Careers at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

• To provide strategic leadership and end-to-end oversight of Commercial Services, ensuring that the Bank’s external spend, supplier ecosystem, property portfolio, workplace services and safety obligations deliver measurable business value, operational resilience and an excellent colleague and customer environment.
• Lead an integrated, data-led Commercial Services operating model aligned to CODO and enterprise priorities.
• Optimise bank-wide third-party spend, total cost of ownership and demand while protecting service quality, control and continuity.
• Direct the property and workplace portfolio, including leases, projects, facilities, utilities, occupancy and asset lifecycle management.
• Strengthen supplier governance, third-party risk, contract performance and resilience across critical services.
• Accelerate digitisation, automation and analytics across source-to-pay, supplier management, facilities and service operations.
• Embed sustainability, safety, accessibility and responsible sourcing into commercial and workplace decisions.
• Build a high-performing, future-ready team and trusted partnerships with businesses, Finance, Risk, Legal, Technology and Group functions

Job Description

Key accountabilities/Deliverables/Outcomes

Accountability: Commercial Strategy, Value and Financial Stewardship - 20%

• Define and execute the Commercial Services strategy, operating model, scorecard and multi-year roadmap in alignment with CODO and the Bank’s strategic priorities.
• Own the function’s budget, benefits plan and productivity agenda, with transparent tracking of cost, value, service, risk and sustainability outcomes.
• Lead enterprise spend and demand analytics, should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership assessments, and market benchmarking to identify structural value opportunities.
• Partner with business and Finance leaders to challenge demand, shape investment choices and translate business requirements into commercially sound solutions.
• Provide executive insight on market movements, supplier concentration, property economics and emerging commercial risks and opportunities.

Accountability: Strategic Sourcing, Contracting and Supplier Performance - 20%

• Lead category strategies, competitive sourcing, negotiation and contracting for goods and services within the function’s mandate, ensuring value, fairness and policy compliance.
• Establish disciplined contract lifecycle management, including obligation tracking, renewals, variations, claims, disputes and benefits realisation.
• Segment and govern the supplier portfolio, with clear performance standards, service-level agreements, relationship plans and executive escalation for strategic and critical suppliers.
• Drive supplier innovation, local and diverse supplier participation, responsible sourcing and commercially sustainable partnerships.
• Oversee source-to-pay effectiveness, including requisitioning, purchase order discipline, invoice resolution and timely, accurate supplier payment.

Accountability: Property, Workplace, Facilities and Sustainability - 20%

• Develop and execute the property and workplace strategy across owned and leased premises, aligned to business demand, customer needs, hybrid work and portfolio economics.
• Lead lease negotiations, renewals, exits, acquisitions, disposals, valuations and landlord performance, supported by reliable portfolio and market data.
• Oversee capital projects, refurbishments and relocations to agreed scope, quality, cost, safety and schedule, with robust governance and benefits tracking.
• Ensure effective facilities, utilities, maintenance, workplace, mail, transport, reception, archives and related administrative services through fit-for-purpose service models.
• Embed energy efficiency, resource optimisation, waste reduction, climate resilience and accessibility into premises, projects and supplier standards.
• Maintain property, asset, occupancy and maintenance data to support lifecycle planning, preventive maintenance and informed investment decisions.

Accountability: Digital Enablement, Service Excellence and Innovation - 15%

• Sponsor digitisation and automation across procurement, contract management, supplier governance, facilities, payments and service request journeys.
• Establish reliable management information, dashboards and predictive insights for spend, savings, supplier performance, property, safety, service and risk.
• Design simple, customer-centred services with clear service catalogues, ownership, turnaround standards and escalation routes.
• Measure stakeholder experience and use feedback, process mining, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement to raise service quality and productivity.
• Assess emerging technologies, including AI-enabled analytics and workflow automation, with appropriate human oversight, data governance, security and control.

Accountability: Risk, Control, Resilience and Regulatory Compliance - 15%

• Own the Commercial Services risk and control environment, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, Group standards and Bank policies.
• Lead third-party risk governance across due diligence, financial viability, information security, data privacy, business continuity, subcontracting, concentration and exit planning.
• Ensure critical supplier and workplace services have tested continuity, incident response, crisis management and recovery arrangements.
• Oversee occupational safety, health, environmental and building compliance, including risk assessments, statutory inspections, incident management and remediation.
• Ensure accurate approvals, segregation of duties, records, invoice controls and assurance across sourcing, contracting, property and payments.
• Act as the accountable escalation point for material incidents, control gaps, audit findings and regulatory matters, ensuring timely and sustainable closure.

Accountability: People Leadership and Enterprise Partnership - 10%

• Build an inclusive, high-performing team with clear accountabilities, succession coverage and capability plans across commercial, property, digital, analytics, risk and sustainability disciplines.
• Coach leaders and colleagues, set stretching objectives, provide regular feedback and manage performance and recognition fairly.
• Create cross-functional ways of working with CODO, business units, Finance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Technology, Security, Human Capital and Group functions.
• Influence senior stakeholders through evidence-based recommendations, effective governance forums and transparent communication of trade-offs and decisions.
• Promote ethical conduct, a strong control culture, customer obsession, innovation and continuous learning.

