FIC Associate

This position will be based in Zurich

FIC Switzerland

• Financial Institutions Coverage (FIC) is a global coverage group specializing in the Financial Institutions sector
• FIC aims to build long-term relationships with key clients and gain insight into client strategy and targets to provide original and integrated ideas and solutions
• The team provides sector coverage to the major Swiss banks, insurance companies and asset managers, especially cross-divisional strategic solutions like Global Bank, Global Markets, Securities Services, and others

YOUR WORK DAY

The Associate assists and supports FIC Bankers in their efforts to promote all of the Bank's product lines, both domestically and globally, a full range of investment banking services, complex bespoke solutions, specialist strategic advice and a comprehensive range of standard commercial bank products 

Working with FIC Bankers, you are responsible for all aspects of supporting and coordinating the transactions lifecycle, including:

Marketing and presentations

• Responsible for preparing presentations under the supervision of the senior bankers
• Deliver specific sections during the presentation to the client
• Stay involved / informed after the pitch 
• Ensure high quality standards and reliability of all marketing materials 

Execution

• Interact directly with clients and with other advisors (lawyers, co advisors,…) at an appropriate level in close cooperation with the banker
• Ensure high quality standards and reliability of all materials  
• Ensure timely and accurate follow ups from client interactions

Team support

• Circulate information to the team
• Keep one-pager briefing documents up-to-date for strategic clients
• Organise work process with team and manage workload

Client relationship responsibility

• Develop the required skills to establish and maintain where already established, a confident, profitable and reciprocal relationship with chosen client set at all relevant management levels 
• The clients to be covered under supervision will be selected by the manager
• Assist in the development of relationships and origination of mandates
• Keeping the bankers appraised of the status of relevant projects

Working with the bankers and product lines

• Working closely with internal Product lines and support desks in order to maintain a reciprocal flow of information and ideas as well as establishing opportunity for continuous swift execution

Responsible for monitoring industry developments that might result in a change of client dynamics

• To build detailed understanding of Investment Banking products relevant to Financial Institutions
• Be alert for opportunities to apply product specific solutions to other part of the client base.  
• Identify issues and opportunities that clients may face from implementation of regulatory and other changes and directives.

Assisting with on boarding / setting up clients

• Interaction and support on relevant “know your client”, due diligence and other compliance requirements co-ordinating with legal and client to negotiate agreements (ISDA/CSA etc.)
• Coordinating with credit and negotiate trading lines
• Following up until completion

YOUR PROFILE

• 3 year experience in the financial industry
• Good working knowledge of the banking environment
• Good product knowledge offered by an investment bank
• Good numerical and analytical skills 
• Knowledge of banking and insurance regulation would be a plus

YOUR SKILLS

Behaviour Skills :

• Communication skills
  • Effective communicator who can align people to the broader vision for the business whether they are directly managed or simply influenced by the individual in question 
  • Communicates pro-actively with management, escalating issues as necessary
  • Communicates and builds strong relationships pro-actively with sales, internally with all functions and with management. 
• Ability to deliver / results driven
  • Delivers tasks fully completed on time, based on objectives fixed
  • Where relevant, works without supervision and asks for help and feedback when necessary
• Ability to collaborate / team work
  • Team player & cross cultural awareness - Works effectively in a team.  Collaborates and shares information and solutions with colleagues, with other teams and stakeholders
  • Supports team members when required and contributes to a positive work environment. Acts with team’s interests in mind
  • Shares information with people they work with (including manager and team members) about work completed, next steps and areas of concern
  • Adopts an attentive and compassionate attitude in order to understand different cultures and respects diverse opinions and mind-sets
• Client focused
  • Client focus - Sees stakeholders as well as external clients as “customers”
  • Values positive and negative feedback from both internal and external clients. Takes necessary actions to either improve their client support/response or escalate to the appropriate person/service
  • Is available and pleasant; understands clients’ needs and provides answers within their perimeter of responsibilities
• Adaptability
  • Takes into account circumstances, situations or change requests
  • Adapts attitudes and behaviours to changing work environments and circumstances
  • Is open to different types of development actions and is able to adjust and implement new practices accordingly. Shows curiosity to learn more about topics directly related to their work, by being aware of the trends and main changes in their field of expertise
• Creativity & Innovation 
  • Thinks laterally to identify other sources of useful information and sees ways around obstacles and barriers
  • Assumes an active role in implementing new or innovative ideas, solutions, approaches and methods, testing them and suggesting improvement when relevant
  • Shows curiosity in order to develop new ideas and different approaches
  • Contributes to brainstorming sessions in order to find creative solutions or generate new ideas.
• Organizational skills 
  • Identifies the different tasks that need to be completed and prioritises them, based on their importance and urgency and on objectives defined.
  • Applies an organised and methodical approach to work.
  • Coordinates with team members to set their priorities, understand their constraints and ensure that actions are consistent.

Transversal skills :

• Analytical Ability 
  • Handles information, recognises links, identifies trends, similarities or differences, translates the information into relevant analyses and interprets them to establish a diagnostic
  • Is able to identify the root causes of a problem
  • Is able to interpret available data and identify various conclusions
  • Evaluates the consequences of solutions or actions on people, systems and the organisation with precision and accuracy
• Ability to develop and leverage networks 
  • Has developed and maintains a network of relationships within the company that they can contact to get help or support.
• Critical / Strategic thinking 
  • Seeks to clarify when things are not clear or obvious in order to correctly understand issues/projects/etc. Is able to identify the benefits or problems in a proposal or argument
  • Tries to contextualise actions that are done at their level, and ensures that these actions are aligned with goals set.

 Business Skills :

• Business risk 
  • Demonstrates a good awareness of risk and fundamental risk concepts.  Always considers risk in his/her daily activities and abides by the Key Front Officer Responsibilities and  Guidelines
  • Understands the market, credit, operational, compliance, legal, regulatory and reputational risks of transactions he/ she manages
• Conduct
  • Corporate role model, integrity & ethics - Acts with discipline and high ethical standards
  • Be a role model, supporting and fostering a culture of good Conduct
  • Demonstrate proactivity, transparency, and accountability for identifying and managing conduct risks 
  • Consider the implications of your actions on colleagues, partners and clients before making decisions, and escalate issues to your manager when unsure 
• Tools & Languages 
  • Strong knowledge of MS Office
  • Fluent in German and English; French being an asset

WHY JOIN US?

BNP Paribas in Switzerland is a bank of reference active in Geneva, Zurich and Lugano. It is a major European partner for companies, as well as institutional and private clients. Joining BNP Paribas will give you the opportunity to take part in an authentic company project, in which innovation and career management act as driving forces to help talents emerge, express themselves fully and open up to career opportunities on an international level, by integrating a group that stands as a leader within the Eurozone. Please visit us at BNP Paribas Suisse.

In a changing world, diversity, equity and inclusion are key values for the well-being and the good performance of teams. At BNP Paribas, we wish to welcome and retain all talents, without any distinction: together we will build the finance of tomorrow, innovative, responsible and sustainable.

Finally, we insist on the particular importance of having our employees act daily in a spirit of ethical and professional responsibility.

NB: all terminologies apply in both the feminine and the masculine.