Manager, Payments and Innovations at Absa Bank Limited

Job Description
Key accountabilities & Time split
Product Development – Time split 40%

• Lead in-country API product development. This includes defining and developing a compelling value proposition within the Open Banking space by understanding customers’ needs, pains, and gains.
• Champion and drive flows that deliver superior customer journeys for open banking
• Design and drive the Banking-as-a-Service strategy and implementation
• Design, document, and implement the Fintech and other Tech Enabled Businesses Strategy
• Understand the regulatory, legal, and financial landscape for Tech-enabled Businesses
• Periodically review existing products based on customer feedback and market trends to ensure continuous product utilization.
• Effectively manage the API product lifecycle
• Continuous engagement with FinTechs, startups, and partners to ensure adequate product and process support to drive revenues growth
• Continuous propagation of process innovation to maximize competitive advantage.
• Develop and implement product development processes and standards that ensure a consistently superior product proposition to customers.
• Ensure quality assurance procedures are in place to continually evaluate the quality of the customer experience to enhance performance and productivity.
• Share best practices and market intelligence to ensure we deliver a competitive solution.
• Identify, develop, and support the execution of acquisition marketing campaigns.
• Anticipate global trends and identify probable impacts on the business and provide direction and solutions
• Design, Create and Own Value-Added Ecosystems
• Track Channel KPIs to increase the utilization and overall performance
• Develop detailed, crisp business requirements and user stories that can be used to create product specifications and architecture for each product and application and model price and value propositions
• Work closely with the Business Units, Technology, Marketing, Project Management, and Operations teams to deliver products from ideation to market.

Business Development – Time split 30%

• Develop and implement API product strategies to monetize and grow the bank’s market share, revenue, and profitability in line with the Bank’s transformation strategy.
• Develop and manage Go to Market initiatives for API solutions
• Identify and develop product performance metrics to ensure the attainment of business case objectives.
• Build capacity within cross-functional teams to ensure fulfillment of the sales and service functions
• Establish partnerships with FinTech aggregators and third-party developers on innovation, strategies, programs, initiatives, research, and projects.
• Drive product adoption and penetration by liaising with CX and Marketing in coordinating CVMs, activations, product uptakes, and promotions and to resolve pain points across channels, customers, and partners
• Monitor new venture businesses and start-ups.
• Focus on building new areas of the ecosystem & scale new partners

Stakeholder Engagement – Time split 20%

• Identify and manage internal stakeholders and external partnerships including technology and service vendors, commercial partners, and internal support teams to deliver on project deliverables.
• Secure and maintain business commitment /involvement from stakeholders and obtain feedback at all stages of the project.
• Analyze feedback from stakeholders and determine the way forward.
• Monitor and manage Project progress, project scope, and control change.
• Identify strategic and cross-functional issues.
• Establish and manage appropriate project Risk, Opportunities, Change, and Issue management procedures.
• Forecast and ensure delivery of likely business benefits.
• Manage compliance with Absa project practices and methodologies.
• Ensure the business is prepared for the change, including agreement of acceptance criteria and sign-off.
• Determine the readiness of service and obtain sanction to proceed to roll-out
• Review the pilot and assess the quality of deliverables and controls.
• Ensure the impact of the project on the operational and IT infrastructure is accessed and communicated.
• Ensure the project deliverables are presented to the business within timescales contained in the Project plan and within budgets agreed on inception.
• Prepare project reports within specified standards and timescales.
• Manage Project Interdependencies.
• Thought leadership in the industry

People Management – Time split 10%

• Foster a positive, prideful work environment with open communications and timely resolution of conflicts.
• Cascade information to the project team, and give briefs on assignments and technical explanations.
• Review and assess the performance of project team members against plans.
• Discuss and finalize performance development plans and ratings for your direct reports.

Role/person specification

Preferred Education

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related fields

Preferred Experience

• At least 6 years of experience in product development in a financial services environment
• At least 2-3 years of specific experience in:
  • Open Banking
  • API product development
  • Digital Product development.
  • E-commerce
  • Project Management
• A postgraduate qualification in a business-related field is an added advantage
• In-depth understanding of Financial Technology (Fintech).
• In-depth understanding of Fintech’s, start-ups, and developer community landscape
• In-depth knowledge of competitors and local market activity
• In-depth knowledge of payment gateway flows and integrations

Knowledge And Skills

• Certification Digital Product Development/ Project Management/ AGILE Methodologies and Practice

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge and experience in developing and implementing innovative product offerings.
• Knowledge and experience in the implementation of digital platforms and solutions end to end
• Strong commercial/ entrepreneurial acumen
• Strong networking skills at a high level
• Highly developed analytical and perceptive skills
• Ability to develop, plan, execute, and implement according to corporate and project plan strategies
• Change management
• Team working – building and developing high performance
• Proven people, leadership, and negotiation skills.
• A result-driven ‘team player’, personality with a willingness and ability to work in a dynamic working environment.
• Innovative, with prior experience in product development.
• Strong communication skills both in person and in writing with excellent presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills
• Enthusiastic attitude and focus on results.
• A high aptitude and comfort level with technical environments and the ability to work in a highly demanding environment and able to meet aggressive deadlines.

Education

• Higher Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)