Chief Financial Officer: Schemes at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• The Chief Financial Officer: Schemes will play a strategic and financial leadership role within the Retail Bank, focusing on the design, financial viability, performance monitoring, and governance of Card schemes. This role ensures that the relationship with schemes are commercially sound and aligned with the Retail Bank’s broader profitability and customer engagement objectives.
• The CFO: Schemes will partner closely with product, marketing, risk, operations, and regulatory teams to develop business cases, evaluate financial risks and returns, and ensure optimal pricing, funding, and reporting structures.
• They will drive data-informed decision-making to support the growth and sustainability of the relationship with schemes that enhance customer value, competitive positioning and drives commercial value for the Group.

Job Description

KEY FOCUS AREAS

• Lead the financial strategy and planning for schemes, ensuring alignment with overall bank financial objectives.
• Provide financial oversight for scheme design, pricing models, profitability analysis, and ROI assessments.
• Partner with BUs to develop and refine scheme-based products.
• Monitor and report on the performance of schemes, identifying key drivers of success or concern, and recommending optimisation strategies.
• Ensure robust financial governance, risk assessment, and compliance with regulatory standards for all scheme-related activity.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning for scheme-related activity.
• Drive automation, analytics, and reporting improvements for better insight and efficiency.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategy Formulation and Execution

• Execute Functional strategy, create a shared purpose and identity for function.
• Accountable for ensuring an optimal and compliant control environment within business unit that appropriately balances risk appetites and customer demand with the need to grow to achieve the financial ambitions and balance sheet aspirations.
• Manage the strategic investment budget and Book of Work spend for business, in alignment with the enterprise strategy and prioritised in line with Cluster’s commercial and cultural aspirations. Also ensures that appropriate Returns on Investment (ROI) are realized by building a culture and discipline of benefits tracking.
• Influence shape and sustainability of the business by operating from financial management to market presence and product mix or service lines, to technology, talent, help deliver new revenue streams, to leveraging mergers, acquisitions and divestitures as appropriate.
• Build a culture of inclusivity, diversity, entrepreneurship, and ownership.
• Accountable for finance narratives & insights driving business.
• Influence integration of Treasury, Risk, and Finance from a BU perspective.
• Stimulate behavior in business to achieve strategic and financial objectives. Provide leadership to ensure alignment of financial and business strategies.
• Maintain stewardship and excellence which drives performance and sustainable growth through preservation of financial integrity.
• Translate long-term strategic objectives into aligned business plans, execution roadmaps and key milestone measurements for the business area.
• Cascade strategic goals and ensure alignment between business unit vision and functional implementation priorities, setting clear short, medium and long-term milestones.

Sustainable Growth

• Co-accountable for business growth, profitability and shareholder returns.
• Accountable to ensure that reporting, controls and enterprise risk programs are operating and functioning as intended.
• Support business leaders in achieving business goals and objectives through the use of advanced modelling and analysis to provide actionable intelligence, beyond data.
• Responsible for financial rigor and control.
• With regards to BCM and Cyber security, influence focus on vulnerability and internal controls assessment to review the data supply chain and identify the location of sensitive data. The CFO needs to understand the risks and then develop a plan to align the BCM & cybersecurity strategy with the business strategy. CFOs must also ensure that processes are in place to understand the relevant BCM and cybersecurity compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Develop business area growth plans aligned to segment and enterprise priorities.
• Work with business partners to define and execute on growth strategies and operational initiatives.
• Mobilise functional teams to deliver growth targets and embed performance accountability.
• Monitor growth delivery, resolving barriers and reinforcing strategic objectives at operational levels.
• Evaluate financial and customer returns on initiatives to ensure alignment with business viability.
• Formulate and develop multi-function operating frameworks that contribute to sustainable growth.

Leading Talent

• Coach, inspire, engage, mentor and develop financially and business savvy leaders.
• Focus on Finance skills evolution with innovation and employability at the heart of people management.
• Be an enabler of capabilities, talent and service level to fulfil business and functional responsibilities in an innovative efficient manner.
• Embed people processes and values into business routines, reinforcing a strong leadership culture.
• Create inclusive team environments that support performance, wellbeing, and growth.
• Address escalated people issues and ensure application of performance and development processes.
• Develop future leaders through mentorship, stretch assignments, and tailored development experiences.

Operational Effectiveness

• Operationalise strategic goals into functional plans with clear deliverables, timelines, scorecards with team and individual KPIs to enable effective tracking of business and individual performance.
• Set appropriate financial and other resourcing plans to enable business performance, tracking against budgets and investments for both current and long-term strategic goals.
• Ensure integration across business units by resolving operational friction and dependencies.
• Represent the business area in operational forums and with delivery partners.
• Leverage data insights to improve operational effectiveness and customer outcomes.
• Continuously improve processes for agility, quality, and alignment with customer needs and digital tools.
• Identify problems and formulate alternate solutions to resolve value chain conflicts.
• Provide expert advice on operating model, strategy, value chain formulation, and business controls/governance frameworks.

Good Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Implement governance, risk, and compliance frameworks in business processes and team routines.
• Promote risk awareness and lead the response to regulatory changes and emerging issues.
• Support audit readiness and ensure operational teams adhere to compliance requirements.
• Influence the implementation of effective internal controls systems and corporate governance practices.

Data Monetisation

• Apply data insights to support business planning and decision-making in the business area.
• Develop mechanisms to ensure data is collected, validated, and used to drive performance improvement.
• Oversee the explicit use of data and its inherent value to explore opportunities and guide decisions.

Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with key stakeholders to support aligned delivery and issue resolution.
• Ensure stakeholder expectations are managed and engagement is consistent with transformation priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education/ Qualification:

• Post Graduate Degree: Honours Degree, Post Graduate Diploma and Professional Qualifications [NQF8]

Field of Study:

• Finance, Accounting, Business Management, or related fields

Work Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in Financial Management, including 5+ years in people management roles within a large enterprise
• Demonstrated ability to deliver strategic finance solutions, manage budgets and investments, and influence enterprise-level decision-making
• Exposure to digital transformation, data strategy, and regulatory compliance frameworks
• Proven track record in financial stewardship, profitability enablement, and business partnering

COMPETENCIES

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Communication
• Influence
• Leadership
• Creativity and Innovation
• Delivering Results
• Adaptability
• Collaboration

Knowledge and Skills:

• Financial planning and control
• Strategic cost and capital management
• Commercial and investment decision support
• Risk and control frameworks
• Digital finance platforms and data analytics
• Financial regulatory environment
• Cybersecurity and BCM awareness for finance leaders

End Date: August 1, 2025