Head Finance Operations - Johannesburg at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• Partner with the Regional Head of FSSA to manage, grow and lead teams engaged on finance operations across Finance Shared Services in Africa.
• Align the strategy to complement the Functional and Operational strategy and provide an environment for growth and development of the operational model.
• Develop a sustainable relationship model between the FSSA and the Stakeholder teams especially the Finance Executive, Senior Finance Business Partners and their teams. To lead and drive key strategic and operational projects

Job Description

Leadership - Manage Finance Operations Including Defining Strategy, Seeking Sponsorship and Integrate Existing and New Processes:

• Lead, direct and manage the finance operations covering financial control, fixed assets, CRES finance and ETA functions.
• Build a streamlined financial control team by identifying processes that can be streamlined and grouped together.
• Define vision, strategy for driving identification, sponsorship from Group CFO, Financial controllers, Business CFO to transition work within the finance shared services.
• Develop the finance target operating model to support Global Finance and Finance Shared Service.
• Manage finance portfolio capability overseeing definition and delivery of all programmes and the realization of value, efficiencies and synergies across each.
• Assist the Regional Head of FSSA with the execution of consolidation opportunities.
• Acts as a role model, visibly and consistently behaving in ways that reinforce culture, encouraging others to do the same and challenging staff and colleagues who don’t.
• Responsible for managing the budget for transforming the organization and monitoring the return on the investment.
• Support in the development of robust business case for the development of Finance Shared Service Africa.
• Manage the budget for the team circa £10-20M.

Identify, Own and Drive Automation and Transformation Programs:

• Identify industry best in class solutions in identification and delivery of transformation programs.
• Drive new thinking within the business and group finance team by proactively identifying, incubating and packaging relevant concepts/solutions that can be applied in meeting the strategic agenda on costs and controls.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders to ensure business needs are understood and to enhance the service offering as appropriate.
• Identify, own and deliver automation programs including robotics within FSSA processes including invoice processing, journals, reporting and reconciliations
• Lead and manage transformation programs.
• Pro-actively participate in the Absa Finance community.
• Drive value added operational performance, develop new strategies to generate change initiatives and promote business growth and efficiency.
• Responsible for presenting regular updates on the plans and delivery against targets to senior leadership including Finance Director, and senior Finance Leaders.
• Set the right shoring agenda to optimize capability for processes and people
• Work with the key players in the wider finance teams to build and deliver a new business pipeline of activities; review and monitor.
• Develop the operating model with the Regional Head FSSA and other relevant stakeholders for the migration of new work in F&A operations.
• Establish and monitor standards and metrics to support excellence in process transition.

Building and Maintaining Networks:

• Work with different Stakeholders to achieve excellent business results through continues engagements.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders to ensure business needs are understood and to enhance the service offering as appropriate.
• Responsible for developing the communication and engagement model for the Finance Shared Service Team, with all levels of management up to MD.
• Develop and set an agreed agenda with all business partners; manage, track and deliver to goals and SLAs.
• Stay abreast of Regulatory environment changes, business processes, requirements and policies to ensure that projects/change initiatives are efficient and affective.

People Leadership:

• Manage teams engaged on delivery of finance operations and leading automation, transformation programs.
• Guide, mentor and coach team members in building the required skills to be effective and efficient on roles.
• Lead the change management practice for project management and business analysis.
• Lead improvements in people capability through talent acquisition, performance management and career development programmes.
• Inspires, motivates, coaches, trains and develop staff.

Risk and Control Objective:

• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, operational risk framework and internal policies and standards.

Education and Experience Required:

• B-degree, CA (SA) (NQF level no.7)
• At least 12 years’ experience in managing finance processes within banking / financial Services
• Proven experience implementing multiple finance transformation programs
• Minimum 7 years people management and management experience
• Experience driving programs utilizing skills across lean, six sigma and robotics automation

Knowledge & Skills:

• Networking and relationship management
• Extensive project Management Skills – PMBOK
• Networking and relationship management
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong influencing and negotiating skills
• Understanding of Absa processes and systems
• Commercial awareness

Competencies:  

• Deciding and initiating action
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating
• Applying expertise and technology
• Analyzing

Education

• Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Financial Sciences (Required)

End Date: August 21, 2026