Manager Business Integration at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• Responsible for the strategy and business requirements of reconciling the General Ledger and associated sub- systems. Contribute to the effective management within Business Integration by providing leadership, directing activities and business plan developments and to control the integrity of the execution of the Automation, Standardization and Optimization.

Job Description

Key accountabilities

Accountability: Set strategic direction for Business Integration to support the various stakeholders throughout BAGL (30%)

• Develop strategy to ensure that operations, systems and procedures are appropriate and scalable.
• Be pro-active and stay abreast of changes in all environments that impact/influence the reconciliation activities, such as General Ledger Control Framework and source systems etc.
• Liaise and engage with stakeholders on a regular basis to discuss system and technology enhancements in order to increase performance of data integrity.
• Develop a strategy to encourage a culture of customer focus in the team by coaching the team and analysing feedback from the key stakeholders.
• Optimise business processes to support effective and efficient delivery of data integrity
• Oversee the implementation of the business model in order to identify business opportunities to enhance processes.
• Manage and maximise the usage of the reconciliation systems to increase accuracy and quality of data.
• Engage in sustainable relationship building with stakeholders to ensure continuous alignment and discipline.
• Develop and sustain knowledge and experience on the end to end processes, including product systems and general ledgers, in order to support business units with enhanced service delivery.
• Provide management information as required and agreed with stakeholders to support informed decision making.
• Develop and maintain technical knowledge, skills and international benchmarking to keep up to date in specialist areas in order to perform at the requirement standards.
• Partnering and engage with Internal Audit and External Audit in the various audits within scope of responsibility.

Accountability: Develop and implement a strategy to ensure a robust control framework is in place to comply with the Account Ownership and Reconciliation (AO&R) policy with in Accounting Operations. (20%)

• Ensure that processes and procedures in Accounting Operations comply with the AO&R policy requirements.
• Manage the Account Ownership and Reconciliation Attestation process from end to end.
• Review the attestations for quality and investigate and understand the issues raised in the attestation process.
• Aid in the implementation of the KRI's (key risk indicators) for Accounting Operations

Accountability: Oversee the adherence to all the risk and compliance policies (15%)

• Ensure that processes, control requirements and risk management frameworks that impact the area are documented and understood by all members of the team.
• Work with Absa Internal Audit and Management Assurance during the scoping of audits to ensure fair coverage.
• Own and agree corrective action items with Internal Audit and Management Assurance for findings related to the functional area under management.
• Arrange issue assurance for closed audit findings.
• Complete required compliance and SOX attestations and ensure that impacted team members complete their attestations.
• Ensure that the team understands all compliance requirements and call for the area's Compliance Officer to conduct briefing sessions if gaps are identified.
• Ensure that all regulatory requirements are adhered to.
• Ensure that the Business Continuity Tool is updated regularly and signed off annually in consultation with the BCM Co-ordinator. Ensure that the BCM Plan for the area is tested as required and corrective actions executed.
• Working with managers/professionals in the team, develop Detailed Risk and Control Assessments (RCA's) for the function and update at the required intervals (normally quarterly). Complete attestations to testify to the adequacy of controls on request.
• Participate in the development of Key Risk indicators including the determination of likelihood of occurrence and potential impact. Actively work to minimise the amount of economic capital that has to be set aside for operational risk.
• Ensure that managers in the team understand their responsibilities for physical and systems access control and information security requirements.
• Ensure that your area in FSSA has a Health and Safety Rep, Fire Warden and Evacuation representative.
• Participate in the development of the Business Continuity Plan by reviewing and ensuring the critical financial processes are adequately covered and tested.
• Ensure all managers understand all compliances, monitor compliance training undertaken by managers and that they complete the required training within prescribed timelines.
• Keep up to date with all the relevant legislation/regulatory requirements.
• Review and conduct walk through (SOX term logic) for all reconciliations preformed in the department according to the SOX requirements.

Accountability: Human Resources and People Management (20%)

• Work with managers in the team to achieve excellent business results through continuous people development and mentoring activities.
• Ensure the development of a high-performing team through embedding formal
• Performance Development and informal coaching.
• Coach the management team on how to conduct meaningful Performance Development discussions with their direct reports and ensure that they conduct the process effectively.
• Determine and analyse training and development needs for managers and ensure they do the same for their teams. Ensure that identified training is budgeted for and executed.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the management team in the area using the formal Talent Management process for identified talent and an informal process for remaining roles.
• With the support from the HR Business Partner, interview and recruit direct reports and provide support to them during the recruitment of their teams on request.
• Ensure that managers create effective workforce plans and recruitment demand plans for their areas.
• Review requests from managers in the team for headcount changes. Recommend approve or decline of the request to the Head of FSSA.
• Approve leave requests for direct reports and ensure that they manage the leave planning for their teams effectively.
• Act as second level escalation point for all grievances raised in the team.
• Ensure that all poor performance is addressed through the Absa Performance Accelerator (APA) Programme and that continued poor performance is adequately dealt with. Review APA reports to determine effectiveness of interventions.
• Motivate employees in the department and ensure that their efforts are recognised.
• Develop appropriate Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) action items together with the management team of the team and ensure that items are executed

Accountability: Business Management (15%)

• Coordinate the efforts of the different operational areas under management to ensure minimal duplication of efforts, maximum efficiency and to maximise value for money.
• Rebalance resources between different areas e.g. reallocating headcount and budgets, but within overall approved resources for the year.
• Contribute to the development of business unit strategy for the next 2-3 years by providing a view on potential improvements for products or services and an assessment of the existing situation and anticipated changes in the external environment.
• Agree targets and take accountability for the overall achievement of performance objectives in the business area in terms of employee satisfaction, customer experience, cost performance, return on investments, risk, compliance and governance requirements.
• Manage departmental budgets including signing off of invoices and quotes within mandate. Escalate out of budgets items to the Managing Executive for approval.
• Sign off capital expenditure within budget. This includes approving purchase or sell decisions for desktop computers, laptops, departmental equipment etc.
• Provide clear direction to team members on the FSSA strategic plan and key focus areas and ensure their understanding and buy-in.
• Analyse effectiveness of processes and systems in use in the department and make recommendations for improvements.
• Review performance against balanced scorecard components as prescribed by the Executive, discuss gaps and agree action plans to close gaps.
• Benchmark productivity of the department against industry standards and create measures to improve productivity.
• Agreed and manage service offerings and SLAs with internal customers (agree annually and measure on a monthly basis)

Role/Person specification

Education And Experience Required

• 5 years’ experience in managing a team of specialists
• 10 years’ experience of accounting and controlling
• 5-10 years’ experience working with complex system integrations and to work with detailed information
• BComm or CA(SA) (NQF level no.7
• Minimum 5 years Business Analyst experience
• Minimum 2 years Project Management experience

Knowledge and skills:

• Technical skill and competence (Solid)
• Problem solving (Advanced)
• Procedures and processes (Advanced)
• Management/interpersonal/leadership skills (Advanced)
• Ability to engage with individuals in all levels (Expert)
• Conceptually and intellectually strong (Solid)
• Negotiation skills (Advanced)
• Analytical skills (Advanced)
• Reliable and Flexible (Solid)

Competencies:

• Leading and supervising
• Deciding and initiating action
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Planning and organising
• Persuading and influencing
• Analysing
• Adapting and responding to change
• Creating and innovating

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)