Job Vacancies at ABSA Bank

Job Summary

Regional and country (large strategic) leadership of the Global Markets franchise, which is a key strategic growth vector for CIB. Accountable for driving the Global Markets strategy at a Global, Regional and Local country level in alignment with the Global, Regional CIB, and Country strategies. Play a key executive management role at a regional and country level by serving as a formal member of various governance committees as required to satisfy relevant reputational, societal and regulatory requirements. Leadership of regional and in-country Market’s and country management teams.

Interact with Global bodies (ACI, Basel Committee, CLS, Sophisticated International clients, Strategic Regulatory Offices (Central Banks, Department of Finance, Stock Exchanges, Clearing houses etc.) and Industry Forums (Banking Associations). Size and complexity of the business aside; their leadership, ambassadorial and brand ambassador roles are critical in managing conduct and reputational risk. These roles are often deemed ‘Material Risk Taker’ in nature by the regulator and seen as senior roles within the Bank and Industry.  They often provide input or present to boards or regulatory bodies on systemically important information, for the industry, where strategic macro decisions are made.

Job Description

1. Accountability: Strategy development and execution
2. Sets Market’s strategic priorities, growth initiatives and business objectives at a regional and country level in line with Regional CIB, Global Markets and Country strategic imperatives to ensure that the footprint is grown in the correct manner.
3. Be a senior stakeholder and voice within the Regional business committees ensuring the right focus is achieved and priorities are clearly understood and supported for Markets in your region.
4. As a regular attendee of the Country MBR for the region provide support to the Country MDs and local Head of Markets objectives in country while owning escalating issues highlighted to the ARO Head of Markets.    
5. Drive and manage revenue growth and mix, cost reduction, productivity improvement, investment strategy and asset utilization for Markets at a regional and country level.
6. Translate Client and Sector strategic priorities into strategic and tactical plans for Markets distribution.
7. Direct country and regional teams to implement Markets strategic and tactical plans.
8. Ensure that the regional and local Markets product offering is well positioned to provide competitive, profitable and value building products and services in line with client expectations through continuous innovation, industry benchmarking and alignment to best practices;
9. Scan the external market landscape for opportunities and review recommendations based on thorough research and analysis of different sectors, industries and companies, in order to set distribution and price targets.
10. Formalize sales and trading performance targets for the short to medium -term at a regional and country level, including return on investments, capital utilization, cost performance, risk, compliance, governance, employee satisfaction and customer experience requirements.
11. Actively work to optimize the deployment of capital against initiatives and projects that are likely to bring the best return on investment.
12. Develop and implement timely corrective actions with respect to regional goals, business, and financial plans to mitigate risks, emanating from threats and opportunities arising from internal and/or external environmental changes.
13. Driving Sovereign risk, Credit and Market risk limits reviews as well as country risk reviews for local and regional markets within their ambit, aligning with the ARO Head of Markets and collaborating closely with respective Product verticals to support STP and MTP ambitions for the business. 
14. Fully own return metric for both Country and regional Markets businesses, seeking to consistently bench mark internally and externally. Optimizing returns on Risk weighted Assets and driving an optimal cost income ratio.
15. Working with the Markets Treasurer seek to optimizing capital and funding for the business in order to optimize returns and minimize Markets funding costs
16. Drive a holistic approach to liquidity and funding seeking to develop alternative funding source to optimize the cost of funding for the regional and country business while lowering the drag on returns.
17. Work with the Head Office or Primary product/vertical owners to ensure effective embedment of the target operating model within the region. Drive the growth and development of the Markets product lines into country and robust links in the respective product verticals
18. Ensure the full deployment of the enablement functions and structures across the region
19. Ensure full alignment in the region to the sales vertical working closely with the Head of Sales and structuring, ARO Head of Markets and ARO Management team
20. Support the Non-present country strategy and business for their region developing relationships with key local stakeholders, regulators and clients. Supporting the execution of the strategy engaging and collaborating with the ARO Head of Markets and Head of NPC as well as the relevant product verticals.
21. Manage sizeable Credit and Market Risk exposures and often account for between 10-30% of the total entities Balance Sheet.
22. Accountability: Internal and external stakeholder management
23. Establish and maintain networks of external client and stakeholder relationships in order to proactively identify opportunities to grow the business and acquire new clients.
24. Act as a senior client sponsor on selected deals and as the face of Global Markets to key clients, industry bodies, regulators and governments at a country and regional level.
25. Collaborate with country, regional and CIB stakeholders to create synergies and leverage off-other distribution channels with the aim of growing the CIB franchise.
26. Collaborate with various industry leaders to influence trends in the marketplace.
27. Effectively communicate developments within areas of activity to all relevant internal and external stakeholders.
28. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal (incl. Product and Coverage) and external business partners and service providers for seamless delivery.
29. Interact with Global bodies (ACI, Basel Committee, CLS, Sophisticated International clients, Strategic Regulatory Offices (Central Banks, Department of Finance, Stock Exchanges, Clearing houses etc.) and Industry Forums (Banking Associations). Size and complexity of the business aside; their leadership, ambassadorial and brand ambassador roles are critical in managing conduct and reputational risk. These roles are often deemed ‘Material Risk Taker’ in nature by the regulator and seen as senior roles within the Bank and Industry.
30. Interact with media and other reporting bodies (exchanges).
31. The role holder needs to be the voice of the local Markets business amongst key regulators and industry forums while guiding and ensuring other Heads of Markets in their region do the same
32. The role holder must be the centre of excellence in the region and guide to the Markets Teams in the region providing consistent support around key regulatory matters and issues as a point of reference and escalation with further escalation to the ARO Head of Markets and Group Head of Markets.   
33. Ensure a detailed understanding of local regulators standards, rules, and guidelines by the Head of Markets in the Regional Head of Markets purview with full ownership by the individual Heads of Markets of their regulatory landscape.

