Global Trade Finance, Director

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC MANUBANK, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.

The anticipated salary range for this role is between $202,000.00 and $237,000.00. The specific salary offered to an applicant will be based on their individual qualifications, experiences, and an analysis of the current compensation paid in their geography and the market for similar roles at the time of hire. The role may also be eligible for an annual discretionary incentive award. In addition to cash compensation, SMBC offers a competitive portfolio of benefits to its employees.

Role Description

This position is designed to create, manage, and grow investor relationships leading to a complete understanding of the trade asset market landscape, and to enhance trade finance asset distribution for GTFD Americas. The position will create a trade finance asset distribution opportunities in line with the department's objectives related to resource control and profitability goals. Moreover, the position requires extensive knowledge of the trade finance and supply chain finance market, a wide array of investor contacts in the market for those asset classes and the capacity to engage and drive the execution and settlement of asset distributions. The position is expected to drive, oversee, conduct and actively engage in all phases related to investor relationships for market research purposes and the end to end execution of the distribution process of trade finance assets.

Role Objectives

Scope:

• To support the design and implementation of the department's strategy as part of the transformation of the business model from participation to origination & distribution;
• Lead the efforts on Asset Distribution for Corporate trade finance assets, FI trade assets and Commodity trade assets;
• Support origination in the structuring (pricing, structures, operational process) of trade finance assets leading to the creation of and distributable assets and;
• Identify and implement operational efficiencies as a competitive advantage.
• May lead 1 or 2 direct reports depending on business needs.
• The person should have own book of business relationships with investors ready to be called upon brought to the bank.

The job responsibilities are described herein:

• Responsible for meeting distribution related result measurements; managing the list / database of investors, directing and coordinating end to end the sale process; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Create and develop the distribution tactics for AR / SCF and Inventory Finance programs for clients within the GTFD Americas portfolio
• Create and develop the distribution tactics for FI trade finance assets for clients within the GTFD Americas portfolio.
• Expand the existing investor base for the different trade finance asset classes. The investor should be diversified among different investor types.
• Proactively ensure all compliance guidelines are satisfied in transactions, generally, manage risk through the documentation process and continually monitor projects to minimize and mitigate risk.
• Build relationships and collaborate with other members in the Global Trade Finance teams and the Bank's Corporate Banking, middle office, and back office departments.
• Ensure the smooth execution, strong negotiation with investors; while displaying sound communication skills with senior management and relevant people involved.
• Initiate and lead cross-team collaboration across the Global Trade Finance Department to maximize the value of the Bank's business including price and investor appetite advise.
• Help sale team to originate the sellable deals from price and structuring perspective
• Provide support to the team, acting as first point of escalation and advice, to facilitate new business opportunities with investors across the Americas.
• Provide support to GTFD managements including direct reporting line, to come up with GTFD strategy not only Distribution angle but also peer analysis angle.
• Collaborate with Product team to identify/develop distribution related platforms.
• Liaise with Relationship Management Department to facilitate proactive asset sales activities

Qualifications and Skills

• Work Experience: 10 + years of specialized experience in Trade Finance activities, distribution and relationship management.
• Education:BA / BS required, MA/MS/MBA preferred
• Bilingual language skills in English and Spanish/ Portuguese preferred.
• Microsoft Office Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Sharepoint

SMBC’s employees participate in a Hybrid workforce model that provides employees with an opportunity to work from home, as well as, from an SMBC office. SMBC requires that employees live within a reasonable commuting distance of their office location. Prospective candidates will learn more about their specific hybrid work schedule during their interview process. Hybrid work may not be permitted for certain roles, including, for example, certain FINRA-registered roles for which in-office attendance for the entire workweek is required.

SMBC provides reasonable accommodations during candidacy for applicants with disabilities consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please let us know at [email protected].