Head: Financial Resource Management & Regulatory Strategy at Absa

Job Summary

Title: Head: Financial Resource Management and Regulatory Strategy

Grade: P

Reports to: Head: Financial Resource Management CIB & Group

Number and level of direct reports: 2x VP, 1x BA3

Overall purpose
The role is two-fold within Treasury: 
1)    Lead and coordinate Financial Resource Management initiatives. The main focus is to:
a.    Ensure optimal and efficient allocation and usage of scares financial resources (capital, funding and leverage exposure) across the Group. 
b.    Facilitate the optimization of value aligned performance measures (Primarily Profit after Capital Cost and Return on Capital) based on the plans for the clusters. 
c.    Further responsibilities include advisory services to Group Risk, Corporate Development and Group Finance.
2)    Co-ordinate and assess impact of upcoming regulation that has a potential to impact the availability of financial resources within the Group.  Given potential impact develop appropriate regulatory strategy for Treasury across ALM, Liquidity, Capital and Balance Sheet and create thought leadership capability. This view will also support lobbying initiatives and feed back into plans to optimize the impact thereof.
Job Description

Key accountabilities

Drive financial resource management efficiency

• Ensure applicable Financial Resource Management frameworks, process and governance structures are implemented and maintained across Group and at relevant business unit level to allow for allocation and efficient usage of scares financial resources.
• Assess optimal financial resource allocation and usage per relevant business units
• Drive the change management requirements of financial resource management
• Maintain all prototype solutions to maintain financial resource management frameworks
• Obtain and monitor the risk adjusted performance metrics for each relevant business unit
• Obtain and monitor financial resource usage for each relevant nosiness unit
• Provide challenge to each business area on the opportunities to maximize the returns on financial resources, with a particular focus on integrated plans, pricing tools and new product approval processes.
• Coordinate and manage Group Financial Resource Management committee.
• Provide input on into various cluster level Committee meetings.
• Source and prepare MI for effective decision making

Financial resource management governance

• Ensure adherence to financial resource management policies and limits
• Manage appropriate action plans are put into place to close gaps identified, as part of the existing budget and strategic planning process
• Keep the relevant business units informed and engaged through relevant governance structures as and when required
• Engage relevant business unit financial resource management teams and where required Exco through appropriate governance structures.

Financial resource optimisation

• Deliver Financial Resource Optimization Framework for the BU. Focus on the maximization of sustainable long-term Economic Profit and returns on the usage of scares financial resources.
• Ensure the above objective is achieved within the approved Regulatory Constraints and Risk appetite, with a particular focus on capital, leverage and funding.
• Implement performance measurement and gap analysis by business clusters against top bank. Leverage finance and treasury team analysis in this regard.
• Partner with business and advise on financial outcomes of decisions, with proactive identification of value generating and destroying behavior.
• Provide decision support that is business enabling and solution orientated.
• Enhance synergies across clusters through regular feedback between cluster FRM heads.
• Review governance frameworks and ensure these are fit for purpose to meet FRM needs.
• Ensure Key Performance Indicator (KPIs) across business, finance, risk and treasury are tracked through the appropriate governance forums.

Adhoc financial resource management projects

• Manage and oversee the project to ensure the effective completion of tasks.
• Develop an interdisciplinary team through consultation. Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Create effective workforce and recruitment demand plans to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Plans should be revised at least twice a year.

Regulatory landscape scanning, impact assessment and strategy

• Drive out research across treasury areas, tapping into the pockets of specialist knowledge embedded within each of the technical treasury disciplines
• Build relationships with and coordinate research from other banks and regulators to support our view
• Key changes in Basel rules e.g.:
• Changes in capital construct, instruments, own funds etc
• Changes in leverage requirements
• Changes in liquidity requirements
• Changes in recovery and resolution frameworks
• Changes in financial conglomerate supervision
• Summary of changes impacting other areas in the bank
• Key changes in South African legislation, implemented through National Treasury, SARB and FSCA
• Establish the AGL treasury position on these changes
• Develop Treasury strategic response to limit impact of regulation

Regulatory advocacy

• Advocacy is a key reason for the research
• Position papers p
• prepare the key issues raised by Treasury stakeholders
• Attend industry forums

Adhoc regulatory projects

• Manage and oversee the project to ensure the effective completion of tasks.
• Develop an interdisciplinary team through consultation.

Knowledge and skills

• Ability to build sound relationships with stakeholders and to appropriately respond to their needs
• Lateral-thinking ability
• Ability to absorb large volumes of information and identify the critical parts
• Understanding complexity and cross functional work
• Strong presentational skills and ability to present to senior management
• Strong knowledge of banking products and related financial issues
• Strong analytical ability to identify trends in performance data and use judgement to extrapolate these
• Strong commercial acumen, with a deep understanding of business drivers, and ability to apply this to influence business decision making and drive business performance
• Strong understanding of the economics behind yield curves, e.g. market expectations due to micro and macro financial information
• Detailed understanding of Basel capital adequacy directive
• Working knowledge of the Banks Act, Bank Regulations and Accounting standards

Competencies

• Self-starter without supervision
• Deciding and initiating action
• Learning and researching
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating
• Strategic

Education

• Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Financial Sciences (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