Multiple local banks launch open recruitment for mid-level managers, some with age limits

Several Chinese banks, including Bank of Beijing, Harbin Bank, and Beijing Rural Commercial Bank, have recently launched open market-based recruitment for mid-level management positions, offering a range of core business management roles at the head-office level. These positions span key areas such as asset-liability management, risk management, technology management, and corporate banking.

Bank of Beijing Opens Five Core Management Positions

Bank of Beijing has made five senior management roles available in a single recruitment drive:

• General Manager, Asset and Liability Department (Head Office)
• General Manager, Transaction Banking Department (International Business Department)
• General Manager, Risk Management Department
• Deputy General Manager, Risk Management Department
• Deputy General Manager, Post-Investment and Post-Loan Management Department

Age requirements:

• The first three positions require candidates aged 50 or below (born on or after October 1, 1975).
• The latter two positions require candidates aged 45 or below (born on or after October 1, 1980).

Exceptional candidates may be granted appropriate flexibility on certain conditions.

Harbin Bank and Beijing Rural Commercial Bank

Harbin Bank is recruiting for three positions:

• Deputy Director, Board Office (Party Committee Office)
• Deputy General Manager, Technology Management Department
• Deputy General Manager, Data Management Department

Candidates must be aged 45 or below, with possible exceptions for outstanding applicants.

Beijing Rural Commercial Bank has launched a market-based selection process for a Corporate Banking Director. Applicants are required to have at least 10 years of experience in the relevant field and a minimum of five years of management experience at financial institutions. Preference will be given to candidates with management experience at the head offices or provincial branches of major state-owned commercial banks or national joint-stock commercial banks.

Earlier Recruitment of Senior Executives by Regional Banks

In addition to mid-level roles, several regional banks have previously conducted open recruitment for senior executives:

• February this year: Langfang Bank publicly recruited five senior management positions at the head office, including two Deputy Presidents, one Board Secretary, one Chief Risk Officer, and one Chief Compliance Officer.
• April this year: The same bank opened recruitment for the President of its Tianjin Branch and General Manager of its Financial Markets Department.
• May this year: Guangdong Nanyue Bank launched a public recruitment drive for Deputy President and President Assistant, focusing on retail banking, risk management, and financial markets.

Industry Insights

Industry insiders note that, unlike major state-owned banks with well-established internal training mechanisms, local city commercial banks and rural commercial banks face operational pressures such as narrowing interest margins and digital transformation, while their internal talent reserves remain relatively limited. Launching market-based recruitment for mid-to-senior positions helps these banks quickly strengthen capabilities in areas such as investment research, risk control, and asset-liability management.

Internal promotion and market-based selection are not mutually exclusive; rather, both represent flexible approaches that banks adopt based on their specific development needs.