Senior Manager, New Products, CIB Finance

This senior management position within Liberty's Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) finance division is central to the bank's innovation agenda. The role plays a critical part in bringing new and structured financial products to market, ensuring that all pertinent governance frameworks and risk assessments are thoroughly reviewed and addressed before any product is implemented. You will be a key player in the New Products Committee for Standard Bank South Africa (SBSA) and the ROA New Product Committee, both of which are attended by senior CIB executives. A significant aspect of this role involves fostering strong collaboration between business units and various stakeholders to facilitate the successful rollout of these new offerings.

About the Role

The core responsibility of this Senior Manager is to act as a bridge between the business's drive for product innovation and the essential governance and risk management structures of the bank. This involves a proactive approach to identifying potential challenges and opportunities associated with new financial products. The position demands a strategic mindset, coupled with meticulous attention to detail, to ensure that Liberty's CIB offerings remain compliant, robust, and aligned with the group's overall objectives. You will be expected to engage with high-level committees, providing critical insights and guidance to senior leadership.

The day-to-day responsibilities of this role are multifaceted and require a broad understanding of banking operations. Key duties include:

• **Driving Product Innovation:** Partnering with business units to explore and develop innovative new products within the CIB space.
• **Governance and Risk Management:** Ensuring that all necessary governance protocols and risk assessments for new and structured products are identified, documented, and addressed prior to execution.
• **Committee Engagement:** Supporting and actively participating in the New Products Committee (SBSA) and the ROA New Product Committee, presenting findings and recommendations to senior executives.
• **Stakeholder Collaboration:** Facilitating and promoting effective collaboration among business units, risk departments, compliance, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure smooth product launches.
• **Operational Integration:** Understanding and advising on how new products integrate with existing CIB operating models and downstream risk areas.
• **Strategic Alignment:** Ensuring that new product initiatives align with Liberty's strategic goals and risk appetite.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will need a strong foundation in finance, risk management, and a deep understanding of banking operations. The ideal candidate will possess:

• A post-graduate degree in Business Commerce or a related field.
• Between 8 to 10 years of experience in managing risks and ensuring robust governance frameworks are in place.
• Extensive experience (8-10 years) and a comprehensive understanding of how a bank operates from a front-office perspective, as well as from a downstream risk area standpoint.
• A solid grasp of the operating models that support CIB business and how they interlink.
• Significant experience (8-10 years) in finance, audit, risk, or financial control functions.

**Key behavioural competencies** that are crucial for success in this role include the ability to adopt practical approaches, articulate information clearly, challenge ideas constructively, meticulously check details, convince stakeholders, direct teams effectively, embrace change, examine information thoroughly, explore new possibilities, interact effectively with diverse groups, interpret data accurately, and make sound decisions.

**Technical competencies** should encompass financial accounting, financial analysis, leadership in stakeholder engagement, policy development, and tax management.

In South Africa, senior finance roles in large financial institutions like Liberty typically command competitive remuneration packages, reflecting the level of responsibility and expertise required. Such positions often offer excellent opportunities for career progression within the organisation, particularly within a complex and dynamic sector like corporate and investment banking.

Type of Qualification: Post Graduate Degree
Field of Study: Business Commerce

Experience Required

8-10 years experience managing risks as well as ensuring governance is in place.

8-10 years experience and deep understanding and a broad view of how the Bank operates from a Front Office perspective as well as a downstream risk area perspective. Understanding the operating models which support business within CIB and how these integrate.

8-10 years experience in Finance, Audit, Risk and / or Financial Control.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Adopting Practical Approaches
• Articulating Information
• Challenging Ideas
• Checking Things
• Convincing People
• Directing People
• Embracing Change
• Examining Information
• Exploring Possibilities
• Interacting with People
• Interpreting Data
• Making Decisions

Technical Competencies:

• Financial Accounting
• Financial Analysis
• Leadership to Stakeholder Engagement
• Policy Development
• Tax Management