National Conversion Manager (Home Loans – External Channels)

Absa is on the hunt for a skilled professional to take on the role of National Conversion Manager for their External Home Loans Channels. This pivotal position is based in Johannesburg and is designed for an individual who can significantly uplift the conversion rates across all external origination channels for home loans. It’s an opportunity to shape the future of home loan acquisition within one of South Africa’s leading financial institutions, focusing on optimising performance and streamlining processes.

About the role

The National Conversion Manager will be instrumental in driving growth by enhancing the conversion funnel from lead generation right through to successful home loan registration. The core objective is to ensure a seamless and highly efficient mortgage application and approval journey for customers leveraging external partners. The role demands a strategic thinker who can not only identify areas for improvement but also implement effective solutions that resonate across a diverse network of external channels.

Key responsibilities for this role will include:

• **Strategy and Execution:** Develop and implement a national conversion strategy specifically for external home loan channels, focusing on improving rates at every stage of the application process.
• **Partner Optimisation:** Monitor and enhance the performance of mortgage originators and other external channels through structured frameworks, scorecards, and incentive programmes. This involves collaborating with channel management to uplift underperformers and scale successful partners.
• **Process Alignment:** Work closely with internal credit, risk, and fulfilment teams to minimise decline rates and improve turnaround times, ensuring submissions are accurate and complete.
• **Customer and Partner Journey Enhancement:** Continuously map and refine the entire mortgage journey to reduce friction points for both customers and external partners, using feedback to drive improvements.
• **Data and Analytics:** Track conversion metrics rigorously, develop comprehensive dashboards for performance analysis, and leverage data-driven insights to inform strategies and prioritise initiatives.
• **Digital Transformation:** Collaborate with digital teams to optimise online portals, submission platforms, and CRM systems, promoting digitisation for improved speed and conversion.
• **Stakeholder Management:** Engage effectively with senior internal stakeholders across various departments and build strong relationships with key external aggregators to influence policy and process improvements.
• **Leadership:** Lead national conversion optimisation efforts, foster a high-performance culture, manage budgets, and build capability within the team in analytics, partner management, and process improvement.

What they're looking for

The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of experience and specific skills:

• **Educational Background:** A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, or a related field is essential.
• **Extensive Experience:** Between 10 to 15 years of experience in the home loans sector, mortgage origination, or retail banking, with a proven track record in managing external mortgage originator channels.
• **Conversion Success:** Demonstrated success in improving and scaling mortgage conversion rates.
• **Industry Knowledge:** In-depth understanding of credit processes, lending policies, and end-to-end fulfilment operations, including the South African regulatory environment (NCA, POPIA).
• **Technical Proficiency:** Competence in CRM systems, mortgage platforms, and digital onboarding solutions.
• **Key Competencies:**
• Strong commercial and analytical acumen for data-driven insights.
• Deep understanding of the mortgage value chain and originator ecosystems (e.g., BetterBond, Ooba, MultiNet).
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Expertise in process optimisation and continuous improvement.
• Strong leadership and change management capabilities.
• A customer and partner-centric mindset.
• Familiarity with local property registration processes and established networks within the home loans distribution landscape.

This role requires a proactive and commercially astute individual who can combine strategic vision with hands-on execution to deliver measurable results in a highly competitive market. A National Conversion Manager in South Africa, particularly within a large financial institution like Absa, would typically command a competitive salary package, often including performance-based incentives. This type of role offers a clear growth path into more senior strategic or operational leadership positions within the home loans or broader retail banking divisions.

 

Qualifications & Experience

 

Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, or a related discipline

10–15+ years of experience in Home Loans, mortgage origination, or retail banking environments

Strong record in managing Mortgage Originator channels, including third-party distribution networks.

Demonstrated success in improving and scaling mortgage conversion rates.

In-depth knowledge of credit processes, lending policies, and end-to-end fulfilment operations

Proficiency in CRM systems, mortgage platforms, and digital onboarding solutions

 

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial and analytical acumen, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights that drive performance and profitability.
• Deep understanding of mortgage value chains, including end-to-end processes from origination through to fulfilment and servicing.
• Extensive knowledge of Mortgage Originator ecosystems, independent Mortgage Originators, estate agent-linked originators, and aggregator models.
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, including credit, sales, and operations, to achieve aligned business outcomes.
• Expertise in process optimisation and continuous improvement, driving efficiency, scalability, and enhanced customer experience.
• Data-driven decision-making, leveraging insights to inform strategy, improve performance, and manage risk.
• Strong leadership and change management capability, with experience leading transformation initiatives and embedding sustainable change.
• Customer- and partner-centric mindset, focused on delivering value, strengthening relationships, and enhancing overall experience.

• Experience working with major South African Mortgage Originators and aggregators (e.g., BetterBond, Ooba, MultiNet)
• Understanding of local regulatory environment (NCA, POPIA)
• Property registration process knowledge (conveyancers, deeds office timelines)

• Established networks within the external Home Loans distribution landscape

Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge

• In-depth understanding of the National Credit Act (NCA) and its impact on lending practices, affordability assessments, and approval processes
• Working knowledge of POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) and its application in customer data handling across external channels
• Familiarity with regulatory expectations relating to responsible lending, Mortgage Originators conduct, and customer fairness.

 

Property & Registration Ecosystem

 

• Understanding of the South African property registration process, including:
  • Role of conveyancers
  • Deeds Office timelines and constraints
• Impact of delays on conversion (approval-to-registration drop-off)
• Ability to identify and address process inefficiencies affecting registration conversion.

 

Market & Competitive Insight

 

• Knowledge of local housing market dynamics, interest rate sensitivity, and competitor positioning
• Awareness of conversion performance benchmarks within the South African Home Loans industry
• Ability to translate market insights into actionable conversion strategies.

 

Education

Bachelors Degree and Professional Qualifications: 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