Business Manager

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

My Career Development Portal: Wherever you are in your career, we are here for you. Design your future. Discover leading-edge guidance, tools and support to unlock your potential. You are Absa. You are possibility.

Job Summary

To support the Business Heads in managing the overall business strategy and executing tasks encompassing strategic development, enablement and implementation, business and colleague performance management, business project implementation, business communication, stakeholder engagement management (finance, human resources, risk, compliance etc.), and other operational and administrative duties delegated by the Business Heads. The incumbent coordinates strategic projects, provides business intelligence and insights, manages strategic communication, and represents the Business Head when required.

Job Description

Accountability: Business Operations Management – 55%

  • Collaborate with Segment Heads to formulate strategic plans for their respective units. This includes facilitating strategy sessions, preparing presentation materials, translate long-term strategic objectives into strategic action points, and overseeing the implementation of agreed-upon initiatives and actions.
  • Cascade strategic decisions throughout the business segments and the broader teams via presentations, internal events, and communiqués.
  • Act as a business advisor to unit heads by offering insights derived from market trends, competitor data, and client feedback to inform decision-making.
  • Coordinate annual target setting and planning with Finance and relevant business units.
  • Business performance management: Monitor and analyse key performance metrics to assess the performance of commercial and SME banking businesses, identify areas for improvement and work with the business heads to develop implementing strategies that optimize business performance and profitability.
  • Establishing KPIs and Scorecards: In collaboration with business heads and key stakeholders (Finance), define and develop Segment and RM level KPIs and scorecards in alignment with pan-bank and BB African Region’s KPIs and performance objectives within expected timelines. Prepare performance reports and dashboards highlighting performance trends and insights for weekly and monthly business meetings.
  • Proactively identify issues affecting business operational efficiencies, service quality, regulatory concerns and technological challenges and work with key stakeholders to identify root causes and resolutions. Report outcomes to Unit heads while ensuring full closure of these issues.
  • Facilitate clear and effective communication within the coverage team, ensuring that information flows smoothly and everyone is well informed of important updates, decisions, changes, or initiatives. Serve as communication liaison between the Unit Heads and other functional departments.
  • Working with key stakeholders, ensure all employees have access to the necessary tools and resources for effective work performance.
  • In the event of major business unit crises, take on the role of crisis coordinator and, in consultation with business leaders, assign tasks to designated crisis teams to manage and resolve the issues effectively.
  • Coordinate the unit's internal and external training programs ensuring that all colleagues scheduled for these trainings attend.
  • Own and champion all mandatory training programs for the business units.
  • Take ownership of process improvement initiatives, collaborate with relevant stakeholders to identify key operational processes, and undertake comprehensive reviews and reinventions aimed at enhancing process efficiency within the business units.

Accountability: Reporting – 25%

  • Prepare the key reports, presentations, and reviews for the Unit/ Segments heads and assist with detailed content when required.
  • Evaluate all material and communication prior to it being reviewed by the Unit/ Segment Heads ensuring that context, analysis and the views of the respective areas are collated, filtered and summarized in a concise manner, working with the Operating Model Leads and finance, ensure reporting requirements to the RBB Management team, ALCO, and ARO leadership are met on time and to the highest quality.
  • Engage with data teams to obtain and analyse business intelligence and management information, ensuring timely reporting to decision-makers.
  • Provide insights and recommendations to senior management based on portfolio performance and market trends.

Accountability: Team Management – 10%

  • Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
  • Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
  • Ensure colleagues’ leave days are effectively managed.
  • Create effective workforce and recruitment demand plans to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Plans should be revised at least twice a year.
  • Participate in the creation and implementation of Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) actions for the team

Corporate Governance & Risk Management – 10%

  • Ensure operational and strategic plans comply with governance requirements.
  • Align business practices with corporate policies and regulatory frameworks.
  • Identify operational risks in the execution of strategic projects and maintain stakeholder relationships to mitigate business continuity risks.
  • Ensure compliance with financial, regulatory, and operational policies.

Education and Experience Required

  • Degree in Business Administration, Economics, Commerce or equivalent qualification
  • Professional certifications (e.g., ACCA, ICA) or a second degree in a relevant field will be an added advantage
  • 5 Years’ experience in Financial Services Industry / Strategy
  • Minimum of 5 Years’ experience in Banking with two (2) in a team lead or at management level, including planning, coordination, and strategic delivery

Knowledge & Skills: (Minimum of 6)

  • Business Project Implementation
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Stakeholder management skills
  • Strategic Implementation
  • Report writing and presentation.
  • Strong Financial knowledge, analysis and interpretation
  • Excellent Communication skills
  • Analytical
  • Planning & Co-ordination
  • Networking
  • Business Development

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)

  • Coping with pressures and setbacks
  • Deciding and initiating action
  • Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
  • Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
  • Formulating strategies and concepts
  • Leading and supervising
  • Persuasion and influencing
  • Relating and networking
  • Budgeting processes and regulatory frameworks within financial services
  • Maintain discretion and confidentiality in sensitive matters

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)