Manager: Portfolio Analytics at Absa South Africa

Job Summary

• The Manager: Portfolio Analytics is responsible for generating data-driven insight into the performance, risk dynamics and profitability of the Personal Lending portfolio. The role leads the analytical framework used to monitor portfolio health, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and support strategic decision-making across acquisitions, pricing, portfolio management and collections.
• The incumbent ensures that portfolio performance is clearly understood through robust analytics and translates data into actionable insights that inform credit strategy, support sustainable portfolio growth, and maintain risk within approved appetite.

Job Description

Portfolio Performance Monitoring

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive portfolio monitoring framework for the Personal Lending business.
• Track key credit performance indicators including approval rates, early delinquency, vintage curves, roll rates and loss performance.
• Monitor changes in portfolio composition, risk profile and customer behaviour.
• Identify emerging risks and opportunities within the portfolio and provide early warning insights to credit leadership.

Profitability Analytics

• Develop and maintain analytical frameworks to measure risk-adjusted profitability across the Personal Lending portfolio.
• Analyse the key drivers of portfolio profitability including pricing, credit losses, funding costs, acquisition costs and customer behaviour.
• Produce segment-level profitability analysis to identify profitable and underperforming customer segments.
• Support optimisation of pricing strategy, credit strategy and portfolio mix through profitability insights.
• Assess the financial impact of strategy changes, including acquisitions, pricing adjustments and portfolio management actions.
• Provide insight into customer lifetime value and portfolio economics to support sustainable portfolio growth.
• Partner with Finance and Strategy teams to ensure alignment between portfolio performance analytics and financial outcomes.
• Portfolio Segmentation & Deep-Dive Analytics
• Conduct detailed portfolio segmentation analysis to understand customer behaviour, risk characteristics and performance drivers.
• Perform deep-dive investigations into performance movements, anomalies or emerging risk patterns.
• Translate analytical findings into clear insights and recommended strategic actions.

Portfolio Forecasting & Decision Support

• Develop analytical models and frameworks to forecast portfolio performance, including delinquency and losses.
• Quantify the expected impact of strategy changes on volumes, risk outcomes and profitability.
• Provide analytical support to credit strategy forums and senior leadership decision-making.
• Deliver forward-looking insight into how portfolio growth, customer mix and macroeconomic conditions may influence risk outcomes.

Risk Appetite Setting & Monitoring

• Support the development and calibration of credit risk appetite metrics for the Personal Lending portfolio.
• Develop analytical frameworks that translate portfolio strategy and growth objectives into measurable risk appetite indicators.
• Design and maintain the risk appetite monitoring framework, including key indicators, thresholds and escalation triggers.
• Monitor portfolio performance against approved risk appetite limits and provide early warning where consumption approaches tolerance levels.
• Provide analytical insight to support risk appetite reviews and recalibration as portfolio dynamics and macroeconomic conditions evolve.
• Ensure alignment between portfolio strategy, profitability objectives and the bank’s overall risk appetite framework.

Risk Reporting

• Identify, assess and report key risks arising from significant events, investigations, audit findings and control issues.
• Ensure portfolio risk insights are accurately reported to senior risk leadership and governance forums.
• Contribute to regular portfolio risk reporting and governance documentation.
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Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, including Credit Risk Strategy, Finance, Collections, Data & Analytics teams and senior leadership.
• Translate complex analytical outputs into clear insights that support business decision-making.
• Partner with stakeholders to ensure analytics effectively supports portfolio strategy and business objectives.

People Management

• Lead and develop a high-performing portfolio analytics team.
• Provide coaching and technical guidance on analytical methodologies, portfolio interpretation and business insight generation.
• Foster a culture of analytical curiosity, rigour and accountability.

Risk & Control

• Ensure adherence to all applicable policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain strong analytical governance, documentation and data integrity standards.
• Ensure appropriate controls are in place to support accurate and reliable analytics and reporting.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong quantitative and analytical capability
• Deep understanding of retail credit portfolio dynamics
• Ability to translate complex data into clear strategic insight
• Strong problem-solving and investigative mindset
• Effective stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Leadership capability with a focus on developing analytical talent

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Econometrics, Actuarial Science, Data Science, Business Mathematics & Informatics or related quantitative field
• 5–10 years experience in credit risk analytics or portfolio analytics
• Experience analysing retail lending portfolios (preferably unsecured lending)
• Strong data and analytical tool capability (e.g. SAS, SQL, Python, R, Power BI or similar)

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required), Bachelor Honours Degree: Actuarial Science, Bachelor Honours Degree: BMI - Business Management and Informatics

End Date: March 17, 2026