Senior Associate

Working at the Cumberland, you become part of something special. We’re a Mutual organisation, committed to improving the lives of our colleagues, customers, and community. Our values are incredibly important to us.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Associate to join our Commercial team for a fixed period of 12 months.

In this role you’ll provide support to our Senior Commercial Relationship Managers and Business Development Managers, assisting with the provision of top class service to customers in the portfolios and business development.

You’ll be involved in credit analysis, credit support, security work and ongoing credit administration as well as some general administration for portfolios of high value commercial customers.

The Benefits

• Salary - up to £35,389 p.a. - depending on skills and experience.
• Holidays - 25 days holiday plus public holidays and the opportunity to buy and sell up to 3 days.
• Learning and Development opportunities - We want you to grow in your role. We’ll work together to support your personal and professional development.
• Hybrid Working - the tools and equipment you need to be able to work from home when you need to, depending on your role.
• Health and Wellbeing - a calendar of events and activities throughout the year, Mental Health & Wellbeing champions, and Cycle to Work scheme.
• Community Day - We offer our people an extra paid day off every year to help local charities and community organisations.

The Role

You’ll be involved in the on-boarding of new to Society high value customers and will be responsible for set up of customer, prospect and professional meetings and the preparation, and follow up to meetings.

• Deliver an exceptional customer experience. Meet, exceed, and continuously improve standards and quality of customer service & relationship management. Act at all times in a manner which is consistent with the Society’s culture of treating customers fairly.
• Dealing with new prospect or customer enquiries in a proactive and customer led manner to maximise commercial lending opportunities and provide an excellent customer service experience.
• To provide support on credit associated tasks (inputting loan applications and undertaking associated searches, instructing valuations and securities, obtaining approvals, issuing offers and processing completions) in relation to commercial customers including a level of financial analysis. Also to provide support on security related work. The completion of conditionality in relation to commercial transactions in a compliant manner.
• To provide support to the Senior Commercial Relationship Managers & Business Development Managers in a variety of ways including the set up and preparation and follow-up for high value customer meetings, prospect meetings and professional/broker meetings. Occasionally attending meetings where appropriate.
• Ensure that the customers in financial difficulty processes are followed to protect the customer and society.
• Understand and be aware of the risk and control environment in your area of the business and adhere to processes and procedures in order to minimise risks.
• Deliver effective control of risks by regularly reviewing risk and controls and ensuring you adhere to processes and procedures.
• Support the general business development activities of the Senior Commercial Relationship Managers & Business Development Managers including ensuring that the lending pipeline is accurate to help minimise risk.
• Work in a collaborative manner alongside colleagues within Commercial and the wider Society to ensure that activities are acquitted in an accurate and timely fashion.
• Provide challenge in regard to the established processes and procedures to ensure simplification working with Business Change on changes that will benefit customers.
• Will deputise for the Commercial Associate Manager from time to time.

About You

The ideal candidate will have experience of business or commercial banking and of dealing with quality service provision for business or commercial customers. We’d also love to see:

• Good evidence of performance delivery in safe and sustainable manner.
• Good knowledge of risk and regulatory controls, processes and procedures in business or commercial banking.
• Knowledge of the Society’s systems and procedures including in the Commercial area.
• Experience of working collaboratively across teams internally and externally.
• Ability to work to SLAs

As well as the following skills, abilities and behaviours:

• Strong desire to develop skills and knowledge in commercial banking and ability to be coached.
• Achievement driven with focus to deliver.
• Highly developed Microsoft Office skills.
• Good communicator internally and externally.
• Good risk awareness & ability to identify risks and manage them.
• Desire to develop credit skills in Commercial Finance Lending.
• Ability to work collaboratively internally & externally.

About us

We’re here to create a banking experience that’s kinder to people and planet.

Unlike banks, we don’t have public or private shareholders which means we can invest 100% of our profits back into our business. As a result, our business is purpose-led, financially strong, socially responsible and always focused on our people, planet and communities.

Recently we were presented with a Highly Commended award in the Financial Services Company of the year category at the British HR Awards in London. Our entry was recognised for our continued commitment to wellbeing.

Where you will work

Our aim is to keep the great balance we have achieved with hybrid working. The successful candidate would therefore be willing to work remotely and be able to work from Cumberland House as and when required.