Business Development, GSD (where applicable), CMB, GBM & other teams for transaction fulfilment
advise clients on trade transactional practices & products
interact with clients (and clients’ customers, applicable to RF) to collect client payments & apply risk controls
encourage client adoption of self-serve solutions to enable proactive service
understand clients’ transactional routines, build relationships & identifies potential increases in revenue flows for Business Development to explore
monitor client experience, client feedback & service quality
 
The function is governed by the Global Head of GTRF Client Services (reporting to Global Head of GTRF Services) who sets global standards and oversees consistent service quality.
 
A challenge for the jobholder is to balance the need for local flexibility to cater for market practices with the overarching need for global consistency. Solutions must recognize local/Group legal and compliance issues as well as banking practices, regulatory considerations and the HSBC’s own evolving products/ propositions/ solutions capabilities.
 
The jobholder will participate with GTRF, CMB and GB&M teams throughout the Group to achieve the objectives of the role. The jobholder has the flexibility and scope to draw on wide experience and to initiate and execute activities that contribute measurable benefits for GTRF.
 
Management of Risk
 
The jobholder will ensure the fair treatment of our clients is at the heart of everything we do, both personally and as an organization.
 
The jobholder will continually reassess the operational risks associated with the role and CS teams across Canada, and risks inherent in the business. The changing economic or market conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, operating procedures and practices, management restructurings, and the impact of new technology will need to be taken into account.
 
This will be achieved by ensuring all actions consider the likelihood of operational risk occurring,   and also by addressing any areas of concern in conjunction with line management and/or the appropriate department.
 
Observation of Internal Controls
 
The jobholder will demonstrate adherence to all applicable internal controls by all CS teams across Canada. This will be achieved by adherence to all relevant policies, procedures and standards, keeping appropriate records and, where appropriate, by the timely implementation of internal and external audit points including issues raised by regulators.
 
The jobholder will manage all CS teams across Canada in ensuring implementation of Group compliance policies by containing compliance risk in liaison with BRCM and Local Compliance Officer as required. The term ‘compliance’ embraces all relevant financial services laws, rules and codes with which the business has to comply.
 
This will be achieved by adhering to all relevant processes/procedures and by liaising with Compliance department about new business initiatives at the earliest opportunity; Also and when applicable, by ensuring adequate resources are in place and training is provided, fostering a compliance culture and, where applicable, optimizing relations with regulators.

Desired profile

Solid knowledge of Core Trade, Guarantees, Supply Chain and/or Receivables Finance
Ability to lead and motivate other managers and staff, employing appropriate management styles to
achieve objectives
Ability to use strong judgmental skills to identify and resolve problems whilst maintaining service
performance budgets, time scales and quality of output
University degree supporting Financial Services, Business Operation, Process service or equivalent
experience in a related field
Knowledge of HSBC’s organization structure, business products/ solutions particularly GTRF
and eChannels, operations and systems/processes is desirable
Excellent interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication skills (in English and local
language) as well as negotiating and influencing
Minimum 5-10 years experience in leadership, strategic implementation and/or operational management  of client service and/or sales functions
Demonstrated ability to multitask and work independently, as well as work collaboratively with other local/ regional/ global team
Ability to manage in a crisis; making good and timely decisions in tough situations