Specialist Outward & Cheque Collection

Reports To

Head of Outward & Cheque Collection

Job Purpose

Processing and managing payment inquiries to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant execution across KD/FX incoming payments, SWIFT-related activities, TAP/MOJ/ACH (KNPS) payments, and KCC settlement operations, ensuring proper escalations, maintaining reconciliations and reporting and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders when required.

Generic Accountabilities

Specific Accountabilities

•    Incoming Payments: ensure all incoming payments (KD/FX) transactions are processed within agreed SLAs, monitoring delays and ensuring timely resolution of issues.
•    SWIFT: Coordinate all SWIFT-related activities with concerned divisions, ensuring timely execution, accuracy, and proper handling of messages.
•    Enquiries: Handle end-to-end of payment enquiries including receiving, reviewing, and responding to emails from correspondent banks, local banks, and internal departments, ensuring timely resolution, proper tracking, and closure of all cases including  corporate, private and retail teams with clients’ inquiries
•    Signatures Booklet: Ensure ABK’s internal and external authorized signatures are maintained, updated, and readily available for verification.
•    Follow up: Ensure all escalated transactions and cases are properly followed up until resolution and closure within agreed timelines.
•    Network: Establish and maintain ABK relationships with internal and external customers as well as local and foreign banks.
•    SLA and Cut off Times: Ensure all transactions are completed within agreed SLAs and prior to defined cut-off times, highlighting and mitigating any delays or risks.
•    Reconciliation: process daily reconciliation activities ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely resolution of discrepancies across all payment streams.
•    Reports: prepare and submit reports related to payments, enquiries, errors, and issues, ensuring accuracy and alignment with internal and regulatory requirements.
•    Exception Handling & Escalation: solve investigation and resolution transactions, ensuring timely escalation, root cause identification, and closure of cases end-to-end including any delays, unmatched transactions, or funding gaps that may impact settlement completion and  coordinate with internal teams and external parties (brokers, local banks, KCC) to resolve settlement-related issues efficiently.
•    KCC Payments & Settlement: Manage KCC settlement activities including dividends, broker settlements, and money market fund transactions, ensuring timely execution, reconciliation, and compliance with market requirements. 
•    KCC Transactions : Handle end-to-end processing of Kuwait Clearing Company (KCC) related transactions including dividends settlement, broker settlements, and money market fund movements in accordance with market timelines and requirements.
•    KCC Settlements Cycles: Monitor daily KCC settlement cycles, ensuring timely receipt and processing of incoming funds from local banks and brokers.
•    Broker Funding: Execute and verify broker funding and settlement positions, ensuring all obligations are fulfilled within defined deadlines to avoid market exposure.
•    CBK KCC Requirements : Process RTGS transfers to Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) related to KCC settlements and ensure accurate posting and confirmations.
•    Transaction validation: Validate all incoming and outgoing settlement transactions and ensure proper reconciliation of KCC accounts on a daily basis.
•    OPS KCC Focal Point: Act as the focal point for all KCC-related matters and coordinate with internal/ external stakeholders
•    TAP / MOJ / ACH Payments:  Process TAP, MOJ, and ACH (KNPS) payments, ensuring proper handling of reconciliation, returns, rejections, and adherence to SLAs.
•    CBK Reporting: prepare and compile CBK submission request , regulatory requests, and ensure compliance with reporting requirements with the coordination with relevant internal stakeholders when required.

Job Success Factors

Education

Experience

•    At least 3 years banking sector experience
•    Error Free Processing of Payments 
•    Successful process and cost management
•    Support automation and process improvements 
•    Effectives checks, processes etc. No losses, no fraud    
•    Maintaining effective databases and carrying out of reconciliations
•    Good advice to customers
•    Good communication and teamwork skills
•    Good relationships with (internal & external) customers

Skills

•    Working knowledge of Operations and preferably the fundamentals of Trade Finance
•    Knowledge of banking systems primarily strong understanding of payment systems (SWIFT, RTGS, ACH)
•    Attention to detail and accuracy
•    Working knowledge of tools and methodologies e.g., AML, Risk

Work Contact

Internal:    
•    Branches, CBD, IT ops, Finance, HR, CPU, Consumer Banking, Compliance, AML, Legal, Risk  

External:

•    Correspondent banks
•    Local banks
•    Brokers
•    Kuwait Clearing Company (KCC)
•    Regulators (as applicable)
•    Vendors
•    Other companies/ Governmental institutions

Interview Questions

JD Code

OPS 26.07