Portfolio Manager: Consumer Asset Finance

Description

Role Purpose: The Portfolio Manager – Consumer Asset Finance is a commercially driven new-business role responsible for originating, developing and converting new asset finance opportunities. The primary focus is to actively build and grow a sustainable portfolio of suppliers, referral partners and clients through disciplined prospecting, relationship development and deal origination. The successful candidate will be a natural hunter with a strong entrepreneurial mindset, capable of independently identifying opportunities, opening new markets and converting relationships into sustainable finance volumes. The role requires persistence, commercial creativity and a strong bias toward action, while operating within Merchant West's credit, risk and governance frameworks.

Main Accountabilities

• New Business Development and Origination

• Proactively identify, prospect and secure new Consumer Asset Finance opportunities.
• Develop a consistent pipeline of new suppliers, referral partners and end-clients.
• Take ownership of new-business generation from initial prospecting through to successful payout.
• Actively identify untapped markets, asset classes and commercial opportunities.
• Maintain a high level of external market activity through supplier visits, client meetings, cold prospecting and networking.
• Consistently deliver against agreed origination, application, payout and portfolio-growth targets.

• Supplier and Channel Development

• Identify, engage and onboard new suppliers and strategic referral partners.
• Build a diversified supplier network capable of generating recurring Consumer Asset Finance opportunities.
• Develop suppliers into sustainable, productive relationships rather than once-off sources of business.
• Position Merchant West as the preferred finance partner within targeted Consumer asset classes.
• Regularly engage suppliers to identify pipeline opportunities and increase finance penetration.
• Take full commercial ownership of supplier relationships and associated deal flow .

• Client and Relationship Management

• Build trusted, long-term relationships with clients, suppliers and strategic partners.
• Understand client requirements and proactively structure appropriate asset finance solutions.
• Identify cross-sell, repeat-business and referral opportunities within the existing portfolio.
• Maintain ownership of relationships throughout the finance lifecycle.

• Deal Origination and Execution

• Take end-to-end ownership of originated opportunities from initial engagement through application, credit assessment and payout.
• Understand client requirements and structure commercially appropriate finance proposals.
• Work closely with Credit and internal stakeholders to package high-quality applications.
• Proactively manage outstanding requirements and obstacles to drive transactions toward conclusion.

• Reporting and Portfolio Administration

• Prepare and maintain accurate portfolio reports and documentation.
• Ensure all client records and portfolio data are up to date and compliant.
• Provide regular updates on portfolio performance to management.

• Credit Governance and Compliance

• Ensure adherence to credit policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Maintain proper documentation and audit trails for portfolio activities.
• Support audit and compliance processes related to portfolio management.

Qualifications

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in Commerce, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Management or a related discipline

Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ proven experience in business development, sales, relationship management or deal origination within financial services
• Demonstrable track record of originating and converting new business.
• Asset finance experience is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience in developing supplier, dealer, intermediary or referral networks.
• Evidence of consistently achieving or exceeding sales and revenue targets.
• Existing relationships within relevant Consumer, supplier or asset finance markets will be advantageous.
• Experience managing a portfolio independently with limited supervision.

Skills

• New business development and prospecting
• Consultative and solution-based selling
• Supplier and channel development
• Deal origination and structuring
• Pipeline and sales funnel management
• Client relationship and account management
• Financial and credit assessment capability
• Commercial presentation and stakeholder engagement
• Financial statement interpretation and basic financial analysis

Competencies

• Commercial judgement and financial acumen
• Hunter mentality – naturally driven to identify, pursue and convert new opportunities
• Analytical thinking and problem solving
• Decision making and sound risk judgement
• Stakeholder engagement and collaboration
• Negotiation and influencing capability
• Accountability and ownership
• Results orientation and performance focus
• Integrity and governance discipline

Package & Remuneration

Market Related About Us

Merchant West is one of the largest privately-owned providers of specialised financial solutions and advisory services to businesses and high net worth individuals in South Africa. Founded in 1998, Merchant West provides tailor-made lending, wealth management, asset management and transactional solutions to businesses and high-net-worth individuals, with offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, George, Durban, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth, Namibia, and Cyprus. Certain companies in the Merchant West Group are licenced and authorised financial services providers. Merchant West lending products extend to bespoke asset finance (across an extensive range of asset classes), fleet finance, working capital funding, property finance solutions and specialised finance. Merchant West advisory products extend to investment strategies, private wealth management and treasury solutions.