Associate Relationship Manager - South West

About Allica Bank Allica is the UK’s fastest growing company - and the fastest-growing financial technology (Fintech) firm ever. Our purpose is to help established SMEs, one of the last major underserved opportunities in Fintech. Established SMEs are the backbone of local communities - representing over a third of our economy - yet have been largely neglected both by traditional high street banks and modern fintech providers. Department Description Our vision is to reimagine Relationship Banking for established SMEs, through the very best people, products and digital tools. Allica’s Relationship Management team was formed in 2022 and continues to grow at pace, providing established SME customers with expert human relationships alongside modern banking technology. The team supports customers with lending, current accounts, savings, asset finance and working capital facilities, while building deep local relationships with SME customers, trusted professional advisers and business communities. The Associate Relationship Manager role is a newly created position that is a key step in our ambition to build the best Relationship team to support our SME clients. The successful candidate will manage a portfolio of clients and be expected to deliver across a range of commercial, customer service and risk objectives whilst also providing support to the wider relationship team as part of their development. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to develop their skills and progress a career as an SME Relationship Manager. Principal Accountabilities - Manage a portfolio of SME customers delivering outstanding customer service, building genuine and trusting relationships and develop a deep understanding of your clients’ businesses and their ambitions. - Deliver against a range of commercial targets including lending and new customer / deposit acquisition, as well as identifying and meeting a range of client needs through the provision of Allica products and services. - Build a trusted external network with SME advisers and the wider business community. Leverage this network to generate new business opportunities for the bank, in addition to signposting your clients to external support and advice as appropriate. - Ensure that Risk is managed effectively on your portfolio, with all required risk activities completed on time and to a high standard. Use customer data and internal Allica systems to identify signs of client stress and take proactive action to tackle early. - Work closely with a Senior Relationship Manager, contributing to building a bespoke personal development plan which will include supporting them and the wider team as part of your learning. - Take an active role in new business campaigns, including attending events, following up on leads, supporting prospect engagement and undertaking some cold calling where appropriate. - Support event organisation and follow-up activity, helping the team build strong local relationships with SME customers, prospects, accountants, solicitors and other trusted professional advisers. - Maintain accurate CRM records, strong follow-up discipline and good control over customer, prospect and portfolio activity. - Build strong, collaborative and productive relationships with your team and wider internal stakeholders to ensure customer needs are meet efficiently and any issues resolved quickly. Personal Attributes & Experience - Some B2B sales, account management and/or SME banking experience, with a clear interest in building a career in SME relationship banking and a passion for supporting SMEs to be more successful. - Some experience of commercial lending and understanding / analysing financial accounts would be of benefit. - Curious, proactive and keen to learn, with the motivation to develop lending, sales, risk management and portfolio management capability through formal training and on-the-job coaching. - Confident engaging with customers, prospects and SME business advisers (including in person, via video call and by phone) asking great questions, following up consistently and building professional relationships. - Good organisation and attention to detail, with the ability to manage customer information and requests, portfolio tasks and follow-up actions accurately and at pace. - Practical understanding of customer service, sales activity and account management disciplines, ideally gained in a B2B, financial services or relationship-led environment. - Confident using systems, CRM tools and data to manage activity, track progress and support strong customer and risk outcomes. - Experience using AI tools in a business environment would also be of benefit. - An energetic, resilient, hands-on approach, with the confidence to get into the detail, solve problems and take ownership of outcomes. - Strong communication skills, with the ability to build credibility with customers, prospects, advisers, colleagues and stakeholders. - Strong alignment to Allica’s values, with the judgement, integrity and energy to lead by example and help contribute to the next phase of the Direct Relationship Management channel. Working at Allica Bank At Allica Bank we want to ensure our employees have the right tools and environment in which to succeed in their role and in support of our customers. Our employees are at the heart of everything we do, so our benefits are designed with you in mind: - Full onboarding support and continued development opportunities - Options for flexible working - Regular social activities - Pension contributions - Discretionary bonus scheme - Private health cover - Life assurance - Family friendly policies including enhanced Maternity & Paternity leave Don’t tick every box? Don’t worry if you don’t have all the skills or requirements listed on the job description. If you think you’ll be a good fit, we’d still love to hear from you! Flexible working We know the ‘9-to-5’ isn’t right for everyone. That’s why Allica Bank is fully committed to flexible and hybrid working. Please let us know what is best for you and, if we can, we will do our best to accommodate. Diversity We’re a diverse bunch here at Allica, with all kinds of experiences, backgrounds and lifestyles. Our openness and differences make us stronger, and we want everybody to feel comfortable bringing as much of themselves to work with them as they like.