Capital Management Analyst

Absa is seeking a diligent Capital Management Analyst to join their team in Sandton. This role is integral to the financial health and strategic planning of Absa's Africa Region (AR), which encompasses ten subsidiaries operating across nine different African markets. The analyst will play a crucial role in ensuring that capital is managed effectively, efficiently, and in strict accordance with both internal Group Treasury guidelines and external regulatory mandates. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a leading financial institution with a significant pan-African footprint, driving sustainable growth and robust financial practices.

About the Role

The Capital Management Analyst will report directly to the Africa Region Head of Capital Management. The core responsibility of this position is to oversee the entire lifecycle of capital management, from initial planning and ongoing monitoring to strategic optimisation. This includes developing and implementing capital plans, providing insightful analysis of capital performance against set targets and risk appetites, and ensuring the efficient utilisation of the balance sheet. The analyst will be instrumental in supporting shareholder value by managing dividend distributions and recapitalisation efforts, ultimately contributing to informed decision-making at the highest levels of the organisation. A key aspect of the role involves close collaboration with various departments, including Country Treasuries, Finance, Group Treasury, and Risk functions, to enhance capital resilience and profitability across the region's entities.

The responsibilities of the Capital Management Analyst are multifaceted, covering capital planning, adequacy, optimisation, and regulatory compliance. A significant portion of the role involves reviewing and challenging entity-level capital plans, identifying emerging risks, and escalating any concerns regarding capital adequacy to the regional head. The analyst will be responsible for aggregating subsidiary capital plans for monthly reporting and forecasting cycles, producing comprehensive management information and analytics to support proactive capital management.

Key activities include:

• Monitoring the utilisation of capital against approved targets, limits, and strategic objectives.
• Reporting on capital use, returns profiles, and performance against planned expectations, highlighting variances and recommending corrective actions.
• Preparing and presenting detailed capital management reports to various governance forums, including the AR Treasury Committee, Group Treasury Committee, and Group Risk and Capital Management Committee.
• Maintaining accurate capital management reporting systems and dashboards.
• Supporting the development and maintenance of robust capital plans across subsidiaries to ensure compliance with regulatory and internal capital requirements.
• Monitoring capital adequacy positions and identifying risks that could impact subsidiary capital resilience.
• Escalating any instances of capital excess, deteriorating capital positions, or inefficient capital deployment.
• Reviewing and advising on Single Borrower Limit (SBL) excess requests to ensure alignment with Group policies and risk appetite.
• Analysing foreign currency risks affecting subsidiary capital positions and proposing mitigation strategies.
• Providing subject matter expertise for critical processes such as Country ICAAPs, Recovery and Resolution Planning (RRP), stress testing, and ACS buffer setting.
• Ensuring compliance with the Group Dividend Policy, managing dividend payment timelines, approvals, and cash flow coordination.
• Reviewing proposals for the retention of surplus capital within subsidiaries.
• Supporting recapitalisation activities through various capital instruments.
• Conducting peer analysis and benchmarking to identify capital optimisation opportunities.
• Coordinating the setting of the Cost of Equity (CoE) for AR entities and monitoring entity returns against these hurdles.
• Collaborating with Group Regulatory Reporting teams on capital submissions and management reporting, ensuring consistency across all reporting streams.

What They're Looking For

Absa is seeking candidates with a strong analytical background and a proven ability to manage complex financial data. A solid understanding of capital management principles, regulatory frameworks, and financial reporting is essential. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling them to build effective working relationships with stakeholders across various business units and geographies.

Essential requirements include:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• Demonstrable experience in capital management, treasury, financial planning and analysis, or a similar corporate finance function.
• Proficiency in financial modelling and analysis, with the ability to interpret complex financial data.
• A thorough understanding of banking regulations, particularly those pertaining to capital adequacy.
• Experience with financial reporting tools and management information systems.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to provide insightful recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly.
• The ability to work effectively in a dynamic, cross-functional environment.
• Familiarity with Absa's operational footprint across Africa would be an advantage.

This role is ideal for a professional looking to deepen their expertise in capital management within a large, diverse financial group. In South Africa, roles like this, particularly within major banking groups, typically command competitive salaries reflecting the significant responsibility and specialised skills required. Career progression often leads to more senior capital management or treasury roles, with opportunities to influence strategic financial decisions across a wider geographical scope.

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Actuarial Science, Mathematics or related quantitative discipline.
• Postgraduate qualification in Finance, Treasury, Risk Management or related field preferred.
• Minimum 3-5 years' experience in Banking, Treasury, Capital Management, Finance or Regulatory Reporting.
• Strong understanding of Basel capital frameworks and banking regulations.
• Experience in management reporting, forecasting and financial analysis.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint and management information tools.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders and governance committees.
• Understanding of banking operating structures, capital allocation and financial resource management.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Financial Sciences (Required)