Pricing Analyst (Advanced Analytics) (Everyday Banking) at Absa

Job Summary

Develop solutions to current business problems that make commercial sense by extracting, analysing, and interpreting relevant data and engaging with key enablers in the business.

The purpose of the role is to develop and maintain Advanced Analytical Models within Absa's Business Units, thus enabling continuous improvement through the provision of accurate and applicable analytical measures, focusing on the optimization of the income statement and balance sheet elements.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

Accountability:  Business Requirement Engagement and Initiation

• To make sure that the business requirements are understood on all analytical projects given (to the team) by the Project Owner/Project Sponsor (e.g. Home Loans Business Unit etc.) by continuously communicating with the different project teams to make sure it is understood in order to ensure project delivery.

• To liaise regularly with line management and work closely with them to extract business requirements, evaluate and recommend possible business solutions, make assessments and produce feasibility analysis.

• Identify project risks (e.g. data constraints, time constraints, capacity, etc.) either by consultation with the business stakeholders e.g Home Loans, AVAF,(ABSA Vehicle and Asset Finance) and/or a risk assessment workshop and develop mitigating action plans based on the outcome of the workshops held in agreement with the project Sponsor/Project Owner/Project Manager (PM), thereafter document such risks and actions in the project risk register for ongoing monitoring.

• Assist the Project Manager by ensuring that the definition of the project scope and all other documentation needed in the Project Concept and/or Project Charter document/s is obtained by facilitating a project definition workshop.

• Develop hypotheses by holding regular project meetings to achieve project goals based on the outcomes of the project definition workshop and use these to guide the fact gathering and analysis.

• Identify project milestones based on the high level project plan and prepare planning estimates in terms of timelines, resources, design, etc. for the project.

• Assist the Project Manager (PM) to generate weekly/monthly or ad-hoc status reports, using input from project teams for reporting to Project Office/Sector Change Council/Group Change Council for the purpose on reporting progress on the project in terms of work completed/still to be done, risks, issues, plans, etc.

Accountability: Strategy, Planning and Reporting

• Develop and maintain tools and analytical techniques by monitoring the business and project activities to simulate Asset and Liability (A&L) interest / Non Interest Income (NII) pricing changes across the Group.

• Develop and maintain monthly and ad-hoc reporting by generating the relevant and appropriate reports to measure the effectiveness of A&L interest / NII pricing.

• Develop and maintain monthly and ad-hoc reporting by generating the appropriate reports to measure the effectiveness of inter-bank pricing across payment systems.

• Develop and maintain monthly and ad-hoc reporting by generating appropriate reports to measure the effectiveness of Retail payments. Ensure that negotiated inter-bank prices are correctly applied by Bankserv through monthly reconciliations by following up on the implementation of the Pricing policy. Make sure that billed Bankserv volumes correspond to Absa volumes by following up on the implementation of the policy.

• Develop and maintain competitor-pricing analyses including international interest pricing trends / activities by completing benchmark competitor analyses in order to remain competitive in the banking industry.

• Provide relevant inter-bank pricing input through management meetings and consultations to the Medium Term Planning, Short Term Planning and monthly RAF such as project  management plans, business plans etc. processes

• Provide relevant A&L interest / NII pricing input to the MTP, STP and monthly RAF processes by integrating into the business planning meetings, and the project meetings.

• Provide relevant A&L interest / NII pricing input to new product developments by being part of the product development meetings, and the project meetings.

• Develop relevant training materials to improve staff awareness and understanding of A&L Interest / NII pricing policy by compiling all relevant material, compiling the training material and running the training as required for staff.

Accountability: Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate and enforce integration across product lines and market segments by managing all the relevant relationships to eliminate A&L pricing arbitrage risk and optimal impact and contribution of A&L interest pricing.

• Participate in relevant decision / governance forums to ensure support for – and consistent execution of A&L Pricing strategy / design.

Education and experience required

• Relevant B.Degree or equivalent NQF level 7 qualification

• Experience in extracting and manipulating data to build data models

• Pricing experience will be an advantage

• Experience in Financial Statement Analysis

• Two (2) years (Technical/Managerial) experience

• Five (5) years’ experience in Financial Services/Banking environment

Knowledge and skills:

• Business Analysis Skills

• Mathematical Problem Solving Skills

• Attention to Detail whilst applying Strategic thinking

• Presentation and Influencing Skills

• Strong Interpersonal Skills

• Personal Credibility and Integrity

• Stakeholder Engagement

• Negotiation Skills

• Ability to interpret and analyse Financial information

• Excellent Computer Literacy (MS Office, SAS, SQL, etc.)

• Report Writing Skills

• Innovative Thinking

• Financial Statement Analysis

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