Head: Card Acquiring at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

• Responsibility for growth in business from existing merchants and recruitment of new merchants 
• To recruit profitable new business and then to establish, manage and develop long-term, profitable relationships, ensuring the provision of first-class customer service and maximizing business opportunities to achieve key objectives and goals.
• Work internally and with external partners to drive business growth.

Job Description

Main accountabilities and approximate time split.

New Business Development: Time spilt 30%

• Identify target customers.
• Recruit new key customers at a profitable level.
• Proactively create and develop business relationships with companies.
• Prepare professional individual compelling proposals for customers.
• Build close working relationships with Absa SME, Business Banking, Corporate Business Units Relationships, and other Group/external key business influencers to create business opportunities.  Attend relevant events.
• Fully understand the workings of Absa and the pricing and risk strategy.
• New business growth programs and partnership deals.
• Responsible for developing a personal sales plan to achieve targeted objectives and goals.
• New business growth and opportunities for new partnerships that scale transaction volumes and market share.
• Independently determine, develop, and implement strategies and tactics to achieve/exceed sales targets, and combat competitive threats.
• Highly self-motivated with strong personal time management of day-to-day activities to maximize return on resources.
• Keeping fully updated on customer activities as reported in the media and via internal Group sources.
• Maintain and understand the business environment in which the customer operates.
• Constantly update knowledge on all products and services offered by Absa.

Portfolio Management: Time split 40%

• Develop and implement Merchant Portfolio intervention frameworks including Early Engagement and Continuous Customer Engagement strategy throughout the customer life cycle through data analytics and Portfolio insights.
• Manage portfolio optimization programs and relationship deepening for sustainable revenue growth.
• Optimal Portfolio pricing that is sector or industry agnostic leveraging off overall partnership relationships to drive new business, to ring-fence, and protect existing business from attrition to competition.
• Institute key product optimization initiatives to drive revenue growth such as new product CVPs, Partner campaigns, and programs that are sector agnostic to retain and grow new opportunities for card payments transactions.
• Conduct regular portfolio performance analysis and track key KPI indicators across different merchant categories.
• Profitability management on various tracking P&L variances i.e., MSC fees, interchange costs, scheme costs including revenue assurance to protect the bottom line.
• Portfolio management will involve discussions and negotiations on commercial, technical, operational marketing, and industry issues.
• Negotiate, at the board level, pricing, and contracts with strategically important customers.  Handled incorrectly could result in considerable losses to the Group in revenue and brand reputation.
• Establish, build, and maintain ongoing relationships with customers to develop and protect business income.
• Develop a deep understanding of the needs and requirements of customers’ businesses.
• Make sound commercial judgments in order to retain and fully develop a customer base.

People Management and Development; Time Split 10%

•  Manage a high-performing team with structured performance tracking on daily activity and monthly targets.
• Work closely with the Head of Card Issuing and the Issuing team to deliver exceptional business performance through the provision of Portfolio MI and analysis and business improvement initiatives.
• Share best practices with, and provide feedback to, the team members of the efficiency Team, on all business and people-related issues, climate, and local development and initiatives.
• Build effective relationships, influence, and motivate Team Leaders to ensure their wholehearted commitment to the effective application of performance management and MI policies and practices.
• Build and develop a high-performing team, through embedding performance management and coaching. Document SMART performance management plans and conduct effective reviews for team members.
• Initiate HR processes for the team when required e.g., disciplinary and capability process, leave management, learning, and development, talent identification, etc. in consultation with HR.
• Pursue self-development to increase personal effectiveness, acknowledging strengths and areas for development.

Service Management and Improvement; Time Split 10%

• Drive initiatives to identify and address the root causes of Absa Merchant complaints.
• Drive and implement initiatives to drive onboarding efficiency SLA and reduce the TAT for complaints.
• Ensure service uptime at merchant outlets and compliant management within SLA.
• Support the Head of Cards to ensure that monitoring tools developed are applied and effectiveness of training and other ‘people development’ activities are properly monitored.
• Tracking customer behavior and predicting signs of attrition or delinquency in merchant payments and turnover.
• Merchants' fraud risk management

Governance, Control, and Risk; Time Split 10%

• Ensure compliance with Bank controls, policy, service standards, and procedures as laid down by the bank.
• Ensure all mandatory training is completed to the deadline and understood within given timescales.
• All risk events (incidents) or control failures to be escalated, investigated, reported, and fixed at the root cause to prevent reoccurrence.
• Successful independent conformance assurance (e.g. CPA AIA, Regulatory Compliance, Management controls)

Technical skills / Competencies

• Relationship Management skills
• Proven sales abilities
• People management and leadership
• Strong Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Strong Negotiation skills
• Influencing skills
• Innovation
• Planning skills
• PC skills

Knowledge, Expertise, and Experience

Essential

• Full and extensive knowledge of Absa products and services
• Working knowledge of acquiring industry dynamics, interchange, etc.
• In-depth knowledge of competitor solutions
• Knowledge of the Business-to-Business sector
• Fully aware of industry trends (in the country and overseas)
• Knowledge of Absa Group and Absa strategies both locally and overseas
• Working knowledge and practical understanding of Law legislation and regulations as they apply to the local market.
• Making environments and over long sales cycles
• Thorough knowledge of the Business-to-Business sector
• The role holder must have general knowledge of relevant Industry Regulatory standards.

Experience

Preferred

• Knowledge of relevant third-party suppliers (e.g., technology)
• Knowledge of industry-related developments
• Full and extensive knowledge of Absa acquiring solutions.
• Working general knowledge of acquiring markets, their drivers, industry dynamics, competitor solutions, interchange, and future product service deliverables
• Knowledge of Industry related technical development.
• Fully aware of Industry trends (local and overseas).
• May have experience in the Business-to-Business Financial Services Sector
• Knowledge of the Card Acquiring industry would be an advantage but not essential.

Essential

• 3 years minimum sales experience with a proven track record of achievement and high performance
• Proven success rate in negotiation in a corporate environment
• The role holder must have gained first-hand experience with customers and negotiation skills.
• The proven ability to excel in a culture of high achievement.
• Proven personal experience in achieving outstanding targets.
• Proven personal experience in managing customer situations within a complex decision.