Head of Corporate Sales - Markets at Absa Bank Limited

Job Purpose:

Develop and execute the corporate sales strategy for Kenya global markets. Ensure a strategic and coordinated sale, focusing on servicing the local and global markets needs of existing and new business clients. Provide market risk management across multiple asset classes, including foreign exchange, interest rates, and commodities.

Key Accountabilities:

Provide Strategic Leadership

• Responsible for developing and executing trading strategies in line with the overarching strategy for the Business Unit.
• Responsible for the continuous supervision of processing and execution of all asset management deals in the market.
• Monitor and review sales performance and approves activities concerned with the execution of sales strategies.
• Scan the markets for opportunities across the asset classes – FX, Rates and Commodities.
• Drive client solutioning across the different asset classes.
• Ensures that the daily transactions and activities conform to the set business goals and objectives.
• Keeps well abreast of client activity – risks and opportunities Head of Sales.

• Originate flow business and drive new acquisitions and reactivations.
• Drive thought leadership as a market leader in the industry.
• Reviews all periodic reports prepared for Senior Management.

Drive Business Performance

• Implement performance controls to proactively measure achievement against strategic targets and address changes or non-performance.
• Provide ongoing advice and direction to the operational environments managed by this role in terms of the areas of focus, opportunities, key targets and relative policies, legislative and regulatory environments.
• Actively participate in all internal client reviews from a service perspective provided by areas under responsibility through a process of formalized service review (including questionnaires, production reporting, loss event reporting, etc).
• Drive the proactive negotiation of service level contracts with business unit heads with a continued focus on improved performance, reduction in turnaround times and reduced cost.
• Work with the Finance team in responsibility on improving the models for transfer pricing or cost allocation between Sales and relevant business units.
• Continuously monitor service levels and implement strategic measures to improve customer satisfaction and overall profitability.
• Implement governance structures and stakeholder frameworks to ensure effective customer management and engagement.
• Build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships within the industry and within the Bank to ensure the unit is successfully positioned to manage risks and expectations and deliver on shareholder value.
• Represent Sales and participate and contribute to industry and Bank wide forums and governance structures as required or directed.

Drive the people agenda

• Together with HR for the function/unit, determine the people management strategy for the business unit aligned to the overall business strategy.
• Take steps to build, develop and lead a cohesive and high performing Leadership team within the business unit.
• Drive the overall people agenda within the business unit to ensure that the human aspects to performance are considered and embedded in the business.
• Take steps to establish and drive a high-performance culture across the business unit by for example mentoring leaders and using the performance development framework, informal coaching, and formal learning as tools.
• Enable and drive the transformation agenda in the business unit by implementing strategies and addressing barriers.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the key roles in the area and review and approve succession plans
• Ensure the Unit complies with Group HR policies and procedures.
• Drive strategies to ensure the business unit attracts, retains, and develops talent.
• Approve Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) action items developed by the management team and review action logs to determine effectiveness of implementation.

Maintain a healthy risk profile within Sales

• Identify and take accountability for the assigned principal risks relevant to the area in terms of the Absa Operational Risk Management framework and ensure that adequate controls are in place within the role’s area of responsibility.
• Monitor all business risk activities (including business assurance and operational risk management) within the operating environment through obtaining feedback and providing guidance for tactical plans to ensure compliance to Group standards.
• Drive a culture of proactive compliance and risk management within the executive team and the function.
• Implement risk and conformance management structures and reporting frameworks to proactively manage business risks and provide an early warning system on an EXCO level.
• Review the risk management and compliance practices of the function as a whole and highlight areas that require improvement to leaders in the team. Ensure that they understand their responsibility for risk ownership.
• On a quarterly basis, evaluate of the status of Operational and Principal Risks within the function and complete the required attestations to confirm control status.
• Present the function’s requirements in Group meetings such as the EXCO level Operational Risk Committee, Group Change Council and others.

Manage the financial sustainability and effective use of resources within Sales

• Drive the annual planning and review of MTP, STP and Revised Annual Forecast (RAF) budgets for the Sales function including the setting of MTP and STP Financial targets and standards and related measures and anticipated financial cost targets.
• Ensure rigorous cost management within Group by implementing a highly structured budget and monitoring and reporting process and instilling discipline within the team around cost control.
• Ensure the function/unit has sufficient resources to deliver on operational and customer commitments.
• Monitor annual resource utilization and implement strategies to improve the efficient allocation and utilization of resources within Sales.
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting in terms of the annual calendar.
• Implement effective corrective measures to ensure financial control and address negative budgetary variances.
• Based on proposals brought by leaders in the unit, review opportunities for investment or disinvestment of resources and make capital allocation decisions within mandate.
• Drive the effective identification, funding, and resourcing of new change initiatives within the area of responsibility.
• Present major opportunities to the Group Investment Committee or Financial Partners.
• Review workforce and recruitment plans for the area and reallocate resources where required.

Education and Experience Required

• Bsc-degree or a related equivalent qualification
• (10) years’ experience in the Banking sector which must include proven experience
• (5) years’ experience in managing a Sales environment
• (2) years’ experience on a senior management level in a large corporate

Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge of Product Management Principles and Practices (Advanced)
• Knowledge of Strategic Management principles and approaches (Advanced)
• Leadership Skills (Advanced)
• Analytical Skills (Advanced)
• Stakeholder Management Skills (Solid)

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)

• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Coping with pressures and setbacks
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Deciding and initiating action
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Leading and supervising
• Working with people

Application Deadline – Monday 3rd April 2023