Head of Governance and Controls at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

To lead the development, implementation, and oversight of the bank’s Control environment, ensuring robust risk mitigation and operational integrity through strategic leadership, governance, and data-driven insights. Reporting to the Chief Operating and Digital Officer, the role holder is responsible for delivery of the following:

Strategic Leadership

• Define and communicate the bank’s control strategy aligned with enterprise risk and governance frameworks.
• Influence senior leadership on control priorities, risk appetite, and compliance culture.
• Lead transformation initiatives to enhance control maturity across business units.
• Represent the control function in executive committees and board-level forums.
• Benchmark control practices against industry standards and regulatory expectations.

Governance and Control Framework Oversight

• Design and maintain a comprehensive control framework
• Ensure controls are embedded in all key processes, systems, and change initiatives.
• Conduct periodic control reviews and challenge business units on control adequacy.
• Drive standardization and automation of control processes across the bank.

Job Description

Key accountabilities/Deliverables/Outcomes

Controls Oversight - 30%

• Drive the implementation and management of the control framework promoting strong self-assessment culture and ownership across the operations
• Promote and embed risk management and control culture within business units more in Absa bank.
• Delivery and management of the Country Control Framework activities, primarily Critical Process Assessment and Risk and Controls Self-Assessment, including reporting and tracking of progress.
• Support the identification of new and emerging risks through proactive process reviews
• Provide support in identifying and resolving control issues and themes including managing the resolution of audit and other control issues.
• Drive synergies in the control framework mechanisms and identify opportunities to improve the control environment including new products and processes.
• Working with Operational Risk, Chief Risk Office and Internal Audit to ensure proper operational risk management.
• Ensure effective reporting of any noted issues, risks, and business impact of controls deficiencies and track remediation to completion

Governance & Reporting – 30%

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership in the tracking, monitoring, and closure of control issues and audit findings arising from Combined Assurance Reviews across the bank.
• Drive accountability and timely resolution of all risk and control-related actions, ensuring alignment with regulatory expectations and internal governance standards.
• Lead root cause analysis initiatives, ensuring lessons learned are embedded into business processes and control frameworks to prevent recurrence.
• Drive the Management Control Approach (MCA) and Control Environment (CE) review and reporting processes for Absa Bank Kenya, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and timely delivery.
• Lead the coordination and execution of Specialist Risk Type “Road to Satisfactory” plans, ensuring progress tracking and escalation of critical issues.
• Champion integration and synergy across control mechanisms, identifying opportunities to streamline processes and enhance the overall control environment.

Leadership & Team Management – 10%

• Directly manage and develop a high performing team of Control partners, providing direction, support and coaching as required
• Champion governance, risk and control best practice, developing an appropriate risk culture across the business
• Promote a culture of sound conduct and service excellence in all dealings with internal clients (and external parties as appropriate)

 People Management - 20%

• Build and develop a high performing team through embedding performance management.
• Manage direct reports in terms of their performance and development, providing adequate support and direction
• Determine and manage Development Needs Analysis and Succession plans for direct reports.
• Responsible for recruiting all staff into the Controls teams in-country.
• Agree departmental headcount requirements with the Chief Operating and Digital Officer on an annual basis.
• Create a well-motivated team by providing an empowering environment for the department staff, encouraging individual ownership and initiative as well as participation in the bank’s recognition schemes.
• Ensure team members own and manage customer queries and complaints by taking ownership and resolving in a timely manner. Act as the escalation point for unresolved queries and complaints.
• Develop the skills, knowledge, and awareness of staff through delivery of relevant trainings for the team members.
• Act as a role model and drive pro-active application of Absa values throughout the team, including establishment of common goals and objectives.

Business Networking Management - 10%

• Maintain high standards of Business Relationships and Networking to ensure value realisation for the business through accountable Business partners and stakeholders.
• Oversee the delivery of the assurance monitoring programme (i.e. review of monitoring controls and reporting on control breakdowns and required improvements.
• Represent Controls in key business forums, providing insightful and relevant commentary on material controls topics.
• Work in conjunction with Group in relation to changes and/or improvements to Policies and overarching Control Framework, ensuring relevance and applicability for the business.
• Agree targets and take accountability for the overall achievement of performance objectives for the team in terms of Employee satisfaction, Customer experience, Cost performance and Continuity.
• Responsible for cost management for the team driving cost saving initiatives.

Role/person specification

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in a Business-related field
• Master’s Degree
• Full qualification from a professional body (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CISA, CRISC, FRM or similar)

Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in governance, controls, risk, audit or assurance roles within banking or complex financial services environments
• Proven senior leadership experience within a risk‑intensive operating environment
• Experience engaging effectively with executive leadership, boards, regulators and auditors
• Exposure to technology‑enabled banking operations, digital transformation and change governance
• Experience in matrix and multi‑stakeholder environments, ideally within regional or multinational organisations