Regional Relationship Manager – Biashara Banking at Equity Bank

Banking relationships are built at the customer level, but managing a successful business segment across several branches requires a much broader view. That is the focus of the Regional Relationship Manager – Biashara Banking opportunity at Equity Bank, a role that combines business growth, credit quality, staff development, customer relationships and regional coordination.

The position operates at Assistant Manager level and is designed for an experienced banking professional who understands Biashara Banking and has already worked as a Relationship Supervisor in the segment. The role involves working across the region to help branches achieve business objectives while ensuring that lending practices, customer service, staff performance and operational standards remain on track. The advertised role has also been listed for regional areas including Nyanza/Western and North-Eastern.

Keeping Credit Quality Under Control

One of the most important parts of this position is monitoring the quality of business coming from branches. The Regional Relationship Manager will track loans originated at branch level on a daily basis and review selected loans that have already been disbursed.

This monitoring responsibility is intended to identify problems early and ensure that lending decisions remain consistent with the bank's policies and procedures. The role also involves reviewing decisions made on sampled loans and engaging branch staff regularly on arrears management.

Daily arrears reports will need to be queried with officers and branches, while relationships with borrowers across the region will also require attention. The manager is expected to ensure that staff follow the established policies and procedures throughout the lending process.

This makes the position much more than a business-development role. It carries a strong quality-management component, requiring someone who can recognise potential issues, question decisions where necessary and maintain discipline around lending practices.

Turning Regional Relationships Into Business Growth

Growth is another major part of the position. The Regional Relationship Manager will participate in the development and review of sector products according to market needs and will look for partnerships that support the objectives of Biashara Banking.

A significant responsibility involves identifying and bringing business aggregators into the region in collaboration with partnerships established by the bank. The role also involves supporting branches in onboarding ecosystems and taking ownership of those relationships from beginning to end.

Marketing activity forms part of the growth strategy as well. The manager will organise and conduct marketing storms for branches and follow up on the business leads generated from those activities. The expectation is therefore not simply to create opportunities, but to remain involved until the resulting leads are followed through.

The position also contributes to the formulation of the sector strategy and is responsible for helping ensure that the strategy is implemented fully at regional level.

The Manager Is Also a Coach

The regional role has a strong people-development component. Branch staff require ongoing guidance, and the Regional Relationship Manager will provide refresher training as well as coaching and mentoring on bank lending processes.

The position includes training Branch Credit Committees to help ensure that the loans being originated meet the required policies and procedures. Beyond technical lending knowledge, the manager is expected to strengthen organisational culture and core values among members of the sector team.

This coaching responsibility means the person in the role needs to know how to transfer knowledge rather than simply demonstrate their own expertise. They will be expected to guide staff, identify areas where employees need additional support and help them improve their performance.

Staff development also extends to identifying talent and recommending employees for suitable opportunities. Where there are staffing gaps at branches, the manager will advise the Regional RM Business on possible deployment requirements.

Performance Does Not Wait Until the End of the Month

The position places emphasis on continuous performance management. Weekly performance review discussions with Biashara Banking officers form part of the manager's responsibilities, creating a regular opportunity to assess progress and address areas requiring attention.

The role is also connected to staff growth and development across the region. This means performance management is not treated separately from employee development. The manager needs to understand where team members are performing well, where support is needed and where talent may be available for future opportunities.

This combination of performance monitoring, coaching and talent identification calls for strong leadership skills. The successful professional needs to be able to challenge performance when necessary while still helping employees develop.

Customer Service Extends Beyond the Branch

Customer experience is another area covered by the role. The Regional Relationship Manager is expected to enforce service delivery within the stipulated service-level agreements and act as a representative of Equity Bank in the market.

Partnership engagement is also part of this responsibility. The manager will be in charge of regional micro aggregators and will support branches as they onboard different ecosystems, taking ownership of those relationships throughout the process.

The role therefore brings together several types of relationships: borrowers, branch employees, business aggregators, partners and internal stakeholders. Maintaining those relationships requires strong communication and the ability to understand different interests while keeping the bank's objectives in focus.

Working Across the Regional Business Network

The position also requires regular interaction with stakeholders both within and outside the relevant sector. The manager will liaise with different internal and external stakeholders in the region and provide updates to the Segment Head – Biashara Banking on the progress of business activities.

This reporting responsibility gives the position a clear connection between branch-level activity and wider segment leadership. Information gathered from branches, customers, staff and partners needs to be communicated upward so that regional performance can be understood and appropriate decisions made.

The manager may also be assigned other responsibilities by the line manager, making flexibility an important part of the position.

The Experience Behind the Opportunity

The academic requirement is a university degree in a business-related field. More importantly, candidates need at least six years of experience as a Relationship Supervisor – Biashara Banking.

That experience requirement makes this a position for an established banking professional rather than someone entering the industry. The successful applicant needs to understand the realities of Biashara Banking and have sufficient experience to provide direction to branch teams.

The required skill set is equally broad. Strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution abilities are important because the manager will work with different teams, customers and stakeholders. Coaching, communication, presentation and negotiation skills are also specifically required.

The role further calls for strong planning and organisation, individual leadership, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure while meeting strict deadlines with minimal supervision.

A Role for Someone Who Can Change Focus Quickly

Regional banking work can involve several priorities at the same time. Business growth may require attention in one area while credit quality, staff performance or customer service requires attention somewhere else.

The employer therefore seeks someone who is flexible and able to change focus when necessary. A self-motivated and self-starting approach is also expected, alongside a mature personality and the ability to work as part of a team.

An understanding of microfinance industry practices is important, as is creativity and resourcefulness when dealing with business challenges. The successful candidate should also be capable of guiding team members and transferring knowledge to them.

Strong business relationship management and business closure skills complete the profile. These abilities connect directly with the role's responsibility for partnerships, aggregators, customer relationships and the conversion of business opportunities.

A Regional Role With Both Commercial and People Responsibilities

The Regional Relationship Manager – Biashara Banking position brings together responsibilities that would normally span several areas of banking. Credit monitoring, arrears management, business development, partnerships, customer service, staff coaching and performance management all sit within the same role.

For an experienced Relationship Supervisor ready to take on broader regional responsibility, the opportunity offers a position where success depends on more than meeting business targets. The manager must also protect credit quality, develop people, strengthen relationships and ensure that the Biashara Banking strategy is implemented consistently across the region.

It is ultimately a role built around coordination: connecting branch performance with regional objectives, staff development with productivity, and business growth with responsible lending and service delivery.

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