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Standard Bank Group

Runs banking and financial services across Africa

Head Product - Structured Trade & Commodity Finance

Product ManagementConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeJohannesburg, South AfricaNo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • A first degree in Business Commerce.
  • Five to seven years of experience in structured trade and commodity finance.
  • Experience leading a team within structured trade and commodity finance.
  • Experience implementing systems and product solutions within structured trade and commodity finance.
  • Advanced understanding of structured trade and commodity finance and Transaction Banking, with broad operational and strong functional skills.
  • More than ten years of experience championing the simplification of solutioning ways of working across multiple jurisdictions to enable better and faster client outcomes.
  • Comprehensive understanding of the overall firm and competitive environment, with broad knowledge across multiple functions and business lines.
  • A track record of identifying and driving opportunities to expand and shift the market with new and alternative solutions aligned to current and future client needs.
  • Knowledge of the macro context across multiple jurisdictions, and ability to apply that knowledge to identify, plan and solution for multiple clients.
  • Ability to develop clear solution value propositions aligned to client needs and focused on differentiated client experience and value.
  • Ability to drive and manage understanding of relevant legislation, regulations and solution requirements within relevant geographies.
  • Ability to formulate and articulate a compelling vision, including the benefits and future applications of solutions, trends and client impacts across the Transaction Banking solution landscape.
  • Ability to integrate CIB ESG priorities and strategic imperatives to support sustainable profitability across the Transaction Banking landscape.
  • Ability to manage continuous improvement of internal solutioning systems, guide the team in troubleshooting errors, and liaise with the IT department on technical issues and enhancements linked to operational requirements and compliance.
  • Behavioural competencies include challenging ideas, convincing people, developing strategies, directing people, embracing change, exploring possibilities, generating ideas, making decisions, providing insights, pursuing goals, seizing opportunities and upholding standards.
  • Technical competencies include business insights, client business case development, market analysis, operational planning, product development, trading and transacting product knowledge, risk management, stakeholder management, strategic planning and reporting, and strategy definition.

Responsibilities

  • Own the Structured Trade and Commodity Finance portfolio, including pre-export finance, borrowing base facilities, inventory-backed lending and other asset-backed solutions, ensuring commercial scalability within risk appetite, disciplined capital usage and compliance with regulatory and credit frameworks.
  • Define and maintain the strategic product architecture, including product constructs, collateral frameworks, eligibility criteria and appropriate asset coverage models.
  • Develop methodologies, margining rules, covenant structures, reporting standards and utilisation mechanisms aligned with client risk profiles and credit appetite.
  • Lead full lifecycle management of the product suite from origination and structuring through execution, monitoring, enhancement and exit.
  • Establish and maintain governance frameworks, including deal templates, security packages, perfection requirements, collateral control standards and operational risk thresholds.
  • Define and monitor portfolio limits across countries, obligors, commodities and ecosystems, aligning them with concentration, sovereign and counterparty risk appetites.
  • Develop deal-structuring playbooks and pricing frameworks to support consistent origination, competitive positioning and alignment with client value propositions.
  • Drive commercialisation across target industries, markets and client segments, including distribution strategies such as risk participation and insurance wraps.
  • Support Coverage and Sales teams in engaging anchor clients, expanding into ecosystems and positioning the product as a strategic enabler of trade flows and working capital needs.
  • Monitor portfolio performance across risk-adjusted returns, RWA intensity, impairment trends, collateral health and early-warning triggers.
  • Drive product-level capital optimisation by designing structures that balance commercial outcomes, risk appetite, regulatory capital, liquidity and return hurdles.
  • Lead proactive portfolio interventions, including restructuring, covenant resets, margining adjustments and collateral enhancements, to protect asset quality and meet P&L expectations.
  • Champion digitisation and technology enablement, including solutions for collateral tracking, real-time monitoring, data ingestion and early-warning insights.
  • Introduce automation and workflow simplification for borrowing base reporting, compliance checks, release processes and operational controls.
  • Improve end-to-end execution quality by reducing time to close, improving client onboarding efficiency and strengthening cross-functional delivery.
  • Elevate documentation standards, legal robustness and enforceability through consistent templates, clear structuring notes and rigorous credit alignment.
  • Provide execution oversight to ensure adherence to risk frameworks, operational readiness, collateral controls and post-deal monitoring standards.

About the Company

Standard Bank Group

Runs banking and financial services across Africa

Standard Bank Group operates banking, insurance and investment businesses focused on Africa, serving individuals, families, businesses and institutional clients. Its services cover everyday accounts and payments, savings and lending, business finance, corporate transactions and investment banking. The group also manages insurance, asset management and wealth offerings that support clients through different financial needs and stages of life. Local banking operations connect with international centres and offshore hubs to support cross-border activity, trade and access to financial markets. Founded in 1862, the group is headquartered in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
Not listed
Total funding
Not listed
Headquarters
Johannesburg, South Africa
Founded
1862

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