Relationship Manager - SME & Commercial
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Location: South London (Fully Office-Based)
Salary: £45,000-£50,000 per annum
We are seeking an experienced Relationship Manager to join our Branch Banking team. This role focuses on driving profitable growth by providing high-quality relationship management to Commercial and SME clients. You will own a designated portfolio, manage credit needs, identify new opportunities, and ensure exceptional customer outcomes.
This is a key position for an ambitious banking professional who can balance portfolio growth with robust risk awareness, early warning identification, and strong adherence to regulatory standards.
Key ResponsibilitiesCustomer & Portfolio Management-
Manage and grow a portfolio of Commercial/SME clients.
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Conduct regular customer meetings, networking, and business development activities.
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Ensure all customer interactions follow TCF (Treating Customers Fairly) guidelines.
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Handle targeted account opening volumes and refer clients for Trade, FX, or Islamic banking products where appropriate.
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Achieve asset and deposit growth targets for the branch.
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Prepare and negotiate customer credit proposals.
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Submit credit papers and account-opening documents to internal approval teams.
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Support the disbursement of lending in line with business objectives.
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Manage credit renewals in accordance with policy and deadlines.
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Monitor compliance-related transactions and ensure Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) is completed.
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Track excesses and Key Risk Indicators across all key accounts.
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Ensure branch SLAs are achieved for account opening and ongoing servicing.
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Coach and support junior RMs/RSOs to achieve KPI expectations.
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Assist in preparing MI, meeting materials, presentations, and business development reporting.
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Contribute to branch-related projects, planning, data analysis, and championing operational initiatives.
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Provide support to interns and new joiners where required.
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Adhere to the FCA and PRA Conduct Rules at all times, demonstrating integrity, skill, diligence, and commitment to delivering good customer outcomes.
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Maintain compliance with the Certification Regime, conduct risk standards, and internal policy frameworks.
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Minimum 5 years' experience in a Relationship Manager role within the banking sector (Commercial/SME preferred).
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Strong understanding of credit processes, risk management, and commercial banking products.
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Evidence of ongoing CPD and professional qualifications (or commitment to obtaining them).
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Demonstrated competence in:
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Relationship management & customer service
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Financial analysis & credit understanding
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Regulatory knowledge
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Staff development & coaching
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Excellent presentation, communication, and negotiation skills.
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Confident, proactive, and capable of managing a busy diary and diverse workload.
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Competitive salary of £45,000-£50,000
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Professional development and ongoing certification support
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A collaborative, office-based working environment in South London
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The opportunity to influence branch commercial performance and build strong corporate relationships
If you are a driven Relationship Manager with strong commercial expertise and a passion for exceptional client service, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today!
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
🏦 Emphasise your Commercial/SME banking experience prominently as this role specifically requires 5+ years in Relationship Manager positions within banking
📊 Quantify your portfolio achievements: 'Managed £12M SME portfolio, achieving 15% asset growth and 98% client retention'
🎯 Highlight FCA/PRA compliance knowledge and any regulatory certifications as the role heavily emphasises conduct rules and certification regime
💼 Showcase credit management expertise including proposal preparation, risk assessment, and Enhanced Due Diligence experience
🤝 Demonstrate coaching abilities and team support experience as the role involves mentoring junior RMs and supporting new joiners
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Managed £15M Commercial/SME portfolio achieving 18% asset growth and 95% client retention through proactive relationship management and credit risk assessment
- •Prepared and negotiated 45 credit proposals annually, maintaining 92% approval rate whilst ensuring full FCA/PRA compliance and Enhanced Due Diligence completion
- •Coached 3 junior Relationship Managers to exceed KPI targets by 12%, delivering £2.1M additional deposit growth across branch operations
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Letter preview — tailored to LJ Recruitment
Dear Hiring Manager,
LJ Recruitment's focus on Commercial and SME banking excellence aligns perfectly with my relationship management expertise, particularly my experience in credit management and FCA/PRA compliance within branch banking environments.
My background in managing diverse SME portfolios, preparing credit proposals, and ensuring regulatory adherence would enable me to drive profitable growth whilst maintaining the robust risk standards your Southall branch requires.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you assess credit risk when preparing commercial lending proposals?
- ›What is your experience with Enhanced Due Diligence procedures?
- ›How do you ensure compliance with FCA and PRA Conduct Rules?
- ›Describe your approach to managing Key Risk Indicators across a portfolio
- ›What Trade Finance or Foreign Exchange products have you sold to SME clients?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you had to coach a junior colleague to improve their performance
- ›Describe a situation where you identified early warning signs in a client relationship
- ›How do you balance portfolio growth targets with risk management?
- ›Give an example of when you had to negotiate a difficult credit proposal
- ›Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities with a busy client portfolio
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you had to coach a junior colleague to improve their performance
How do you balance portfolio growth targets with risk management?