Business Development Manager – EMB China Team (Penang)

OCBC company; Penang; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Flexible benefits

Community initiatives

Learning & development opportunities

Wellbeing and growth support

Job summary

OCBC Bank in Malaysia (Penang) is seeking a Business Development Manager to drive new business, build partnerships and expand customer relationships. You will identify opportunities, manage a pipeline, and deliver sustainable revenue growth through cross-selling and strategic alliances.

You will collaborate with Relationship Managers, Product Specialists and Operations to ensure a seamless customer experience while meeting sales targets and maintaining compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or equivalent in Business, Finance, Banking, Economics, Marketing or related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years in business development, sales, relationship management or related banking.
• Proven ability to acquire new customers and meet targets.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to identify opportunities.
• Highly driven, proactive and results-oriented.
• Strong networking and relationship-building capabilities.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop new business opportunities to grow the customer base and revenue.
• Proactively acquire new-to-bank customers through networking, referrals and partnerships.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospects and ensure timely follow-up.
• Understand customers’ business needs and provide cash management solutions.
• Build strong relationships with business owners and key decision makers.
• Deepen relationships by identifying cross-sell opportunities.
• Develop referral networks with providers, accountants, lawyers and associations.
• Drive revenue growth and achieve sales targets across deposits, FX and banking solutions.
• Monitor pipeline and conversion rates; close gaps where needed.
• Keep updated on market trends and customer industries.
• Ensure compliance in onboarding with policies and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with RM, Product, Operations and teams for a seamless experience.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation skills

Networking

Relationship-building

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Independent worker

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Business, Finance, Banking, Economics, Marketing or related

Job description

WHO WE ARE

As Singapore’s longest established bank, we have been dedicated to enabling individuals and businesses to achieve their aspirations since 1932. How? By taking the time to truly understand people. From there, we provide support, services, solutions, and career paths that meet their individual needs and desires. Today, we’re on a journey of transformation. Leveraging technology and creativity to become a future-ready learning organisation. But for all that change, our strategic ambition is consistently clear and bold, which is to be Asia’s leading financial services partner for a sustainable future. We invite you to build the bank of the future. Innovate the way we deliver financial services. Work in friendly, supportive teams. Build lasting value in your community. Help people grow their assets, business, and investments. Take your learning as far as you can. Or simply enjoy a vibrant, future-ready career. Your Opportunity Starts Here.

Background

At OCBC, we are constantly on the lookout for exceptional individuals to join our team. As Singapore’s second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets and one of the world’s most highly rated banks, with an Aa1 rating from Moody’s. Recognized for its financial strength and stability, OCBC Bank is consistently ranked among the World’s Top 50 Safest Banks by Global Finance and has been named Best Managed Bank in Singapore and the Asia Pacific by The Asian Banker. If you are a go-getter with high level of drive, do come and join our dynamic sales team today!

