The Asset & Liabilities Management (ALM) Officer is responsible for managing Ecobank Kenya's balance sheet, ensuring adequate liquidity, optimizing returns on excess liquidity, and managing associated market risks (FX and interest rate) within approved limits. This role also involves crucial financial reporting, strict adherence to regulatory and internal compliance standards, and providing secretarial support to the Asset and Liability Committee (ALCO).
Key Responsibilities
Business
- Ensure that adequate liquid assets are maintained at all times to meet Central Bank reserve requirements, and the bank’s funding needs.
- Ensure there is a liquidity contingency plan in place and approved by ALCO. This plan is to be activated during times when the bank is faced with liquidity challenges.
- Monitor bank’s placement and borrowing limits and ensure all trades are within sanctioned limits.
- Contribute to building ECOBANK’s reputation in the international and local markets through personally demonstrating a high level of professionalism, and through developing mutually beneficial working relationships with agents, advisors, and counterparties.
- Network with internal customers, external market participants and other ECOBANK dealing centres in order to solicit customer’s feedback, gain market intelligence and enhance Bank’s profile in the market.
- Ensure complete adherence to all of ECOBANK’s compliance and regulatory requirements.
- Analyze daily liquidity position and liquidity gaps in local and foreign currencies.
- Optimize the return on excess liquidity in local and foreign currencies within ratio constraints.
- Manage the EKE balance sheet and ensure that regulatory and Group ratios are monitored and enforced.
- Prepare and present the monthly ALCO meeting.
- Ensure that regulatory and Group reporting is achieved within deadlines.
- Act as secretary to the ALCO committee.
- Manage the ALM profile of the balance sheet and associated market risks (FX, interest rate), within approved limits.
- Provide funding or investment levels to Account Managers on new transactions.
- Advise on trade operations.
- Mobilize resources in coordination with other commercial departments.
- Provide support in the management of Financial Institutions accounts.
- Identify new counterparties for ALM business (deposit taking and lending banks) and ensure limits are granted within a short timeframe.
- Ensure ALM process evolves in line with Group standards and International best practices.
- Manage credit risk in treasury portfolios and ensure compliance with limits.
- Act as back-up of the Treasurer if required.
- Propose solutions in order to optimize the NRFF and the FTP, and the ALM process in general.
Financial Management
- Deliver on EKE ALM budget numbers.
- Provide direction and migrate best practices, where necessary.
Compliance to Bank’s and Local Regulations
- Ensure complete adherence to all of ECOBANK’s compliance and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain high standards in terms of compliance and internal process ensuring complete adequacy to Audit requirements.
- Ensure the business meets its obligation in terms of client appropriateness and suitability of product supply.
- Maintain good relationship with regulators.
- Keep abreast of the changes in the business and regulatory environment.
Education & Experience Requirements
- 2 years banking experience.
- Strong knowledge of various assets and liabilities on Ecobank balance sheet.
- Bachelor’s degree in a business related field: Finance, Economics or Business Administration.
- ACI dealing certification is a must.
