Area Manager

Job Overview & Purpose:
The Area Agribusiness Manager will be responsible for actively driving business development and profitability across the Area, through coaching, mentoring and fostering a culture of best practice relationship initiatives amongst Relationship Managers. In conjunction with the Territory Manager, the Area Agribusiness Manager will work towards meeting or exceeding the Country Banking New Zealand’s (CBNZ) revenue targets.

Context of Job:
To contribute to achieving CBNZ goals for profitability, client satisfaction and credit quality.

Country Banking forms the core business of Rabobank New Zealand and has 33 offices across New Zealand. Country Banking enjoys a reputation as the leading provider of specialised banking services in the Food and Agribusiness sector. Country Banking New Zealand within Rabobank Australia and New Zealand Group (RANZG) is an important contributor to Rabobank globally.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

- Lead, motivate and proactively manage an effective and engaged team of Relationship Managers in relation to business development and sales.
- Proactively manage the performance of the employees in the Area
- Manage succession, and the career development of key employees.
- Proactively engage in the identification, selection and hiring of managers across the offices, in collaboration with the Territory Manager.
- Accountable for business growth and profitability of the Area Agribusiness team in line with the Area, Territory and Country Banking New Zealand strategy
- Ownership of the commercial performance of the Agribusiness team
- Ensure that the Area achieves objectives in relation to NPS, Client Margins, Asset Growth and Asset Quality.
- Oversee the creation and execution of account strategies within CRM system.
- Undertake performance reviews in a constructive and timely manner including identifying any development or training requirements.
- Contribute and collaborate as a member of the Territory Leadership Team and Sector Strategy Team.
- Work proactively with the Area Service and Fulfilment Manager to ensure compliance with the Bank’s policies and procedures at all times, including Audit, Risk, Compliance, Business Continuity and Credit and achieve efficiency gains.
- Promote the desired risk culture and maintain strong relationships with all lines of defence, further identifying any development or training requirements including Credit writing and analysis to minimise reworks.
- Identify poor-performing assets early and work with Credit/SAM to ensure appropriate action is taken to resolve.
- Contribute to the achievement of the Bank's CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) goals and objectives and ensure adherence to CSR policies.
- Manage Work health and safety matters for the team. Work within the context and conditions of Rabobank’s risk appetite and values.
- Other duties as directed.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture, Business or Finance related disciplines

Experience*:

- 7+ years senior experience in Rural Banking or similar field
- Proven Leadership experience, managing and leading a team
- Affiliation/thorough understanding of the rural clients, gained through experience

Knowledge:

- Strong knowledge of the rural industry
- Knowledge of specialised financial products

**Skills**:Leadership Skills
- Ability to drive, motivate, manage and lead a team
- Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor employees
- Ability to influence
- Demonstrated sound judgement

Interpersonal Skills
- Display and promote a high level of conduct at all times
- Promote of culture of professionalism, respect and fun
- Strong written and verbal communication skills

Customer Focus
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships and networks with internal and external clients
- Strong commercial orientation; ability to communicate decisions to the client that are mutually beneficial

Technical and Specialist Skills
- Advanced understanding of lending services and policy and procedures.
- A proven track record in sales and marketing
- Ability to maximise sales opportunities and to meet relationship targets.
- Strong credit and financial analysis skills.
- Strong communication at all levels both written and verbal.
- Ability to maintain sound relationships with key internal and external clients.

Planning and Organisation
- Ability to plan and organise own work and perform under pressure
- Demonstrated strategic and business planning skills
- Self-motivated
- Agile

Competencies:

- Customer Focus - Engaging the customer in dialogue. Detecting and listing customers' wishes and needs. Responding and anticipating to this, putting customer interest first. Thinking and acting from the customer's perspective. Staying focused on creating added value for the customer (customer value) and improving the service provision.
- Partnership - Contributing to a joint result based on the philosophy of reciprocal value creation. Seeking collaboration and s