Costs Business Performance and Analytics Manager at Absa Bank Limited

Job purpose

Overall responsibility for the financial management of the Total Bank Cost space and Cost Efficiency.  The role includes oversight of past, present and future financial performance of the Total Bank and various Functions, including the strategic objective of aligning to Absa Bank Kenya Plc.

• Senior stakeholder and relationship management is a key driver in-order to deliver financial objectives by leveraging off Finance, Functions, and other infrastructure groups across the organization.
• Identifying cost trends and financial risks with the presentation of these views alongside the financials at the various exco’s and steercos. 
• Delivering and presenting of accurate financial information in-order to assist in strategic decisions for Management (CFO, Functions, Sourcing, Board, CMC)
• Support all functions in decision-making process by providing insights into their financial performance, identifying potential cost risks and opportunities, and making recommendations and improvements.
• Provide financial planning and analysis, forecasting and monitoring the Total Bank financial performance to assist the CFO in driving the costs strategy.

Key Accountabilities

Strategy and planning

• Undertake key elements of strategic management activity, involving the identification of how value is created, destroyed, and driven in the function from a cost perspective.
• To support the business in its Outlook/Shape//MTP/STP/RAF processes.
• Support in completion, driving and tracking of the bank cost strategy.
• Lead in budgeting process, outlook and actual Numbers updates, and provide commentary to the performance metrics and actions.

Business Performance management

• To develop and report financial and other performance measures (metrics) required by the business e.g., the Monthly Business review Pack, Benefits Management Committee and Board papers.
• To monitor actual performance against target and to analyse variances.
• Support input of the financials to the investor relations packs, support management in investor relations sessions, press release and the results announcement.
• To respond to routine and ad hoc information requests.
• To produce reports that enable the identification options for improved financial performance and cost reduction.
• To support the business – in the production and review of specific technical elements of Management Accounts KPIs, margins review, Cost drivers.

Decision Support

• To provide support and analysis on a range of technical issues in connection with the Financial and Management Accounts e.g., variance/trend analysis (actuals v budget) makeup of specific costs etc.
• Lead in CFO/Finance mission statement updates, provide commentary to the performance metrics and actions.
• Provide analytics and trends to inform decision making/investment decisions

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Maintain and build key relationships across the organization to effectively drive cost strategy and protect value.
• Understand and identify key sustainable requests from stakeholders including adhoc requests.
• Ability to Implement actions without the direct responsibility of resources.
• Negotiate and leverage information off different groups across the organization in-order to meet stakeholder demands.
• Become the “go-to” person for all key senior stakeholders for all Finance matters relating to Costs.
• Liaise with centre to respond on all country costs queries.
• Provide feedback and updates on Cost financial / business matters.
• Communicate the cost related objectives to relevant stakeholders, ensuring alignment to the wider Absa objectives.
• To develop and report Costs financial and other performance measures (metrics) required by the business e.g. the Cost Monthly Business Review Pack, Monthly Efficiency Committee Steerco meeting, Cost CMC inputs, Cost Flash and Board papers, etc.

Team and staff Management

• Take responsibility for personal performance development, training and career development plans and ensure they are relevant and progressed.
• Develop cost health, check and challenge through regular training of cost champions

Qualifications required.

• Bachelor’s degree in finance & related fields
• Accounting Qualifications