Risk and Control objective

• To lead, drive and provide strategic oversight of Commercial Services for Absa Bank Kenya, ensuring that commercial, supplier, property, workplace and payment activities are efficient, resilient, responsible and conducted within approved risk appetite, policy and regulatory requirements.

Role/person specification

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Commerce, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, Property/Facilities Management or a related discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification or MBA is advantageous.
• Relevant professional certification is strongly preferred, for example CIPS or an equivalent procurement qualification; facilities, property, project management, sustainability or risk certification is advantageous.

Experience

• At least 10 years’ relevant experience across procurement/commercial management, supplier management, property/facilities or enterprise services, including substantial senior leadership experience.
• Demonstrated accountability for significant budgets, complex negotiations, strategic suppliers, outsourced services and/or a multi-site property portfolio.
• Experience in a regulated financial services or similarly complex environment is strongly preferred.
• Proven delivery of measurable cost, service, risk, digital transformation, sustainability and stakeholder outcomes.

Knowledge and Skills

• Banking operating models, regulatory expectations and operational resilience requirements.
• Strategic sourcing, category management, competitive tendering, negotiation and contract lifecycle management.
• Third-party risk management, supplier due diligence, concentration risk, business continuity and exit planning.
• Spend analytics, demand management, should-cost modelling, total cost of ownership and benefits realisation.
• Property portfolio strategy, leasing, valuation, workplace planning, facilities operations and capital project governance.
• Occupational safety, health, environmental and building compliance requirements.
• Source-to-pay controls, accounts payable interfaces, financial governance and management reporting.
• Digital procurement, workflow automation, data visualisation and responsible use of AI-enabled analytics.
• Sustainability, climate resilience, energy efficiency, responsible sourcing and inclusive supplier development.

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Job Summary

• To provide specialist advice and support in relationship management, enabling the provision of sound claims assessment expertise. Selecting this role has a compensation & benefit impact in Global Alliance Mozambique. Contact Reward for details.

Job Description

Job Purpose:

• To manage and sustain a relationship with Business Banking customers, building long-term relationships founded on efficient and reliable support for their business. This is achieved particularly through quick risk decisions and managing consistency and quality of operational service.
• The primary objective is to maximize sustainable risk-adjusted / EP portfolio contribution.
• The jobholder will additionally be responsible for business development both with new customers and with his/her existing portfolio.

Key Accountabilities
Sales and Service- 70%

• Conduct annual review of customers’ borrowing facilities (and interim review if customer circumstances [risk profile] dictate).
• Consult customer owners/managers on financial/credit issues and general business practice/ideas.
• Determine the key messages, e.g., agreed service standards, negotiated pricing, relationship team contact points (including introductions to new personnel) and new product changes. Calculating the most appropriate means of communicating with customers.
• Deal with, and find resolutions for, customer complaints.
• Determine the products that are most effective in meeting customers’ needs and be able to sell them at short notice, both reactively and proactively.
• Plan and co-ordinate any marketing approaches for new business and actively develop existing relationships. Co-ordinate approaches to the portfolio by businesses across the Group.
• Monitor and ensure adherence to risk service standards.

Business Management- 25%

• Research, create and follow up on a target list for potential new business.
• Identify priority customers using the Customer Prioritization Guidelines to assess their present and potential contribution.
• Gather all the required information that is needed to prepare and assess credit applications. The role holder will be expected to input certain key information such as judgmental information (They will work closely with SME Credit)
• Monitor and control the quality of the portfolio using “Condition of Sanction” triggers where possible and in accordance with RM guidelines and Bank policy.
• Manage “Early Warning List” customers to reduce risk, following H.O. and Regional guidance provided.
• Adhere to procedures and guidelines within the BB RMCD.

Staff Management- 5%

• Day-to-day support to Enterprise Bankers and branch staff in provision of consistent service quality and risk. 
• Manage own leave plan.
• Offer support as per business request

Risk and Control responsibilities

• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Absa Bank Kenya Plc Policies and Policy Standards. Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role.

Preferred Qualification

• Business Degree

Preferred Experience

• Knowledge of the bank’s products, services and policies required to undertake the role:
• The jobholder will be required to have detailed knowledge of the core set of Business Banking products.
• For Complex products, good knowledge will be required sufficient to: -
  • Recognize the changing needs of the customer.
  • Identify products/service that best satisfy customer need.
  • Introducing the product/service.
  • Co-ordinate the introduction of the relevant Group product specialist.
  • Deal with customers directly as required.
• A good knowledge of the products & services available in the Personal Sector is also required to satisfy the individual financial needs of business owners/key individuals.
• The jobholder will require a broad understanding of policies and strategies across the Group as they relate to the demands of the customer base.

Knowledge and Skills

• Must have good knowledge on: -
• Enterprise Banking,
• Customer relationship Management
• Team management