Branch Operations Manager

Role Summary

This position is responsible for running day-to-day branch administration and operational activities connected to home loan disbursements. The role focuses on meeting regulatory requirements, closing cases on time, and handling customer escalations and overdue accounts proactively. It also supports strong customer experience by resolving queries quickly and maintaining efficient service standards.

The role is expected to track branch performance closely, keep escalations at zero where possible, reduce delinquencies, and regularly share performance data with the zonal head. In addition, it works in coordination with Credit and Collections teams to keep pre-disbursement and post-disbursement workflows smooth. The position also includes evaluating branch processes, recommending improvements, and managing both internal and external audits by acting on findings and suggested corrective actions.

Organizational Context

The company is part of Aditya Birla Capital Limited. Aditya Birla Housing Finance Limited is registered with the National Housing Bank as a housing finance company under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987. It offers a full set of housing finance products, including home loans, home improvement loans, home construction loans, balance transfer and top-up loans, loans against property, and construction finance.

The license was acquired on 9 July 2014, and the business has ambitious expansion plans. The organization has been growing steadily while maintaining strong asset quality despite market challenges. With increasing demand in segments such as affordable housing and self-employed borrowers, the company is targeting rapid expansion and aims to grow 5X to 40,000 Cr in the next 5 years, which would place it among the top 5 percentile of housing finance companies in the country.

Branch Operations Environment

The operations function is responsible for processing home loans and ensuring disbursement happens accurately and on time. It must deliver quick, error-free service while working closely with Sales and Risk teams. The team enforces processes and compliance by coordinating with the Risk function.

At branch level, the work includes customer service, documentation, and system updates. The operations team handles transactions, supports timely collections, and manages closure-related activities. This role also includes ownership of bounce cheque data and related data submissions.

Major Challenges

• Verify transaction details carefully and approve only when accuracy is confirmed.
• Ensure home loan disbursements reach customers on time with no transaction errors.
• Make sure loan disbursal kits are dispatched promptly and correctly.
• Complete banking-related activities within timelines to prevent escalations.
• Maintain loan and customer property documents properly with updated trackers for reference.
• Work in an environment where around 60% of the operations still require manual intervention.
• Handle a larger span of control at bigger locations where the number of branches under the role increases significantly.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead branch operations so loans are processed and disbursed within the required turnaround time.
• Ensure the branch receives completed files from Credit within SLA, including collaterals such as loan documents, agreements, KYC records, and credit verification documents.
• Check files for inconsistencies and ensure corrective action is taken to complete them.
• Optimize resources and monitor end-to-end transaction queues.
• Handle fund management and support closure/post-closure documentation for NOC processing.
• Track timely dispatch of loan disbursal kits.
• Manage internal and external branch audits and act on audit observations and recommendations.
• Review processes regularly, identify risks early, and implement mitigation actions.
• Share and adopt best practices across branches.
• Recommend process improvements based on team feedback, support-function inputs, and market trends.
• Manage post-disbursement documentation through follow-ups, discrepancy reporting, and periodic system updates.
• Improve process efficiency by meeting transaction SLAs.
• Reduce errors and keep critical escalations to a minimum.
• Maintain FTR% and performance metrics within target.
• Resolve process issues quickly and preserve quality standards.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and ready availability of accurate data for audit queries.
• Follow through on post-disbursement activities within agreed timelines.
• Review process guidelines periodically and recommend updates where needed.
• Handle customer interactions based on case value or complexity.
• Support the collections team when payment delays or delinquencies arise.
• Improve customer satisfaction through efficient servicing and issue handling.
• Monitor performance reports regularly and take corrective actions.
• Prepare periodic MIS reports for the Zonal Head with insights that support management decisions.
• Review process adherence, strengthen audit compliance, and reduce audit observations.
• Align the team to branch goals by building awareness of performance expectations.
• Develop team capability through ongoing performance reviews and learning opportunities.
• Encourage practical problem-solving and innovation in transaction handling.
• Manage branch walk-ins for service requests.
• Resolve customer queries within committed timelines.
• Handle CRM creation, assignment, and resolution.
• Support One ABC portal registration.

Additional Requirements and Context

The role calls for strong goal orientation, the ability to work effectively with teams, and good interpersonal and influencing skills for managing customers successfully. The expected educational background is post-graduate qualification, along with 7 to 10 years of experience in banking and lending operations.

This job involves close coordination with multiple internal stakeholders and consistent attention to process quality, compliance, audit readiness, and customer service standards.