Senior Data Management Analyst (EDM Implementation & Delivery)

In the evolving landscape of data management, Absa is seeking a seasoned Senior Data Management Analyst to spearhead the implementation and delivery of Enterprise Data Management (EDM) capabilities. This role is pivotal in enhancing data quality, understanding, governance, and control across the organisation. Based in Johannesburg, the successful candidate will be instrumental in translating complex business needs into tangible data management solutions, ensuring they align with both business objectives and regulatory demands.

About the Role

This position serves as a critical bridge between business stakeholders and the technical implementation of data management solutions. The analyst will work collaboratively to embed EDM capabilities, employing a use-case-driven methodology. This involves analysing business requirements, identifying suitable EDM solutions, and facilitating their seamless integration across business, technology, and data management teams. A key focus will be on leveraging capabilities like metadata management, data quality management, reference data management, and data governance to achieve practical, value-driven outcomes. The role demands a proactive approach to ensure consistency in EDM implementation, demonstrably deliver business value, and support evolving regulatory frameworks, all while learning from real-world application.

The responsibilities are multifaceted, encompassing business engagement, technical facilitation, and continuous improvement:

• **Business Requirements & Use Case Analysis:**
• Engage with business stakeholders to thoroughly understand data-related challenges, regulatory mandates, and strategic business objectives.
• Lead discovery workshops and requirements gathering sessions specifically for data management use cases.
• Analyse existing business processes, data flows, controls, and governance frameworks to pinpoint the necessary EDM capabilities.
• Articulate business requirements into clear, structured implementation requirements, covering metadata, data quality, reference data, master data, and governance aspects.
• Assist business stakeholders in defining the scope of use cases, expected business outcomes, success metrics, and prioritisation of implementation efforts.
• Identify potential capability gaps, implementation risks, interdependencies, and the required engagement from various stakeholders.

• **EDM Capability Implementation & Delivery:**
• Provide support to business areas in implementing EDM capabilities, adhering strictly to enterprise standards, operating models, and implementation guidelines.
• Coordinate execution activities, ensuring smooth collaboration between business stakeholders, EDM capability teams, platform teams, and technical resources.
• Contribute to defining and implementing essential data management components such as business glossaries, data quality rules, data lineage requirements, reference data controls, and governance processes.
• Actively track implementation progress, manage action items, monitor risks and dependencies, and ensure delivery milestones are met.
• Offer support for testing, validation, and broader implementation activities as needed.
• Ensure all implementation activities remain aligned with the agreed scope, objectives, and desired business outcomes.

• **Stakeholder Engagement & Facilitation:**
• Facilitate productive working sessions among business, technology, and data management stakeholders to drive consensus, decision-making, and execution.
• Support Data Owners, Data Stewards, and business representatives in defining requirements, implementation strategies, and delivery priorities.
• Lead discussions for issue resolution, ensuring clear ownership and timely progress on assigned actions.
• Cultivate robust relationships across business and technology teams to foster successful implementation outcomes.
• Escalate delivery risks, critical decisions, and implementation obstacles to appropriate levels.
• Communicate implementation progress and outcomes effectively to diverse audiences, both technical and non-technical.

• **Capability Adoption & Enablement:**
• Guide business teams through the EDM adoption lifecycle, including onboarding, planning, and execution phases.
• Assist users in effectively utilising EDM standards, templates, processes, and associated tooling.
• Contribute to the creation of implementation guides, playbooks, training materials, and supporting documentation.
• Facilitate adoption workshops, training sessions, and community engagement initiatives.
• Support the measurement and reporting of capability adoption rates, implementation progress, and realised business value.

What They're Looking For

The ideal candidate will possess a strong analytical aptitude, excellent communication skills, and a deep understanding of data management principles and practices. Proven experience in engaging with diverse stakeholder groups, translating business needs into technical requirements, and facilitating the implementation of complex solutions is essential. A proactive and collaborative approach to problem-solving, coupled with the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive initiatives to completion, will be key to success in this role. Familiarity with data governance frameworks and regulatory requirements within the financial services sector would be highly advantageous.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape data management practices within a leading African financial institution. In South Africa, a senior data management analyst with this level of responsibility typically commands a competitive salary, reflecting the critical nature of data governance and quality. Experience in this area often opens pathways to leadership roles in data strategy, governance, or analytics within large organisations.

 

Education and Experience Required

·       Implementation Support & Delivery Coordination

·       Coordinate implementation activities across business stakeholders, EDM capability teams, platform teams and technical resources.

·       Track requirements, actions, decisions, dependencies and implementation progress across assigned use cases.

·       Facilitate resolution of delivery issues, requirement clarifications and implementation challenges.

·       Maintain implementation documentation, including requirements, action logs, decision registers and delivery artefacts.

·       Support testing, validation and readiness activities to ensure agreed requirements have been implemented.

·       Capture lessons learnt, implementation challenges and improvement opportunities identified during delivery.

·       Governance, Compliance & Delivery Reporting

·       Support business teams in implementing data management controls and practices in alignment with enterprise standards and policies.

·       Assist with the documentation of compliance requirements, control expectations and implementation evidence required for use cases.

·       Prepare implementation status updates, action logs, risk registers and governance reporting materials.

·       Track implementation risks, issues and remediation activities and ensure appropriate escalation where required.

·       Provide updates and implementation insights into governance and working group forums.

·       Maintain traceability between business requirements, implementation activities and delivered outcomes.

 

Knowledge & Skills

·       Strong business analysis and requirements elicitation skills.

·       Ability to translate business needs into practical data management and implementation requirements.

·       Strong stakeholder engagement, facilitation and workshop leadership capabilities.

·       Strong understanding of data management principles, including data quality, metadata, reference data, master data and data governance.

·       Ability to analyse and document business processes, data flows and control requirements.

·       Ability to coordinate delivery activities across business, technology and data management stakeholders.

·       Strong analytical, problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.

·       Ability to document requirements, implementation approaches, governance artefacts and process flows.

·       Understanding of metadata management, data quality management, reference data management and governance frameworks advantageous.

·       Ability to identify implementation risks, dependencies and opportunities for continuous improvement.

·       Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage technical and non-technical stakeholders.

·       Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

·       Familiarity with Agile, project delivery and change management methodologies advantageous.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: 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