Accountability: Financial and Resource Management

1. Ensure that capital is managed as a resource and desired returns on capital are achieved.
2. Actively work to optimize the deployment of capital against initiatives and projects that are likely to bring the best return on investment.
3. In consultation with relevant stakeholders (CIB, Region, Global Markets, Sector, Country), drive the annual planning and review of MTP, STP and Revised Annual Forecast (RAF) budgets for the region, including the setting of MTP and STP Financial targets and standards and related measures and anticipated financial cost targets.
4. Monitor annual resource utilization and implement strategies to improve the efficient allocation and utilization of resources at a regional level.
5. Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting in terms of the annual calendar including tracking Markets MIS on an ongoing basis.
6. Implement effective corrective measures to ensure financial control and address negative budgetary variances.
7. Based on proposals brought by leaders in CIB, review opportunities for investment or disinvestment of resources and make capital allocation decisions within mandate.
8. Drive the effective identification, funding and resourcing of new change initiatives within the country/region.

Accountability: Governance 

1. Safeguard the integrity and reputation of the bank by ensuring that Markets business lines operate within legal and regulatory requirements.
2. Scan the environment to understand future challenges in terms of regulatory changes, changes in law etc. which will impact the sector and ensure timely escalation to functional leaders and stakeholders to ensure the business is positioned to deal with the expected changes.
3. Determine action plans to effectively reduce and manage risk issues related to Internal Audit findings, Management Assurance findings, Compliance issues, SOX requirements and operational risk. Actively drive the completion of actions and review the issue assurance testing conducted on all closed items.
4. Interact with the different risk management specialist areas to ensure an understanding of the requirements and that functional policies and processes incorporate all the necessary elements.
5. Ensure appropriate escalation and resolutions of all audit and regulatory finds with a full view of all related issues across the region. Monitor timely actions taken to avoid all overdue items across the region.
6. Ensure timely and proactive escalations to the ARO Head of Markets and appropriate notification and escalation to local and regional CIB regulator steercos of identified or potential regulator issues or findings.
7. Build Relationships with Regulators and identify any areas for improvement.

Provide supervisory oversight to ensure rules (codes of conduct, circulars, legislation, etc.) of exchanges, regulators and global bodies of best practice are adhered to with the assistance of the Front Office Risk and Control Group. 

