Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced and client-focused Associate Director, Client Management to join our Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) team in Frankfurt.
This role serves as a critical link between clients, Relationship Managers, Product Partners, Operations, Risk, Legal, and Compliance teams, ensuring the seamless delivery of end-to-end client management services. The successful candidate will be responsible for orchestrating complex client journeys across onboarding, credit fulfilment, documentation, due diligence, account maintenance, and ongoing portfolio support.
As a trusted advisor and strategic partner, you will drive exceptional client outcomes, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure clients are ready to transact as quickly and effectively as possible while maintaining the highest standards of governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
Key Responsibilities
Client Relationship Management & Service Delivery
- Act as the primary point of coordination across all Client Management processes and services, ensuring a seamless and consistent client experience.
- Proactively manage client relationships, supporting clients throughout their lifecycle and maintaining strong account health.
- Partner closely with Relationship Managers, Product Sales teams, Operations, Risk, Legal, and Compliance functions to deliver outstanding client service.
- Resolve client issues effectively, manage escalations, and identify opportunities to enhance the overall client experience.
- Support business growth by enabling clients to become transaction-ready efficiently across both straightforward and complex scenarios.
Process Management & Execution
- Lead and coordinate end-to-end client management activities, including onboarding, client due diligence, credit fulfilment and monitoring, documentation management, static data maintenance, client support, and offboarding.
- Drive execution excellence by ensuring adherence to first-time-right principles and agreed service standards.
- Oversee documentation negotiation and execution processes, working closely with internal stakeholders and clients to facilitate timely completion.
- Support lending and credit-related activities, including credit documentation reviews, facility setup, limit allocation, collateral monitoring, and ongoing account maintenance.
- Ensure timely resolution of documentation deficiencies and operational issues affecting client outcomes.
Continuous Improvement & Transformation
- Identify opportunities to simplify, streamline, and automate processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and service quality.
- Promote best practices and standardisation across Client Management activities.
- Support the implementation and continuous enhancement of the Client Management operating model and strategic initiatives.
- Drive improvements that strengthen operational effectiveness and deliver measurable value to clients and stakeholders.
Day-to-Day Tasks
Stakeholder Management
- Build strong partnerships across the Corporate & Investment Banking franchise and broader organisation.
- Ensure alignment between business priorities and Client Management objectives through proactive engagement and collaboration.
- Influence stakeholders across the value chain to deliver optimal client outcomes and drive operational excellence.
- Act as a trusted advisor to Relationship Managers on documentation and client-related matters.
Risk, Governance & Compliance
- Maintain a thorough understanding of the regulatory environment and ensure compliance with all applicable policies and procedures.
- Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate operational and client-related risks.
- Ensure appropriate controls are maintained to support data confidentiality, documentation integrity, and regulatory compliance.
- Escalate risks, policy breaches, and control deficiencies in a timely manner.
- Support the continuous improvement of the risk and control environment across Client Management activities.
Leadership & Development
- Support and mentor colleagues, providing guidance to new team members and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.
- Take ownership of personal development and professional growth, maintaining relevant technical, risk, and regulatory knowledge.
- Contribute positively to team performance and the achievement of broader business objectives.
About You
-
German language proficiency would be considered an advantage.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in Business, Finance, Economics, Banking, or a related field.
- Experience in client service, corporate banking, financial services, client onboarding, account management, operations, or a similar client-facing environment.
- Strong client-focused mindset with the ability to build trusted relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and relationship-building skills, with strong written and verbal English proficiency.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and perform effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy and operational excellence.
- Analytical and problem-solving mindset with the ability to identify issues and contribute to practical solutions.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across teams, functions, and levels of the organization.
- Proactive, self-motivated approach with a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
- Understanding of risk, compliance, regulatory requirements, and AML principles within financial services, or willingness to develop expertise in these areas.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Strong knowledge of client onboarding, client lifecycle management, credit documentation, lending products, banking operations, and KYC processes is advantageous.
- Experience in Client Management, Corporate Banking, Investment Banking, Credit Operations, Loan Operations, or a related financial services environment.
- Experience working within international, multicultural, or matrix organizations is beneficial.
- Relevant certifications in Risk, Compliance, AML, or Banking Operations are an advantage, or willingness to obtain them in line with business requirements.
- Demonstrates integrity, accountability, and a strong commitment to the Bank's Values and Code of Conduct.
Skills and Experience
- Strong client service orientation with a desire to build long-term client relationships.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Problem-solving mindset with the ability to identify practical solutions.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions.
- Knowledge of corporate banking products and client management processes is advantageous.
Why Join Us?
About Standard Chartered
We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us.
Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.
Together we:
- Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
- Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
- Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term
What we offer
In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.
- Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
- Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
- Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
- Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
- A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
- Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.