Digital Enterprise Agility Lead at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• As Strategic Partner to the CEO and EXCO of a Business Unit [e.g. RB] define the Digital Business Unit Agility transformation strategy that will enable a BU to achieve its strategic goals and objectives. Enable a team of BU Agile Coaches to implement and continuously adapt the principles, methodology and tools of Digital Enterprise Agility in collaboration with the Heads of Business, IT and other support functions to achieve digital business unit agility.

Job Description

Define and implement Digital Agility transformation strategy for an Business Unit or Function to improve value delivery to customers & clients.

• As Strategic Partner to a Business Unit Exco, work with the Business and IT leadership plus all other support functions [e.g.Finance, Risk] to create a full value-chain enterprise transformation strategy towards Digital Business Unit Agility .
• Establish and implement short- , medium-, and long-term BU Digital Agility transformation goals.
• Coordinate internal resources (Agile Coaches and other experts) as well as relationships with external experts to deliver measurable business results.
• Create BU Agility roadmaps aligned to advancing ABSA’s digital transformation ambition and through a team of Agile Coaches drive implementation of those roadmaps.
• Increase collaboration, predictability, full value-chain transparency and promote a culture of experimentation and innovation in the Enterprise.
• As an agility steward with deep expertise , ensure that the Digital Enterprise Agility principles are applied and embedded across the enterprise.
• Coach the Exco members and senior leadership of the Business Unit or Function on the changes in thinking and being that the quest to Business Unit Agility will require of them.
• Formulate Digital Ways of working guidelines and policicies and ensure application consistency across the BU.
• Lead the development of the BU Agility toolbox that will be accessible to all areas across the Group to support ABSA-wide Digital Agility enablement.
• Lead by example role modelling the principles, methods and tools of Digital Agility to improve adoption across the Enterprise

Ensure that a BU Agility Community of Practice/Centre of Excellence is in place and works closely with the Digital Enterprise Agility Practice .

• As an individual with advanced mastery in aspects of Business Agility and one of the Group’s leading experts, stay current on the Global developments in Digital Enterprise Agility and share it with the community.
• Model the principles underlying Digital Busines Agility to EXCO members and everyone you interact with by living them.
• Create a sustainable Digital Business Unit Agility capability that lasts long after key external supportive players have moved on.
• Reduce or eliminate reliance on external Agile coaches and consultants in the Business Unit or Function through developing people within the Line-of-Business .
• Take a leading role in the internal Business Unit Agility community and champion involvement in external Digital Agility communities.
• Drive and take accountability for Digital Business Unit Agility health and performance to continuously improve and achieve strategic goals

As member of the Business Unit or Function EXCO, provide guidance and support to ensure the Line-of-Business focus on value delivery to the customer.

• Contribute in the design of effective organisational structures, from cross-functional stable teams to multi-disciplinary teams around Customer Journeys that are optimised for value delivery.
• Lead development of high performing teams by developing internal team capability, ensuring teams maintain discipline in the application of lean agile ways of working to solve business problems.
• Coach the Business Unit to make decisions, continuously improve, and measure performance informed by data. Establish and implement metrics to optimize agile delivery and measure business agility in terms of predictability, reliability, adaptability, and time to market.
• Take a stand as a respected Digital Business Unit Agility guardian and holistically assess the organisation, portfolio, programs, and teams for agility health, providing guidance on creating continuous improvement plans and embedding a continuous improvement culture.

Design and implement Enterprise Coaching approach to drive Digital Business Unit Agility Mindset, Principles, Methodology and Tools.

• Critical requirement to motivate, develop, negotiate, mediate and cause commitments with EXCO members of the Business Unit or Function and other senior leaders
• Understand that facilitators consciously embody self-awareness, self-management, and convey openness and enthusiasm while maintaining an allegiance to the 'power of teams' over individual contributors.
• As trusted advisor on the Line-of-Business EXCO, help business, technology and support function leaders and their teams to adopt Digital Enterrpsie Agility practices, principles, and values in their strategies and execution of their work. Keep a helicopter view of the full value stream to help them deeply understand the dynamics inherent in the full Enterprise-as-system and not get stuck in silo-thinking.
• As an expert with deep experience in the dynamics of Enterprise Transformations and Culture Change, coach the leadership and their teams in their transformation journey, enabling them to acquire the necessary skills to effectively apply Digital Enterprise Agility in their business domains.

Build Industry wide thought leadership in Digital Enterprise Agility

• Demonstrate ability to articulate major challenges and opportunities regarding Digital Enterprise Agility in Industry.
• Participate and contribute in Digital Enterprise Agility events across the industry.
• Become a sought out industry advisor on Digital Enterprise Agility.
• Invest in your brand as an Digital Enterprise Agility thought leader.
• Create opportunities to drive capability building for communities as a part of making Digital way of working, thinking, and being accessible to increase Digital Enterprise Agility footprint across Africa.

Knowledge/Technical Skills/Expertise

• Digital Enterprise Agility: Expertise as a certified trainer and practitioner in a wide range of methodologies that can be leveraged to drive digital enterprise agility.  Experience in at least one agile scaling framework, e.g. Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Large Scale Scrum (Less), Discipled Agile FLow for Enterprise Transformation (DA-Flex). 
• Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC): Knowledge and understanding of the standards and phases of developing new products that enable customers to achieve their outcomes, with seamless experience.
• Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC): Knowledge and understanding of the standards and phases of implementing new systems or software.
• Change Management: The ability to ensure that isolated and independent organisational change actions are integrated and sustained through a disciplined change process. Ability to apply change management principles and techniques for planning and implementing change in an organisation.
• Coaching and Mentoring: The knowledge and skills required to direct, instruct, and train employees with the aim to fulfil a goal, in order to develop specific skills in an enthusiastic, motivating manner.
• Emerging Technology Monitoring: The identification of new and emerging hardware, software and communication technologies, products, methods and techniques and the assessment of their relevance and potential value to the organization. The promotion of emerging technology awareness among staff and business management.
• Financial Management: The overall financial management, control and stewardship of AbsaTech assets and resources used in the provision of IT services, ensuring that all governance, legal and regulatory requirements are complied with. 
• Internal and External IT Environment: Knowledge and understanding of the external and internal environment - global marketplace experience, developments and trends that could have an impact on the IT function. 
• Stakeholder Management: The coordination of relationships with and between key stakeholders, during the design, management, and implementation of business change

Preferred Qualification and Experience

• IT or Business Qualification 
• More than 10 years’ experience in IT/Business: This role requires extensive experience in business transformations using agility enabling methodologies, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, accountable for large scale business transformation. Experience in Financial services is preferred.  

Education

• National Certificate: Information Technology