Job Purpose

Business Development Manager is responsible for driving new business acquisition, building and expanding customer relationships, and delivering sustainable revenue growth. The role requires a strong sales mindset, excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to identify and convert business opportunities through direct sales, referrals and strategic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Customer Acquisition
   • Identify and develop new business opportunities to grow the customer base and revenue.
   • Proactively acquire new-to-bank customers through networking, referrals, market outreach and strategic partnerships.
   • Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective customers and ensure timely follow-up and conversion.
   • Understand customers’ business needs and provide suitable cash management solutions to support their business growth.
2. Relationship Management
   • Build strong and long-term relationships with business owners, key decision makers and external business partners.
   • Deepen relationships with existing customers by identifying opportunities for additional cross-sell products and services.
   • Act as a trusted business partner to customers by understanding their business, industry and financial needs.
3. Referral & Partnership Development
   • Develop referral networks with corporate service providers, business consultants, accountants, lawyers, business associations and other relevant partners.
   • Establish strategic partnerships to generate sustainable customer referrals and business opportunities.
   • Work closely with internal stakeholders to maximise cross-selling and One Group opportunities.
4. Sales & Revenue Growth
   • Achieve assigned sales targets across customer acquisition, deposits, transaction banking, FX and other relevant banking solutions.
   • Drive wallet share expansion through effective cross-selling and relationship deepening.
   • Monitor sales performance, pipeline progress and conversion rates, and take proactive action to close gaps.
5. Customer & Market Intelligence
   • Keep updated on market trends, emerging industries and business opportunities.
   • Develop a strong understanding of customers’ industries and business models.
   • Identify potential business opportunities arising from new investments, expansion, regionalisation and other business activities.
6. Compliance & Risk Management
   • Ensure all customer acquisition and onboarding activities comply with the Bank’s policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.
   • Conduct appropriate customer due diligence and ensure proper documentation and quality of submissions.
   • Maintain high standards of conduct, integrity and risk awareness.
7. Internal Collaboration
   • Work closely with Relationship Managers, Branch Managers, Product Specialists, Operations, Financing team, Strategic Alliance and other internal teams to deliver a seamless customer experience.
   • Collaborate across business segments to identify and maximise group-wide business opportunities.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Equivalent qualification in Business, Finance, Banking, Economics, Marketing or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant experience in business development, sales, relationship management, banking, financial services or a related field.
• Proven track record in acquiring new customers and achieving sales or business targets.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to identify and convert business opportunities.
• Highly driven, proactive and results-oriented.
• Strong networking and relationship-building capabilities.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with different stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience in SME / Commercial Banking, Transaction Banking, Cash Management, FX or related financial services.
• Existing network among business owners, entrepreneurs, professional firms, corporate service providers or industry associations.
• Experience in handling customers with cross-border or international business exposure is an advantage.
• Chinese language proficiency is an advantage for roles covering China-related business.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Eager for business – proactive in hunting and converting new opportunities.
• Relationship-driven – able to build trust and maintain long-term partnerships.
• Commercially minded – understands customers’ businesses and can identify opportunities beyond a single product.
• Resilient and adaptable – able to overcome challenges and maintain momentum.
• Positive and collaborative – works well with internal teams and external partners.
• Customer-centric – puts customers’ needs at the centre of the relationship.
• Results-oriented – takes ownership of targets and delivers measurable outcomes.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• New-to-bank customer acquisition
• Deposit / CASA growth
• Revenue and income contribution
• FX / transaction banking growth
• Cross-selling and wallet share expansion
• Referral conversion and partnership development
• Sales pipeline and conversion rate
• Customer retention and relationship deepening
• Compliance and quality of customer onboarding

What We Look For

• Good mindset
• Strong ownership
• Positive attitude
• Business acumen
• Resilience
• Relationship building
• Eager for success

Industry knowledge is an advantage, but the right mindset, sales capability and ability to build relationships are equally important.

What we offer:

• Competitive base salary.
• A suite of holistic, flexible benefits to suit every lifestyle.
• Community initiatives.
• Industry-leading learning and professional development opportunities.
• Your wellbeing, growth and aspirations are every bit as cared for as the needs of our customers.

Let’s build the bank we need for the future we want. Find the best version of yourself in a friendly, supportive team. Build lasting value in your community. Help people grow their assets, business, and investments. Take your learning as far as you can. Or simply enjoy a vibrant, future-ready career. Your Opportunity Starts Here.

As the longest established Singapore bank

As the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932 from the merger of three local banks, we have grown from strength to strength to become a regional financial services group. With a deep history in Asia, we offer the most comprehensive coverage across ASEAN and Greater China, complemented with a presence in the leading economies of New York, London and Sydney. We are the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets with one of the world’s highest credit rating (Aa1 by Moody’s and AA- by both Fitch and S&P). We offer private banking services through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Bank of Singapore, which operates on a unique open‑architecture product platform to source for the best‑in‑class products to meet its clients’ goals. Our insurance subsidiary, Great Eastern Holdings, is the oldest and most established life insurance group in Singapore and Malaysia.