Programme Director - Strategic Programme at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Minimum Skills Required

1. Ability to engage accountable executives (C- level and MD stakeholders) , business units heads and product teams to set the strategic vision, drivers, roadmap, approach for a large programme.
2. Ability to define a strategic approach to delivering business objectives and outcomes.
3. Ability to take accountability for setting up programme governance structures, steering committees and executive communications to ensure the right decision-making structures/processes are in place.
4. Ability to construct and manage a multi-million rand budget (annual budget > R100m) including business case development and benefits realisation.
5. Ability to mobilise and lead a programme team of over a 100 people (matrix environment), comprising architects, UX designers, business analysts, developers, testers, change managers, process analysts, scrum masters and project managers.
6. Ability to engage with support functions such as fraud, legal, compliance, operational risk etc.
7. Ability to deliver complex enterprise wide programmes into a multi-country environment.
8. Have an understanding of what is required to build and deploy enterprise level technology (e.g. payment) applications into complex environments.
9. Ability to partner with senior management, across federated business units, to assess/evaluate delivery strategy and approach to best suit the business unit value propositions.
10. Ability to partner with product teams to assess the commercial viability of an initiative.
11. Ability to lead cross-functional delivery teams in developing new technology architectures e.g. payments rails, new channel flows and implementation of new core banking service architecture.
12. Ability to interpret and interrogate financial services technology architectures, engage with technical personal and provide a “bridge” to business stakeholders.
13. Proven experience as product owner with the ability to manage/prioritise requirements, owning a roadmap and managing programme scope.
14. Ability to manage delivery risk in large complex cross-functional team environment.
15. Ability to be a team player and can “roll your sleeves up” when you need to, and also are able to lead and influence product and feature conversations with all involved parties
16. Ability to navigate a matrixed organization and the ability to influence peers by articulating the product roadmap and value to business partners
17. A highly motivated individual who is resilient, results-oriented with the ability to get stuff done.
18. Ability to overcome obstacles to delivery.
19. Experience in running waterfall and agile programmes, with the ability to manage both approaches in a programme.

Payments Skills

1. Experience in ISO20022 payment flows
2. Experience in building new payments rails including instant payments, international payments (SWIFT) and domestic low value.
3. Has a deep understanding of payments architectures, including channel and core banking architectures.
4. Experience in working with regulators, industry project management offices and payment systems operators.
5. Experience in engaging with industry participants in delivering industry programmes.
6. Experience in working with a new payment scheme and clearing rules.

Minimum Education Required

1. Bachelors degree and/ or relevant professional experience / MBA preferred or equivalent experience
2. Project management or Agile courses preferable
3. Payments experience is a must
4. Large transformational programme experience is a must
5. Strong proficiency with Microsoft products, including MS Excel and MS Project.

Education

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