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Job Summary

Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Absa Policies and Policy Standards.

Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role.

Job Description

Key accountabilities

People Management – 30%

• Inspire and lead the operations to deliver exceptional levels of service to country business function
• Recruitment of direct reports and lower-level staff on invitation
• Drive and inspire team managers to deliver exceptional performance within their teams
• Agree and undertake performance reviews for heads of functions within operations. Identify training gaps and development requirements, offer support whilst continuously coaching.
• Offer Mentorship and coaching to the direct reports and other functions
• Identify and develop talent within operations to ensure a robust succession planning. Ensure that department heads compile formal succession plans and that they are reviewed on a regular basis.
• Deliver multi skilled staff by proactively undertaking domestic and international job swaps
• Negotiate bonus pot for operations and approve reward recommendations received from team managers for operations staff, including bonus and pay increases.
• Directly responsible for discipline by signing off all dismissals as a result of discipline for the total operations staff. Initiate discipline actions when required for direct reports. Act as an escalation point for grievances.
• Deal with escalated hot complaints on exception only
• Participate in consistency checks for operations department heads and at CMC level
• The role holder is owner of the safety, Health and Environment framework and its implementation for the country. The role holder has to ensure that the policies are implemented and tested as required.
• Ensure that the organisational structure within operations is aligned to the functional standardised model.
• In conjunction with Finance, assign limits for processing and cost centres to department heads and team managers
• Sign off recruitment sanction forms for all new headcount to be recruited into Operations that are within budgeted head count. Any additional headcount outside of the budget requires approval from the country MD. Sign off departmental manpower plans on an annual basis.

Business Management – 30%

• Execute the strategy for Operations in country based on the overall business strategy set by the function at the regional office and country Head of Operations and IT and the management committee.
• Participate in the management structures of the bank including Operations Exco, ALCO (Asset and Liability Committee)
• Ensure that cost and budget disciplines are embedded within the operations function. On at least a monthly basis, review exception reports generated by the performance team to and ensure that line managers are held accountable for resolving exceptions.
• Sign Off capital expenditure up to assigned limits
• Interface with regulators in terms of audits, breaches and other regulatory issues
• Act as a central point of contact to the centre and cross-country teams in terms of development and implementation of strategies, success transfer and sharing of best practice across the region.
• Present functional recommendations to the Head of Operations and IT
• Continuously identify and exploit competitive advantage within the industry, country and region through the system improvement, organisational culture, and people development.
• Accountable Executive/ Sponsor for all Operation change and system initiatives
• Act as country BCM Owner by ensuring that BCM culture is fully embedded across all functions in such a way that is ‘fit for business purpose’.
• Through MI identify the area for improvement and strength, strategize, to ensure the business is moving in the right direction.
• Review proposals for cost reduction generated by line managers and department heads
• Develop and agree overall targets for operations performance in terms of;

Employee Satisfaction Company performance, including productivity Customer Service Control Community

Brand, product and business proposition;

Provide clear direction to staff on the Absa Operations Business objectives, translating and prioritizing into business performance measures that are practical and implementable.

Embedding Risk Awareness Culture – 20%

• Ensure that the Bank’s policies and procedures are in place and embedded across all operation functions
• Challenge team managers on remediation findings by remediation team and audit to ensure timely closure
• Ensure that the country has an effective and running business continuity management plan for the functions and agree resolution of any escalated risk events and advise remedial action to avoid reoccurrence. Ensure appropriate disciplinary action is taken where appropriate.
• Own audit findings raised by either internal or external auditors/assurance and ensure timely resolution.

Improve Operational Efficiency and Customer services – 20%

• Embed a high performing service culture and identify processing/productivity inefficiency and influence the other functional heads to adopt
• Share best practice with the business and act as an expert point of referral for operational issues.
• Challenge current processes and procedure by benchmarking against industry performance to ensure that they are fully optimized.
• Undertake customer visits and act as a central point for escalation for all issues affecting service within the business
• Ensure that all projects and initiatives falling within operations are implemented as per project plan and benefits realized

Role/Person specification

Education And Experience Required

• 10 Years General Management Experience
• Minimum of a University Degree or its equivalent

Knowledge and skills: (Maximum of 6)

• Excellent PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
• Performance Development – Team Leader
• Discipline and Grievance
• Leading and Rewarding Performance
• Recruitment Skills
• Achieving Market Leadership
• Basel 11
• Operational Risk

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)

• Commercial/Entrepreneurial
• Drives Results
• Relationship/Partnership approach
• Technical skills/Knowledge
• Planning and Organizing
• Team Building/Player
• People and capability

Education

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