
Centenary Bank
PERSONAL BANKER – (AGRI LENDING)
5 Positions:
Lilongwe – 2 Positions
Mzuzu – 1 Position
Kasungu – 1 Position
Blantyre – 1 Position
Job Purpose:
The Personal Bankers responsible for the Agricultural Loan portfolio will play a pivotal role in enhancing the growth and sustainability of agricultural enterprises by offering tailored financial solutions that meet the unique needs of farmers, agribusinesses, and rural communities. He/she will be responsible for evaluating loan applications, assessing creditworthiness, portfolio quality control, and developing customized financial packages and ensure that agricultural operators have the financial means to invest in agricultural production, procure equipment and livestock, expand operations, and weather economic fluctuations. The officer will also serve as crucial advisor and advocate in the agricultural landscape, fostering economic and sustainable business growth for the bank and its valued customers in agriculture
Key Responsibilities:
Business Growth and Relationship Management
1. Business Growth
- Formulate and implement sales action plans for agriculture portfolio that will facilitate the achievement of revenue growth and profitability of the assigned portfolio
- Participate in sales campaigns, techniques and tactics in a planned manner to achieve sales
Stay updated with agricultural market trends and economic conditior
Develop and maintain relationships with local farmers, agricultural businesses by providi financial advice and guidance - Proactively acquire new client and drive cross-selling of additional solutions according to customer needs; as well as referring sales leads to other business stakeholders within the bank like Retail and Corporate divisions.
- Drive the use/sale of alternative self-service banking channels and educate customers on the benefits of utilising alternative channels
- Establish network and maintain relationships with internal and local partners in agriculture sector:
- Provide excellent customer service, addressing any questions or concerns from clients
2. Credit Processing
- Evaluate loan applications and determine the creditworthiness of applicants
- Analyse financial statements, credit reports, and other relevant documents.
- Conduct field visits to inspect farming operations and assess the risk profiles.
- Provide financial planning and advisory services to ensure effective use of borrowed funds.
- Structure loan options and terms that align with both the Centenary bank’s risk appetite and the borrower’s requirements
- Process credit applications and submit for approval to appropriate levels of authority as per agreed SLA in line with credit policy
- Prepare approved loans for disbursement in line with credit policies
- Monitor and evaluate loan performance in line with the disbursement terms and conditions.
- Communicate loan decisions and provide detailed feedback to applicants
3. Porfolio Quality
- Monitor, follow up and the recover all loans/credit facilities under respective portfolio
- Follow up all loans in arrears and ensure timely recovery within the set credit policies
- Follow up and recover all non-performing loans in the respective portfolio
- Follow up and recover all written off loans in the respective portfolio
- Liaise and support recovery unit to ensure completion of the recovery processes
- Proactively follow up with the Recovery / Legal departments to obtain updates on cases handed over the team.
- Monitor and report on the trend of product growth, outreach, and PAR
- Resolve all issues related to loan payments and delinquencies
Compliance and Risk Management
- Proactively identify and assess the risks faced by the agriculture sector and other relevant business sectors and maintain an effective system of credit controls to minimize exposure
- Adhere to all relevant lending regulations and reporting requirements.
- Maintain accurate loan documentation and records within the loan management system.
- Prepare regular reports on loan portfolio performance and identify areas for improvement.
Key Point Person To Ensure Timely Repayments
- Work closely with partner organizations, cooperatives/associations and VLSAs to ensure timely repayment of loans
- Advise borrowers on financial status and payment methods
- Implement collection strategies for delinquent loans in accordance with company policies.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Advanced knowledge of Agriculture individual lending practices
- Strong understanding of the agricultural industry and its financial needs
- Familiarity with agricultural regulations and compliance requirements
- Basic experience in rural lending and/or training in credit analysis or related areas
- Knowledge of the microfinance industry and community development
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Knowledge of agricultural markets and industry practices where Centenary bank is operating
- Good mathematical skills, ability to calculate interest, commissions, percentage etc.
- Excellent negotiation, presentation, communication and interpersonal skills
Qualifications/Experience:
- A degree in Business Administration, Banking, Finance, Agriculture, or a related field. Excellent computer literacy and experience with Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel. Applicants with a diploma and over five years of practical experience are also encouraged to apply.
- Advanced knowledge of individual agricultural lending practices.
- A strong understanding of the agricultural industry and its financial needs.
- Familiarity with agricultural regulations and compliance requirements.
- Basic experience in rural lending and/or training in credit analysis or related areas.
- Knowledge of the microfinance industry and community development.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Knowledge of agricultural markets and industry practices where Centenary Bank operates.
- Good mathematical skills, with the ability to calculate interest, commissions, percentages, etc.
- Excellent negotiation, presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Those with Motorcycle riding license will have an added advantage
- Able to work as part of a team
- Service orientation and strong Customer focused
- Honesty and Integrity.
Applications for the Position:
Applications with Curriculum Vitae (both cover letter and CV should be saved in one PDF file) should be emailed to: recruitment@centenarybank.co.mw
Please indicate on the email subject line the position you are applying for.
The closing date for the receipt of applications is Sunday, 9th February, 2025.
Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged.