Business Support Case Manager

Hampshire Trust Bank is a specialist bank, staffed by experts focused on helping UK businesses realise their ambitions.

We offer niche specialty lines, as an SME bank, targeting under-served segments. Our dedicated Wholesale Finance, Bridging Finance, Development Finance and Specialist Mortgages teams ensure that businesses receive the outstanding service, lasting relationships, integrity, and expertise they need to prosper.

We also provide savings accounts to individuals and businesses and since we lend to SMEs, our savers can be sure their money will help boost the British economy. Our vision is to be the go-to bank in our chosen markets; to deliver positive customer outcomes, rewarding careers and great shareholder value through a high-performing culture grounded in excellence and integrity.

Discover more about working at HTB here - Life at HTB | Careers & Inside Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB)

About the Role

The role sits within the Business Support Team who manage a portfolio of relationships that have been added to the Bank's Watchlist across all its divisions. Business Support is part of the Risk & Compliance division, within the Bank's "2nd line of defence", and seeks to understand the drivers of distress within individual credit exposures, establish strategies to minimise the risks faced by the Bank and drive the strategies through to conclusion.

The key divisions that the role spans include Specialist Mortgages, Bridging Finance and Development Finance.

The primary responsibility of the role is to manage a portfolio of relationships that have been added to the Bank's Watchlist. The role holder is required to work to understand the background to facilities, the credit risk profile, the underlying security as well as the borrower's experience and management capabilities. The role holder will seek and influence proposals from the borrower to move forward, working to support them in a way that they can be removed from the Watchlist and returned to their respective portfolio management team.

As part of the process of setting strategies with the borrowers, the role holder will be required to report these to Business Support management and sanctioning for approval before final agreement. There will be a requirement to report regular updates on progress, as well as any deviations to agreed strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure the smooth handover of loans added to the Watchlist to Business Support.
• Manage the Bank's interface with the Bank's borrowers which requires attendance at meetings, site visits, telephone calls, writing emails and letters.
• Lead discussions and gather information as well as understand key issues leading to the problem loan classification / addition to the Bank's Watchlist.
• Develop strong working relationships with the Bank's divisions to help understand the background to loans added to the Bank's Watchlist.
• Consider and analyse strategies for remedying problem loan issues and which should re-align the originating division's credit risk profile.
• Verbally report findings and recommendations to more senior team members and other key internal stakeholders.
• Take accountability of recommendations and prepare credit papers to present the analysis and proposed way forward.
• Execute the agreed strategy for moving forward with the borrower, continue to monitor and seek updates on progress, as well as report these to more senior management and sanctioning partners.
• Appoint and work with Bank panel professionals on engagements, to support analysis and inform recommendations.
• Ensure the smooth handover of loans to the Recoveries Team as required.
• Share lessons learnt with the rest of Business Support and across the Bank.
• Ensure all monthly, quarterly, annual, and other ad hoc reporting requirements are met in a timely manner.

Required Skills & Experience

• Demonstrable expertise in Real Estate and Development Finance lending, with a track record of managing restructurings, refinancings and recovery strategies on stressed property-backed transactions.
• Experience working in a credit risk or lending role in Specialist Mortgages, Bridging Finance, Development Finance or commercial banking, including at least two of these working on nonperforming / Watchlist loans.
• Adept at leading discussions and managing difficult conversations with borrowers to deliver a planned outcome.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of IFRS9.
• Strong credit report writing skills.
• Ability to comfortably convey key issues to internal stakeholders.
• Communicating clearly and concisely with senior management.
• Experience of the banking regulatory environment, including conduct and compliance requirements.

Benefits

• Competitive remuneration including discretionary annual bonus and annual pay review
• Pension scheme - 8% employer contribution (noncontributory)
• Private Medical Insurance (Bupa)
• Mental health & wellbeing support via Bupa
• 25 days annual leave (increasing with service) + Holiday Buy Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Green Car Scheme
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Study support & professional memberships
• Hybrid working (50/50 London)
• Interestfree season ticket loan
• Annual volunteering day & Net Zero employer commitment