Team Leader – Trade Finance Client Services GCO

Job Description:

Bromley - UK

Location: EMEA

Job Title: Team Leader – Trade Services

Corporate Title: Up to Vice President

Location: Bromley

Company Overview:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We do this by driving Responsible Growth and delivering for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day.

Being a Great Place to Work and providing a culture of caring is core to how we drive Responsible Growth. We are intentional about fostering an inclusive workplace where every teammate has the opportunity to succeed, build a career and contribute to our shared success. This includes attracting and developing exceptional talent, recognizing and rewarding performance, and supporting our teammates’ physical, emotional, and financial wellness through affordable, competitive and flexible benefits.

We value the unique perspectives individuals bring from all backgrounds and career paths - whether shaped by military service, community college education, or a wide range of work and life experiences. These journeys foster resilience, leadership and innovation, strengthening our workforce and positively impact the communities we serve.

Bank of America is committed to an in-office culture that supports collaboration, engagement, and career development. Our approach includes clear in-office expectations, while providing an appropriate level of flexibility based on role-specific responsibilities and business needs.

At Bank of America, you can build a successful career with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. Join us!

Location Overview:

Join our bustling Bromley office, situated in one of London’s greenest boroughs. Here you’ll find plentiful and easy commuting routes, with central London just 15 minutes away by train.

Job Description:
To support the continued development of our Trade Finance team and meet evolving business needs, we are seeking an experienced Team Leader to join our Client Services group. This role is ideally suited to a Trade Finance professional with significant technical expertise in Documentary Trade products, including Import and Export Letters of Credit, Standby Letters of Credit (SBLCs), Demand Guarantees and Bank Guarantees.

Leading a team of six associates supporting Trade Finance clients across EMEA, you will combine people leadership with technical product expertise, providing guidance on complex client enquiries, documentary credit transactions, guarantee-related matters and risk-based decision making. You will play a key role in ensuring the delivery of exceptional client service while maintaining compliance with industry rules, regulatory requirements and the Bank's operational risk framework.

Responsibilities:

• Support and guide a team of six associates within the Client Services and Registration & Distribution functions, creating a collaborative, inclusive and client-focused environment.
• Provide day-to-day guidance, coaching and development opportunities for team members, encouraging engagement, shared accountability and consistent performance.
• Monitor team workflows, capacity and service levels, supporting the timely and accurate resolution of client enquiries and balanced workload distribution across the team.
• Review monthly operational metrics, including email volumes, phone statistics, service-level adherence, productivity and quality indicators, and use these insights to support continuous improvement.
• Set clear expectations and support individual and team performance objectives, ensuring adherence to procedures, controls and client service standards.
• Support the team in responding to a broad range of Trade Finance client enquiries and managing client expectations through regular communication and updates.
• Address challenges, barriers and escalations in a constructive and professional manner, escalating matters where they may affect client experience, operational performance or risk management.
• Act as the team's subject matter expert for Trade Finance products, providing guidance and support on Import and Export Letters of Credit, Standby Letters of Credit, Demand Guarantees and related Trade Finance instruments.
• Support the interpretation and application of ICC Trade Finance rules and practices, including UCP 600, URDG 758, ISP98 and related international standards.
• Provide technical oversight and support for complex client enquiries, documentary discrepancies, guarantee wording reviews, amendments, claims, and transaction-related escalations.
• Work closely with Sales, Product, Operations, Technical Support and Fulfilment teams to provide a seamless and consistent client experience.
• Partner with Sales, Product, Fulfilment and Operations teams to support the onboarding and servicing of Trade Finance clients, ensuring a seamless client experience throughout the transaction lifecycle.
• Utilise in-depth product knowledge to identify operational risks, support effective controls, and drive informed decision-making across the team.
• Deliver coaching and knowledge-sharing sessions to develop team expertise in Documentary Credits, Guarantees and international Trade Finance practices.

What we are looking for:

• CDCS qualification or demonstrable expert-level knowledge of Documentary Credits is preferred. Candidates with substantial experience across Import and Export Letters of Credit, Guarantees and ICC rules (UCP 600, URDG 758 and ISP98) will be particularly well suited to this role.
• Proven experience leading, coaching or supervising a team within a Trade Finance environment.
• Extensive experience supporting Trade Finance clients across Documentary Credits and Guarantee products.
• In-depth technical knowledge of Import and Export Letters of Credit, Standby Letters of Credit, Demand Guarantees and Bank Guarantees.
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end Trade Finance transaction lifecycle, including issuance, amendments, document examination, discrepancy management, claims and settlement processes.
• Working knowledge of ICC rules and industry standards, including UCP 600, URDG 758 and ISP98.
• Experience managing complex client queries, escalations and technical Trade Finance matters.
• Strong understanding of operational risk, controls and regulatory requirements within a Trade Finance environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with clients and internal business partners.
• A commitment to developing others and fostering a culture of continuous learning and operational excellence.

Skills that will help:

•  Additional Trade Finance certifications such as CSDG (Certified Specialist in Demand Guarantees) are highly desirable.
• Practical experience applying ICC rules including UCP 600, URDG 758 and ISP98.
• Experience supporting multinational corporate and financial institution clients across the EMEA region.
• Knowledge of Trade Finance digital platforms and industry utilities such as SWIFT, Bolero or similar Trade Finance systems.

Benefits of working at Bank of America/UK:

•       At Bank of America, we strive to prioritise employees’ health and wellbeing – it’s what makes us a Great Place to Work.

•       Private healthcare for you and your family plus an annual health screen to help you manage your physical wellness with the option to purchase a screen for your partner

•       Competitive pension plan, life assurance and group income protection cover if you become unable to work as a result of a disability or health reasons

•       We offer 26-weeks paid maternity leave, 16-weeks paid paternity leave and inclusive family leave arrangements for working parents and carers including 20 days of back-up childcare including access to school holiday clubs and 20 days of back-up adult care per annum 

•       The ability to change your core benefits as well as the option of selecting a variety of flexible benefits to suit your personal circumstances including access to a well-being account, travel insurance, critical illness, cycle to work etc.

•       Use of a flex fund to use towards benefits

•       Access to an emotional wellbeing helpline, and virtual GP services

•       Access to the Peppy App which provides 1:1 support, consultations and resources relating to men’s health, women’s health, fertility, menopause and pregnancy & parenthood

•       Access to a range of gyms, exercise classes and wellbeing Apps through Wellhub, including Headspace and Calm

•       Opportunity to give back to your community, develop new skills and work with new groups of people by volunteering in your local area

Bank of America:

Good conduct and sound judgment is crucial to our long-term success. It’s important that all employees in the organisation understand the expected standards of conduct and how we manage conduct risk. Individual accountability and an ownership mind-set are the cornerstones of our Code of Conduct and are at the heart of managing risk well.

“We are an equal opportunities employer and ensure that no applicant is subject to less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, gender identity or gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, race, religious or similar philosophical belief, political opinion, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, socio-economic background, responsibility for dependants or physical or mental disability. The Bank selects candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience.”

We strive to ensure that our recruitment processes are accessible for all candidates and encourage any candidates to tell us about any adjustment requirements.