Accountability Country and Regional leadership

1. Design appropriate structures to deliver the desired results and acquire and retain the right talent.
2. Influence and maintain an engaging and high performing Regional Markets culture that is conducive to attracting, motivating and retaining a diverse group of talented employees at all levels.
3. In partnership with relevant matrix stakeholders manage the performance, recruitment, remuneration, development, mobility, succession and career development of the regional team.
4. Creating a motivating environment for Markets talent across the region. To both attract and retain the best.
5. The Regional Head of Market must actively seek to optimize the mobility of talent across their region while working with the ARO Head of Markets to optimize talent mobility across ARO as a key talent development and retention tool.
6. Drive the develop and growth of all direct reports in particular Heads of Markets in their respective region. Provide guidance and steer on all aspect of team and business leadership as well as local stakeholder management. Consistently coach and engage the Heads of Markets directly and through identified training interventions to support their leadership development as well as effective and optimal leadership of their respective teams. 
7. Set Objectives and actively manage performance and own annual reviews for the various Heads of Markets in the region working with their respective Country MDs agreeing clear development priorities and support.  
8. Drive the digital agenda embedding the active use of data analytics and insights to inform business decisions and execution across the region
9. Monitor and review trader and sale team performance and approves activities concerned with the execution of trading and sales strategies.
10. Many products carry term risks into the future post trade execution; these Regulatory, Credit, Market, Operational, Reputational and conduct risk require specialist skills to be managed through sufficient redundancy of employments and minimizing key-man risks.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

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Job Summary

1. To provide excellent customer experience, deliver exceptional branch business growth and profitability.
2. To observe compliance & control requirements, keeping high level of bank standards.

Job Description

Business Growth - 60%

• Understand and implement business strategic initiatives for the branch aimed at increasing new business and wallet share from existing customers.
• Have a clear understanding of all Retail and Business Banking products that could satisfy customer needs.
• Manage portfolio risks in line with banks portfolio appetite.
• Collaborate in the development and implementation of sales initiatives with other business functions i.e. Direct sales team, Asset Finance, CIB, Bancassurance to maximize on cross-selling and better customer profiling opportunities.
• In conjunction with the branch manager, Industry heads, products, conduct product review and development through constant feedback from the market.
• Continuously conduct market intelligence to identify new markets, customer trends, new government / directives and changes in policy by regulators.
• Contribute in the development of branch sales strategy.  Plan and co-ordinate any marketing approaches for new business and actively develop existing relationships.
• Actively seek to grow own portfolio and cross sell to ensure delivery of set Targets.
• Appraise and promptly address customer issues /complaints escalating as necessary to ensure timely resolution as per the set standards.
• Ensure quality sales and new to bank accounts within your portfolio are promptly funded at customer onboarding.
• Continuously monitor own performance against targets agreed on a daily basis for new and existing clients. Initiate appropriate action plans to address any shortfalls in performance.
• Operationalize campaigns as required with the Branch Manager and the business.
• Ensure excellent customer experience at all times
• Drive business targets through strict TAT observance and high level service delivery standards.
• Should not advise an existing customer to open a similar account in their respective Branches with a view of moving funds between the accounts.
• Should not close an existing account in your Branch/domiciled in another Branch with a view of re-opening a similar account.
• Accounts re-streaming should be carried out in line with the Banks policy.
• Together with BM, create ownership of the branch performance targets. Agree branch execution plans/strategies and ensure they are aligned to the Banks overall strategy- Growth, Transformation and Returns.

Internal Controls & Risk Management Time split 10%

• Ensure that the Absa bank’s policies and procedures are adhered to at all times when handling different products.
• Ensure adherence to all KYC & AML Processes with regards to new and existing business and that proper documentation is in place.
• Ensure compliance with Operations Risk requirements to avoid losses arising from operational lapses.
• Manage costs within your area of operation.
• Effectively carry out branch snap checks as assigned by the assistant branch manager.
• Ensure new business is properly booked and all income due to the Bank in terms of charges, commissions, fees are collected as per current tariff.
• Accurate customer information is captured in the core banking system.

Customer Experience Time split 20%

• Ensure excellent customer experience is maintained at all times.
• Ensure set TAT in account onboarding and loan processing is achieved at all times.
• Appraise and promptly act on customer issues /complaints escalating as necessary to ensure timely resolution.
• Ensure set TAT on response to customer queries on phone, email or by letters is strictly adhered to.
• Ensure customer data is up to date at all times
• Ensure branch NPS score are maintained as per the set standards
• In conjunction with the Branch Manager, co-ordinate branch initiatives aimed at gathering feedback from customers on service standards and advise leadership for improvements
• Monitor service to ensure customers are served within acceptable waiting time having a work plan for both peak and off peak periods.

Capacity Building & People Management 10%

• In conjunction with the Branch Manager, Assistant Branch Manager and other branch colleagues create a conducive work environment, team work and effective succession opportunities to ensure maximum productivity.
• Ensure the assigned e-learning and internal training activities for self and direct reports undertaken within set timelines.
• Determine and manage Training Needs Analysis and own succession planning.
• Manage your own leave by working closely with your Line Manager

Education

Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)