Digital Transformation & Innovation Lead - Global Markets

The role of Digital Transformation & Innovation Lead within Liberty's Global Markets division presents a significant opportunity to shape the future of financial services across Africa. This position is central to driving sustainable growth and enhancing the client experience by championing digital solutions and fostering innovation throughout the company's African operations. The incumbent will be instrumental in identifying, developing, and scaling a wide array of digital opportunities that span various business segments, including Retail Foreign Exchange, Retail Cross Border Payments, Remittances, International Payments, Retail Investments, and Equities Trading. Success in this role hinges on a deep understanding of market dynamics and a collaborative approach, working closely with centres of excellence to deliver tangible business value.

About the Role

The core mandate of this leadership position is to define and execute a comprehensive digital transformation and innovation strategy specifically tailored for Liberty's Global Markets across the African continent. This involves developing clear roadmaps with defined milestones, performance metrics, and benefit realisation frameworks. The aim is to align these digital initiatives with broader organisational objectives, ensuring that they contribute to increased digital adoption, market expansion, and an elevated client experience. A key aspect of the role is maintaining a multi-year growth roadmap, prioritising new digital ventures based on client needs, potential value, technical feasibility, regulatory compliance, and strategic alignment.

This multifaceted role requires a proactive and strategic approach to innovation and execution. Key responsibilities include:

• **Market Intelligence and Product Development:** Continuously monitoring African market trends, regulatory landscapes, and emerging fintech innovations. Collaborating closely with Product, Platform, and country-specific teams to drive the digital transformation agenda for Global Markets products.
• **Strategic Roadmap Execution:** Developing and implementing the digital transformation strategy across Africa, ensuring it aligns with business unit and Global Markets objectives. This includes defining actionable execution plans and tracking progress against established milestones and performance indicators.
• **Digital Solution Leadership:** Spearheading the identification and scaling of digital solutions designed to drive client acquisition, improve retention rates, boost digital adoption, increase revenue, and enhance operational efficiencies across the continent.
• **Business Case Development and Stakeholder Management:** Crafting compelling business cases, defining clear value propositions, and developing commercialisation plans. This involves working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to coordinate delivery, manage interdependencies, resolve issues, and ensure the successful execution of initiatives.
• **Market Expansion and Client Experience Enhancement:** Leading the rollout of digital Global Markets solutions across African markets, optimising customer journeys through data-driven insights and analytics to foster engagement and product usage.
• **Data Utilisation and Performance Tracking:** Consolidating platform analytics, revenue, and turnover insights to inform client strategies, refine product functionalities, and explore data monetisation opportunities. Rigorously tracking transformation outcomes against key performance metrics, including adoption rates, revenue generation, efficiency gains, risk management, and leadership reporting.
• **Capability Building and Governance:** Strengthening internal capabilities, governance structures, and risk management frameworks. This involves coaching matrix teams, fostering a culture of innovation and structured delivery, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements, and supporting effective decision-making throughout transformation initiatives.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will need a strong blend of strategic thinking, digital acumen, and extensive experience within the financial services sector. A relevant degree in Business Commerce, Information Technology, Banking Product Management, or Financial Markets is a prerequisite.

In terms of experience, employers will be looking for:

• A proven track record in supporting, shaping, or delivering digital, innovation, or transformation initiatives within the banking or financial services sector. This includes experience in defining requirements, optimising customer journeys, developing products, engaging stakeholders, and designing solutions.
• Substantial experience (5-10 years) in critically reviewing and presenting business cases, value propositions, go-to-market plans, and benefits realisation frameworks for digital, strategic transformation, or commercial growth initiatives, particularly across multiple markets.
• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in the banking, financial services, fintech, or large corporate environments, with broad exposure to African markets. A strong understanding of Global Markets products, such as Retail Foreign Exchange, Cross Border Payments, Remittances, International Payments, Retail Investments, and Equities Trading, is essential.

Successful candidates will also possess strong behavioural competencies, including the ability to articulate information clearly, challenge ideas constructively, persuade others effectively, empower individuals, establish rapport, explore possibilities, make sound decisions, provide insightful analysis, pursue goals with determination, resolve conflicts productively, show composure under pressure, and foster strong teamwork.

This role offers a significant opportunity to drive meaningful change within Liberty's Global Markets operations across Africa. Roles of this nature in South Africa often involve competitive remuneration packages, reflecting the strategic importance and required expertise. Employers in this space range from established financial institutions like Liberty to dynamic fintech companies and larger multinational corporations operating within the financial services sector on the continent. Progression in such a field can lead to more senior leadership positions focused on digital strategy, innovation management, or broader business unit leadership within emerging markets.

Degree Business Commerce, Information Technology, Banking Product Management, Financial Markets

Experience Required

• Experience supporting, shaping or delivering digital, innovation or transformation initiatives, including requirements definition, customer journey optimisation, product development, stakeholder engagement and solution design across banking or financial services.
• 3-5 years Experience in critically reviewing and presenting business cases, value propositions, go-to-market plans and benefits realisation frameworks for digital, strategic transformation or commercial growth initiatives across multiple markets.
• 5-10 years Experience in banking, financial services, fintech or a large corporate environment, with broad exposure to African markets and strong knowledge of Global Markets products, including Retail Foreign Exchange, Cross Border Payments, Remittances, , International Payments, Retail Investments and/or Equities Trading.