Head: CRES Data and Technology Services

Absa is seeking a Head of CRES Data and Technology Services to spearhead the digital transformation within its Corporate Real Estate Services (CRES) division. This pivotal role focuses on leveraging digital capabilities, data assets, and technology to enhance business value, improve decision-making processes, and enrich the experiences of colleagues across the entire real estate lifecycle.

About the role

This leadership position involves driving the strategic vision for digital products and "data-as-a-product" maturity within CRES, with an emphasis on operational change enablement. The successful candidate will ensure that the organisation maximises value from its real estate technology ecosystem.

Key responsibilities include providing strategic oversight for various technologies supporting CRES functions such as facilities management, engineering, capital projects, workplace experience, physical security, and portfolio management. The portfolio also includes sustainability, parking and mobility solutions, smart buildings infrastructure, access control systems, CCTV, Building Management Systems (BMS), IoT applications, and ESG reporting. This person will essentially serve as the business owner of digital outcomes, championing adoption, user experience, process modernisation, and data-driven insights. They will collaborate closely with the Head of Technology for CRES, who manages the technical aspects of strategy, platforms, integration, and risk.

• **Develop Digital Strategy**: Formulate and maintain the CRES Digital & Data Business Strategy and roadmap across Absa's African operations, ensuring alignment with overarching business strategy, operational needs, and enterprise technology standards.
• **Drive Value Realisation**: Identify and translate operational challenges and business objectives into digital product requirements, creating outcome-based roadmaps. Ensure digital investments deliver measurable improvements in cost-to-serve, asset lifecycle management, utilisation, sustainability, and vendor performance.
• **Lead Digital Product Ownership**: Act as the business owner for digital products used within CRES, such as workplace tools, space analytics, asset insights, ESG reporting dashboards, and portfolio visualisation. Prioritise features based on business value and collaborate with the Technology team for delivery.
• **Manage Data-as-a-Product**: Define the business requirements for data products in portfolio, asset, space, vendor, and ESG domains, including business semantics, KPIs, success metrics, and data quality standards. Oversee data governance within CRES, ensuring adherence to quality and completeness by vendors.
• **Provide Business Insights**: Lead the creation of executive insights, dashboards, and performance reports to support strategic decision-making. Develop scenario models and analytics for footprint optimisation, space utilisation, cost analysis, asset lifecycle, vendor performance, and ESG sustainability.
• **Enable Change**: Drive digital adoption and change enablement across CRES, ensuring effective integration of new tools and processes. Re-engineer business processes to leverage technology investments fully and strengthen vendor governance through clear data expectations and performance reporting.
• **Foster Collaboration**: Work extensively with Portfolio Strategy, Operations & Facilities Management, Engineering & Asset Management, Governance & ESG teams, and Group IT to align digital initiatives with broader organisational goals.
• **Oversee Smart Technologies**: Provide strategic direction for smart building, workplace, and physical security technologies, including building systems, access control, workplace solutions, and occupancy analytics.
• **Ensure Vendor Governance**: Establish robust technology and data governance standards for outsourced service providers to ensure data integrity, interoperability, consistent reporting, and effective management of technology risks.
• **Champion Innovation**: Identify and pursue opportunities to improve operational performance, user experience, sustainability outcomes, and decision-making through emerging technologies like automation, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced analytics.

What they're looking for

The ideal candidate will have a strong educational background with a Post Graduate Degree in Information Systems, Data Analytics, Real Estate, or Property Management. While an MBA is advantageous, it is not a prerequisite. Relevant professional certifications in Technology or Digital Transformation, particularly within the facilities management space, will be highly regarded.

This role typically demands an experienced professional with a proven track record in digital transformation, data strategy, and technology implementation within a corporate real estate or similar large-scale operational environment. In South Africa, such a senior leadership position within a major financial institution would command a competitive salary package, often including performance-based bonuses and benefits. Career progression in this field often leads to broader enterprise architecture roles, head of innovation positions, or even chief digital officer opportunities within large organisations.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education/ Qualification:
Degree: Post Graduate Degree in Information Systems, Data Analytics , Real Estate , Property Management

MBA would be advantageous but not essential

Relevant professional certification’s in Technology or Digital Transformation, related Facilities Management

Minimum Requirements

• 10 - 20 years’ experience with proven experience in Real Estate Technology or related and a track record of digital transformation
• Experience must include developing integrated customer-centric technology workplace product or service solutions while working with and managing stakeholders across business and/or functional areas and budget management.
• Exposure to digital transformation and data-driven decision-making

• Education in Real Estate, Business, Data & Analytics, Information Systems, or related fields
• Experience in digital transformation, business process optimisation, data-driven decision support, or technology-enabled operational improvement
• Experience working with outsourced service providers and large operational portfolios
• Strong background in business analysis, product ownership, or digital strategy in complex environments

Preferred Experience

• Real estate portfolio analytics
• Workplace or facilities management data and reporting
• Data governance or data product management
• Exposure to IWMS/CAFM systems and IoT/ESG data environments (business-side experience, not technical design)
• Experience leading change and adoption in large organisations

Competencies Technical

• Real Estate Technology
• Smart Buildings & IOT
• Operational Technology
• Physical Security Technology
• Data Architecture
• Digital Workplace Solutions
• Building Systems Integration
• User experience awareness

Leadership

• Strategic and Outcome based thinking
• Digital Transformation Leadership
• Vendor Governance
• Stakeholder Management
• Innovation and Change Leadership
• Executive Communication
• User Experience Awareness

Education

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

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