Senior Business Manager: CPO PPB Pan-Africa

Absa is seeking a seasoned Senior Business Manager to spearhead the execution of their strategic objectives across the Pan-African Personal and Private Banking (PPB) division. This pivotal role acts as the vital link between high-level strategy and tangible, day-to-day business outcomes, requiring a candidate adept at orchestrating complex initiatives and driving disciplined delivery across a multifaceted organisation.

Bridging Strategy and Execution

The core of this position lies in translating the ambitious vision of the executive leadership team into actionable roadmaps. You will be responsible for defining and embedding robust execution frameworks, delivery models, and practical playbooks that ensure strategic priorities are not just planned, but effectively implemented and continuously monitored. This involves fostering crystal-clear understanding and accountability: ensuring everyone knows precisely what needs to be done, by whom, by when, and how success will be measured.

A critical aspect of the role involves managing a dynamic portfolio of strategic initiatives. This requires a keen eye for prioritisation, ensuring that efforts align with the greatest business value and are realistic in terms of resource capacity. You will diligently track progress across all initiatives, meticulously managing milestones, identifying and mitigating dependencies, and proactively addressing risks and issues. Inevitably, competing priorities will arise, and you'll need to adeptly navigate trade-offs to maintain momentum and focus, supported by strong portfolio governance disciplines.

Orchestrating Cross-Functional Success

Success in this role hinges on your ability to foster seamless collaboration and coordinated execution across key enablement functions. You will be the central point of contact, ensuring integrated delivery across Product, Risk, Technology, Operations, Finance, and Human Capital. This means resolving bottlenecks, smoothing over misalignments between business units and their support functions, and acting as a steady hand for complex, cross-functional projects.

Furthermore, you will play an integral part in shaping and refining the division's operating model to enhance strategy delivery. This includes defining and embedding effective execution governance structures, such as decision-making forums, accountability frameworks, and escalation protocols. Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision rights among various stakeholders will be paramount, ensuring the organisational design actively supports and enables the effective execution of strategic imperatives.

To ensure that strategic efforts translate into measurable value, you will establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to rigorously track progress and outcomes. This performance oversight will extend to monitoring progress against strategic objectives, financial targets, and critical customer outcomes. Transparency will be key, achieved through well-crafted dashboards and insightful reporting, ensuring that benefits realisation is clearly defined, meticulously tracked, and ultimately achieved.

This Senior Business Manager will also be instrumental in supporting executive governance structures by preparing comprehensive strategic progress reports, highlighting significant risks and issues, and providing actionable insights. Essentially, you will enable informed, data-driven decision-making across the executive level, maintaining a tight alignment between strategic intent and operational execution. You will also drive the disciplined execution of transformation initiatives, supporting necessary change management through clear communication, stakeholder alignment, and the promotion of new processes or capabilities. Ultimately, this role champions a delivery-oriented culture, deeply focused on achieving desired outcomes and fostering a strong sense of accountability.

To excel, you’ll need a Postgraduate Degree (NQF 8) in Business, Commerce, or Management studies, coupled with 8-12+ years of experience in strategy execution and transformation delivery. Proven experience managing complex, cross-functional programmes and working with senior and executive stakeholders is essential. While not mandatory, experience in retail banking or lending environments, combined with a strong background in financial services, consulting, or strategy execution roles, would be a significant advantage. A strong commercial acumen, a talent for complexity management, structured thinking, and the ability to make data-driven decisions are highly valued, as is the resilience to manage ambiguity.

In South Africa, senior business management roles like this are crucial within large financial institutions and financial services groups. Salaries can vary significantly based on experience and the specific responsibilities, but typically command a competitive package, often in the range of R800,000 to R1.5 million annually, sometimes more for highly specialised or executive-level positions. Absa, as a major player in the African financial landscape, offers a strong platform for career growth and development within this sector.

Qualifications, Skills and Work Experience:

Education/Qualifications:

• Post Graduate Degree: Honours Degree, Post Graduate Diploma and Professional Qualification (NQF8) (Preferably in Business/Commerce/Management studies).

 Work Experience:

• 8 – 12+ years’ experience in strategy execution and transformation delivery, managing complex, cross-functional programmes
• Working with senior leadership and executive stakeholders
• Experience in retail banking or lending environments is advantageous
• Proven track record managing complex, senior client relationships
• Strong exposure to operating model design and implementation
• Experience in financial services, consulting, or strategy execution roles

 

Skills:

• Commercial Acumen
• Strategy Execution
• Complexity Management
• Structured Thinking
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Disciplined Execution
• Financial Acumen
• Influencing Skills/stakeholder engagement
• Managing Ambiguity
• Portfolio Management
• Program Management
• Reporting and Analysis
• Analytical Problem Solving

 

Competencies:

• Strategic thinking
• Stakeholder Management
• Adaptability
• Analytical Thinking
• Collaboration
• Driving results
• Execution and Operating discipline
• Resilience

Education

Master's Degree, Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Business, Commerce and Management Studies

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised