Assist Vice President, Manager, Trade Operations

Role Overview

Assist Vice President, Manager, Trade Operations at Mashreq. The role manages end-to-end export operations and trade finance products across all business segments, ensuring compliance with bank policies, standard operating procedures, and ICC guidelines.

Role Purpose

Oversee the complete lifecycle of export transactions and trade finance products while maintaining risk controls, service standards, and regulatory compliance. Advise commercial customers and internal teams on trade finance solutions, drive operational excellence, and lead continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Customer Advisory & Product Consultation

• Provide advice and consultation to commercial customers on Export Finance, Export Payments, Document Checking, Letter of Credit Advising/Confirmation/Transfer, Collections, and Risk Participation.
• Provide advice and consultation to the Product Development Team on Trade Finance activities in accordance with International Practices, ICC Publications, OPM, APPM, and Local Rules and Regulations.
• Manage customers' expectations and ideate solutions aligned with their business needs.

Operations & Processing

• Ensure all procedures comply with Bank Policy and Guidelines.
• Ensure all processing adheres to SOP, OPM, UCP, and ISBP standards as applicable and approved within the Product Program.
• Ensure SLA adherence and charges recovery follows extant guidelines.
• Handle Commodity Trade Operations documents.
• Exercise due diligence in checking applications, particularly for Priority Customers, High value transactions, and requests for Back to Back Letters of Credit or Red Clause Letters of Credit.
• Perform sanction checking of relevant parties in documents and checks related to Trade Based Money Laundering.
• Ensure no unattended reconciliation entries remain pending in Nostro or Internal accounts on a daily basis.

Risk & Compliance

• Ensure that risk and control measures are duly followed and are adequate across all areas of Trade Finance.
• Recommend actions in relation to changes in law, Rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, Government regulations, and bank policies that affect trade transactions.
• Immediately escalate any error, customer complaint, service defect, or issue raised by counter parties and ensure recording in the appropriate system.
• Close audit observations in an effective and timely manner.
• Ensure efficient processing of transactions and adherence to service standards and quality services to both internal and external customers.

Customer Service & Quality

• Review customer complaints and take immediate action to satisfy them.
• Ensure solutions are implemented on a fast-track basis and work closely with the onshore unit to ensure seamless client delivery.
• Maintain quality of service as a key differentiator in a competitive environment.

Team Leadership & Development

• Run daily Team Huddles and demonstrate teamwork to provide solutions to any issues.
• Ensure cross-skilling for the entire team in at least two additional products.
• Recommend trainings and workshops to plug knowledge gaps and embed ownership of resolution at grass-root level for effective results.
• Share responsibility with seniors and act as a team player.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure MBOs are achieved on time.
• Recommend changes to SOP, OPM, and ADM with the aim to improve service levels without compromising on controls.
• Lead automation projects and ideate operational improvements.
• Take corrective and preventive action based on customer complaints, operational errors, and quality and RCSA analysis.

Qualifications & Experience

• Graduate degree.
• Minimum 15–18 years of experience in Trade Finance.
• CDCS, CITF, or CTFP certification.
• General Banking knowledge.

Skills & Competencies

• Thorough and in-depth understanding of Trade Finance products and functions.
• Thorough understanding of Swift, Trade Finance, and Financial Operating Systems.
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Attentive to detail with strong analytical skills.
• Able to work under pressure with excellent organizational skills.
• Understanding and accurate analysis and interpretation of ICC publications.
• Knowledge of global compliance scenarios and Trade Based Money Laundering.
• Awareness of geo-political situations and their impact on trade operations.
• Team player with collaborative mindset.

Additional Information

• Role operates in a multi-discipline, multi-cultural workforce involving financial and non-financial processes across UAE and IBG.
• Coverage spans different business segments: CIBG, RBG, and IBG, each with distinguished needs.