Client Services Associate II

About the role

To provide superior standards of service to an assigned portfolio of personal and commercial customers with the objective to strengthen customer loyalty and retention, ensuring excellent customer service. Responsible for meeting KYC/KYA, AML, and other regulatory compliance standards. Ensures documentation is up-to-date and complete.

Responsibilities

• Provides day-to-day personalized customer service under quality standards defined by the Bank for international clients.
• Reviews and verifies documentation and information for the opening of new international personal and commercial accounts, ensuring completeness, quality, and accuracy of Due Diligences and Enhanced Due Diligences.
• Ensures the entire documentation package for new accounts complies with CIP, BSA regulations, and Amerant Bank policies.
• Coordinates with multiple units of the Bank to exceed customer service expectations and to clarify, verify, or solve documentation issues for new accounts.
• Stays abreast of current banking products, services, and associated processes.
• Prepares, monitors, and updates the RFI Log to maintain records and status.
• Performs daily monitoring of RFIs for the International Segment.
• Develops weekly reports to measure the accuracy of the account opening process.
• Obtains required documentation from customers to cure exceptions, RFIs, and enhance due diligence cases.
• Contacts customers to validate transactions and reviews supporting documentation provided by customers.
• Maintains client files compliant with regulations.
• Processes closing of accounts due to BSA matters.
• Responds to OFAC possible hits and contacts customers to obtain required information.
• Gathers documentation and prepares packages for PEP’s approval.
• Responds to audits of assigned customer portfolio by internal, external, and compliance auditors.
• Reviews anti-money laundering activity reports to detect unusual activity in customers’ accounts, investigates such activity, and obtains explanations or documentary validation from customers as appropriate.
• Answers BSA/AML inquiries accurately and in a timely manner, reporting any unusual activity that cannot be validated to the BSA liaison and supervisor.
• In coordination with the International Relationship Manager and International Banker, determines if a relationship requires closure and issues closure notifications to customers.
• Prepares and keeps updated KYC/KYA documentation and prepares annual certifications for high-risk accounts.
• Adheres to compliance policies and procedures.
• Completes assigned BSA training to stay current with regulations.
• Acts as backup for other Client Services Associates or Client Onboarding Associates.
• Ensures preventive measures are carried out to comply with rules, regulations, and internal policies relating to BSA, USA Patriot Act, OFAC, and other AML-related issues.
• Identifies, evaluates, monitors, and makes recommendations to supervisors to assess, reduce, eliminate, or control risks arising from violations or nonconformance with laws, regulations, or internal policies.
• Performs all other duties as required.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree in banking, finance, business administration, or a related field; Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Applicant may be NMLS registered and provide the company with an NMLS number or be willing to register in NMLS prior to employment.
• Two to four years of experience in servicing international customer accounts.
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) required.

Skills

• Good understanding of banking products and services.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Superior customer service skills.
• Excellent knowledge of service quality practices, tools, and indicators.
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Results and teamwork-oriented.
• Superior listening skills.
• Ability to learn through experience and seek professional development.
• Relies on limited experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
• Ability to handle irate customers.
• Perseverance.
• Ability to work with multiple departments across organizational levels to meet or exceed customer needs.
• Proficiency in the use of banking systems and applications, including queries.