Vice President Front Office Manager - GIFT City Branch (India)

Job description

Headquartered in Tokyo, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) is a leading global financial institution and a core member of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC Group). Built upon our rich Japanese heritage since 1876, we put our customers first and provide seamless access to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. SMBC is one of the largest Japanese banks by assets and maintain strong credit ratings across our global integrated network. We work closely as one SMBC Group to offer personal, corporate and investment banking services to meet the needs of our customers. With sustainability embedded within our strategy and operations, we are committed to creating a society in which today’s generation can enjoy economic prosperity and well-being, and pass it on to future generations. (A) Primary Responsibilities (Key work activities essential to achieve the position objective) Customer Service at GIFT-City IBU (Branch) New Customer Onboarding/ deboarding for Resident and offshore customers of SMBC. Support branch’s KPIs and Front-Office KPIs including IFSCA ESG Compliance and Gross profit contribution through timely and errorfree execution. Speed and quality of customer service Transaction Execution & Customer Lifecycle Management Ensure timely and error-free execution across the entire customer lifecycle: onboarding (registration, AML-KYC, sanctions screening), credit application preparation support, documentation liaison, disbursement, transaction management, covenant/collateral management, monitoring, renewals and account closure. Quotes to Customers, instruction sheets, funding coordination with BCAPD, Treasury and OPIN for disbursement discipline. Champion post-disbursement discipline – covenant compliance, portfolio monitoring, sale/purchase of assets, and remediation of exceptions. Preparation of alpha quote/ Instruction Sheet of new drawdown/ prepayment/ selldowns/ rollovers Review of Term sheet, facility documentation and provide feedback to RMs Share CP/CS, covenant compliance emails with internal team. Front Office role for KYC/ Fenergo/NR/Dashboard Guide the team on KYC matters. Liaise with stakeholders to manage KYC timelines. Review of various applications (credit/CoC/C&I/etc.) and sharing comments with RM team. Circulation of GBR appl as Checker. Present Front Office activities during GB meeting. New Products: Participate in discussions with internal stakeholders. Review product notes, provide feedback. Periodic approvals post launch of new product. Team Leadership & People Management • Lead, coach and develop the Front-Office team; set performance objectives aligned to IBU and India Division goals; support career progression, mobility and succession. • Build a diverse, inclusive and collaborative team culture consistent with SMBC values; break down silos across teams and cultures; provide constructive feedback and role-model the SMBC Competency Framework behaviors (Trust & Integrity, Customer First, Proactive & Innovative, Speed & Quality, Team SMBC Group). • Plan resourcing in line with book growth and hiring plan for GIFT-City IBU. Risk, Compliance, Governance & Conduct (First Line of Defense) • Act as first-line owner for Front-Office risks; embed a strong risk-management and compliance culture in line with SMBC Group policies, IFSCA regulations, RBI guidelines, FEMA, SEZ requirements and cross-border obligations. • Partner with Compliance, Risk, Legal and BCO framework to identify, assess, monitor and mitigate operational, credit, market, conduct and regulatory risks; ensure timely completion of audit and regulatory obligations and actively manages BCP. • Reinforce SMBC’s ethical and governance principles; ensure Front-Office activities operate within the Bank’s risk appetite and align with the SMBC APAC BCO Framework. Business Systems Design, Policy & Stakeholder Management • Design and refresh procedures, processes and policies for Front-Office activities of; support automation and system migrations (e.g., Fenergo, FOX, TEXP/TEMS). • Provide timely inputs for internal, HO and regulatory reporting; liaise with Credit, Legal, Operations, Compliance, FCIN, Risk and external counsels; represent Front Office in governance forums. Actively participate and contribute to Branch/ India-Division/ SMBC projects (B) Secondary Responsibilities (Duties that are marginal or infrequent) Provides front office progress to Governing Board and Management Any other duties assigned by the management from time to time. Knowledge Deep understanding of corporate banking processes across multiple currencies and multiple products like ECB structuring, RCFs, syndicated / term loans, trade finance and structured / sustainable finance etc. Working knowledge of GIFT-City IFSC framework, IFSCA regulations, RBI / FEMA guidelines, SEZ requirements and cross-border tax / legal considerations (Indian and UK law). Understanding of facility documentation, conditions precedent / subsequent, covenant frameworks, collateral structures and AML-KYC / sanctions requirements. Skills Demonstrated ability to execute complex, multi-stakeholder cross-border transactions end-to-end. People leadership – ability to build, coach and retain a high-performing Front-Office team and role-model SMBC APAC Competency behaviors Strong stakeholder management across cultures (Japan / APAC / India) and functions; ability to influence senior stakeholders including regulators and Head Office. Excellent written and verbal English; commercial acumen; sound judgment under ambiguity; high attention to detail; MS Office proficiency. Experience Prior experience of leading a Front-Office / RM team; exposure to IFSC / GIFT-City, offshore banking Centres (Singapore, Hong Kong, London, Tokyo) preferred. 10+ years in corporate / wholesale banking, with significant experience in cross-border lending, ECBs, structured / trade finance. Track record of delivering business growth KPIs, managing regulatory relationships (IFSCA / SEZ / RBI) and operating within a strong risk & compliance framework. Qualifications CFA/ FRM/ CA / MBA (Finance). Postgraduate degree from a reputed institution preferred. Strong proficiency in English (written and spoken).