Head Transactional Sales & Commercialization (Everyday Banking) at Absa

Job Summary

• The purpose of this role is to be responsible for the overall sales objectives for Transactional Banking and to ensure that revenue, customer growth and customer satisfaction targets are met. This includes stakeholder management (physical channels, virtual channels, digital, regional coverage and business originators etc.). Partner with all channels in the implementation and operational effectiveness of governance, risk and compliance programs in the Sales front end. This also includes integral participation in the design, development, and maintenance of customer strategies in line with relevant sales process and optimization thereof.
• Accountable for developing and implementing the commercial strategy for Transactional Banking covering channel strategy, sales strategy, cross-sell, third party partners and marketing.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities 

Accountability: Sales Strategy

• Responsible for the overall Transactional Banking Sales and Execution Strategy through effective partnering with the relevant stakeholders both internal and external to incorporate the strategic objectives, key measurements including the monitoring of sales targets and plans.
• Identify and define the Sales Process including the optimization of opportunities in the broader business (Coverage, Distribution Channels, Pricing and Performance Levels).
• Understand the customer and partner needs to develop and drive the customer and partner propositions across the relevant segments and Regions.
• Facilitate the conduct of competitor and market intelligence research to better understand the environment and structure of the Transactional Banking in South Africa.
• Facilitate strategies for the supporting of Regional Sales on an ongoing basis to ensure alignment between the overall Transactional Banking sales strategies and the overall RBB product sales targets (i.e. play a key role in the growth of the RBB business including the provision of franchise support in the areas of multichannel development, customer experience strategy execution and delivery).
• Manage the key inter-relationships / dependencies between the overall sales planning, execution functions residing within the regions and enablement functions to ensure alignment between functional areas and overall Transactional Banking and to ensure that the overall business strategy, together with the key measurements are delivered and realized.
• Driving communication for the formal Sales Agenda and key themes across the business at different
• Management layers / audiences at the various Exco, Manco, and meetings at the various Forums to ensure alignment across the Transactional Banking community.

Accountability: Driving Business Execution

• Focus the strategy to deliver maximum impact through all channels (Internal, External, and Digital).
• Own and bring this strategy to life for stakeholders, clients and colleagues to provide clear direction on the proposition objectives.
• Translate and prioritize the objectives into business performance measures at regional level
• Accountable for overall achievement of Transactional Banking Sales Objectives
• Customer numbers, b/sheet, revenue, costs, impairment, PBT
• Employee satisfaction
• Customer experience
• Sales process, growth and income contribution
• Cost performance
• Operational Risk and Control Environment
• Collaborate cross – functionally to provide high standards of service delivery.
• Drive Cross-sell and upsell across products to create franchise value for RBB.
• Develop analytics drilldown capability by product and performance for all Channels.
• Work with all Channels to embed sales and cross-sell culture within the Sales functions.
• Work with all Channels to implement sales management processes (including Planning, Tracking, Coaching, Tools, Performance Management, Rewards and Recognition)
• Develop and implement a customer acquisition strategy.
• Embed an operational & service environment enhancing customer loyalty.
• Closely track channel and Business Originator performances and share best practices across teams.
• Run optimization models for the sales function to determine growth drivers, capacity requirements etc.
• Develop, deliver and closely track the sales scorecard and profitability model.
• Support the development and implementation of a strong and structured variable compensation programme for all sales staff in collaboration with the relevant channels, HR, Compliance and Finance.

Stakeholder management

• Represent Transactional Banking in all sales platforms and engage other business unit leaders across
• Everyday Banking, Relationship Banking, and RBB to establish a working relationship conducive for value creation across RBB products and services
• Act as conduit to the Transactional Banking teams by continuously communicating all sales and service related information coming from various sources ensuring that it is carefully interpreted and conveyed.
• Establish and run regular engagement forums that discuss sales rhythm and bring together the necessary experts to engage with sales teams at national and regional levels.
• Proactively engage with all the relevant bodies in the Transactional Banking space including effective partner management of Business Originators.

Accountability: Performance Reporting

• Drive the business operational and strategic reporting requirements
• Co-ordinate a 3-year Medium term Plans (MTP) to guide top-down target setting
• Facilitate Integrated Sales Planning & Execution discipline
• Drive the Transactional Banking sales indicator dashboard (i.e. balanced scorecard containing key shared measures and metrics relating back to the key strategic sales and revenue objectives of Home Loans)

Accountability: People Management

• Oversee the activities of the Transactional Banking sales and commercialization team.
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching.
• Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Determine and analyze development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team. Interview and recruit new members of the team, including determining appropriate compensation levels with input from the People Function.
• 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.
• Develop and nurture a team of best-of-breed talent that understand the overall RBB context and who will act as key change agents and ultimately progress to fulfill key leadership roles in the bank.
• Provide a springboard/platform for high performance transformation candidates to be inculcated in the RBB
• Cluster environment and be fast-tracked for future roles.
• Review and update the department’s organization structure and role description on at least an annual basis to ensure that they are fit for purpose and contain all the accountabilities of each team member.
• Motivate to and obtain approval from the relevant business approvers for any additional headcount for the team.
• Approve leave requests for team members and create leave plan to ensure adequate coverage.
• When required, initiate disciplinary processes for team members calling on support from Human
• Resources when required.
• Resolve grievances raised by team members.
• Address poor performance of any team member through the formal Performance Accelerator program and ensure that continued poor performance is appropriately dealt with.
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognized

Qualification requirement 

• Commercial B Degree in Business, Commerce and/or Management or equivalent NQF level 7 or higher qualification
• At least 7 (seven) years banking Executive experience
• An in depth understanding of systems, processes and operating procedures for Sales and a keen understanding of Credit and Operational Risk.
• Detailed understanding of Sales Strategy, Physical Channels (branch banking operating structure and interface with Virtual Channels
• Experience of managing teams and a distribution network spread across multiple cities / locations.
• Experience of working in a multifaceted and multi-segment environment.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook) and the Internet
• No criminal record

Preferred requirements

• Post graduate degree or MBA or  equivalent NQF level 8 or higher qualification
• Preference will be given to South African Citizens and Permanent residents of South Africa with proof of permanent resident status

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: 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