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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Branch Advisor

💰 $35,000 - $75,000

BankingRetail BankingSalesCustomer ServiceFinancial Services

🎯 Role Definition

The Branch Advisor serves as the primary relationship-builder and sales driver within a retail bank branch. This role combines consultative financial advice, proactive sales and cross-sell of bank products, front-line operations, and compliance oversight. A successful Branch Advisor converts transactional customers into long-term clients by understanding needs, recommending appropriate deposit, lending and digital solutions, and ensuring an exceptional in-branch and omnichannel experience. Key focus areas include customer acquisition and retention, account opening and onboarding, KYC/AML adherence, teller oversight and cash handling, and meeting individual and branch sales targets.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Bank Teller
  • Customer Service Representative (Retail Banking)
  • Sales Associate / Financial Service Representative

Advancement To:

  • Branch Manager
  • Relationship Manager / Senior Personal Banker
  • Business Banking Officer
  • Area or Regional Sales Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Mortgage or Lending Advisor
  • Financial Advisor / Wealth Associate
  • Operations or Compliance Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Proactively prospect, develop and maintain a pipeline of new and existing customers to achieve monthly and quarterly sales targets for deposit accounts, consumer loans, credit cards, and digital banking adoption.
  • Conduct in-depth needs assessments and provide consultative advice to recommend the right mix of products (checking/savings, CDs, personal loans, mortgages, credit cards, small business accounts) that meet client financial goals.
  • Open, close and maintain retail accounts accurately by following KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures, identity verification protocols, and bank account documentation standards.
  • Execute full-cycle account onboarding including documentation review, disclosures, product setup, PIN and digital banking enrollment, and post-onboarding follow-up for activation and retention.
  • Maintain rigorous compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) policies, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting, and timely escalation of high-risk cases to the compliance team.
  • Manage daily branch cash controls and vault operations including teller cash limits, reconciliations, coin ordering, and end-of-day balancing to minimize discrepancies and reduce fraud risk.
  • Resolve complex customer inquiries, disputes and escalations with empathy and efficiency, ensuring timely resolution while protecting the bank’s risk and reputation.
  • Coach, mentor and support branch tellers and junior staff on service standards, sales techniques, cash handling, and operational procedures to improve team performance.
  • Drive cross-sell campaigns and promotional initiatives by partnering with product specialists and marketing to convert leads into sales and increase share-of-wallet.
  • Monitor branch performance metrics and KPIs (sales attainment, account growth, retention rates, referral rates, transaction volumes) and implement local action plans to close performance gaps.
  • Facilitate loan referrals and pre-qualification conversations for consumer and small business lending; gather documentation and coordinate with lending teams for timely decisioning.
  • Ensure branch readiness for audits and examinations by maintaining accurate records, internal control documentation and responding to audit requests promptly.
  • Safeguard branch security by enforcing access controls, managing incident reporting, conducting loss prevention practices and participating in emergency drills.
  • Promote and drive digital banking adoption — mobile apps, online banking, remote deposit capture — by educating customers on features, benefits and enrollment processes.
  • Process routine and complex transactions (wire transfers, ACH, foreign currency requests, stop payments) accurately and in accordance with operating procedures.
  • Build community presence and referral networks by representing the bank at local events, partnering with local businesses, and nurturing relationships with centers of influence.
  • Prepare and submit daily/weekly operational and sales reports, including exception reporting, to branch leadership and regional management.
  • Participate in product and compliance training and stay current on new product features, regulatory changes and competitive offerings to provide accurate advice.
  • Identify process improvement opportunities within the branch and participate in implementation of best practices to streamline customer journeys and reduce operational risk.
  • Conduct targeted outreach campaigns (renewals, dormant accounts, loan payment reminders) to re-engage customers and reduce attrition.
  • Collaborate with digital, operations, and lending teams to resolve backend issues affecting customer experience, ensuring a seamless omnichannel service.
  • Uphold and model the bank’s code of conduct, ethics and customer privacy policies in all interactions.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with periodic quality assurance calls and customer satisfaction surveys to gather feedback and inform service improvement initiatives.
  • Support local marketing execution by coordinating in-branch displays, promotional materials and customer seminars (e.g., homebuying, budgeting, retirement planning).
  • Support ad-hoc operational projects such as system conversions, branch relocations, or pilot programs aimed at improving sales productivity or operational efficiency.
  • Contribute to the branch’s talent development by participating in recruitment, interviewing candidates, and providing input on staffing needs.
  • Help maintain branch facilities and equipment (ATMs, cash recyclers, security systems) by liaising with facilities and vendor partners for timely repairs and maintenance.
  • Partner with compliance and fraud teams to participate in root cause analysis of incidents and implement corrective actions to reduce recurrence.
  • Participate in cross-functional forums to share frontline insights that influence product design, pricing decisions and customer experience roadmaps.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Retail banking product knowledge — deposits, checking, savings, CDs, personal loans, mortgages, credit cards and small business accounts.
  • KYC, AML and regulatory compliance proficiency including identity verification, CIP, SAR/STR awareness and documentation standards.
  • Cash handling and vault management best practices, reconciliation procedures and loss-prevention controls.
  • Familiarity with core banking platforms (e.g., FIS, Fiserv, Jack Henry), CRM systems and digital banking portals.
  • Proficient with MS Office (Excel for reporting and tracking), and experience using branch reporting tools and sales trackers.
  • Transaction processing skills — ACH, wire transfers, stop payments, foreign exchange and teller operations.
  • Basic credit assessment and loan referral processes, including collection of supporting documentation and prequalification criteria.
  • Experience with CRM and lead management tools (Salesforce, Dynamics, or bank-specific CRMs) for pipeline tracking and follow-up.
  • Knowledge of fraud detection signs and use of fraud prevention tools and escalation protocols.
  • Ability to prepare and present sales and operational reports to branch leadership and regional management.

Soft Skills

  • Strong consultative sales ability with a customer-first mindset and track record of meeting and exceeding sales goals.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills tailored to diverse customer audiences.
  • Outstanding relationship-building skills and emotional intelligence to manage sensitive financial conversations.
  • High attention to detail and accuracy in documentation and transaction processing.
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking to handle complex customer issues and operational exceptions.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance sales, operations, compliance and team coaching responsibilities.
  • Leadership presence and coaching ability to motivate front-line staff and drive consistent service levels.
  • Resilience and adaptability in a fast-paced, regulated environment with shifting priorities.
  • Ethical judgment and integrity in handling confidential customer information and adhering to regulatory requirements.
  • Team collaboration and cross-functional influencing skills to coordinate with lending, digital and operations teams.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent (required)

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or related field (preferred)

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Finance
  • Business Administration
  • Economics
  • Accounting
  • Marketing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of retail banking or financial services experience, including teller operations, personal banking, or sales roles.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years in a client-facing banking role with demonstrated sales performance, KYC/AML experience, and exposure to branch operations or supervisory responsibilities.
  • Prior experience with digital banking adoption initiatives and CRM-driven sales campaigns is a strong plus.
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