Project Manager at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

About the Job

Job Summary

• To provide project management services and to develop, maintain and enhance operational business relationships.
• Responsible for and the successful delivery of one or more projects to plan, budget and agreed quality and governance standards in support of the business strategy.
• Manages project teams engaged throughout the full delivery lifecycle.

Job Description

Project Management

The management of projects involving the development and implementation of business processes to meet identified business needs, acquiring and utilising the necessary resources and skills, within agreed parameters of cost, timescales and quality.

• Takes responsibility for the definition, documentation and satisfactory completion of complex finance transformation projects.
• Identifies, assesses and manages project risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies, escalating as appropriate to ensure the success of the project.
• Ensures that sufficient level of detail project and quality plans are prepared and key external/internal lateral relationships) maintained for complex projects and provides regular and accurate reports to stakeholders as appropriate.
• Ensure projects being managed are compliant with relevant governance methodologies and compliance standards.
• Ensures that quality reviews occur on schedule and according to procedure.
• Manages the change control procedure and ensures that project deliverables are completed within planned cost, timescale and resource budgets and are signed off.
• Provides effective leadership to the project team and takes appropriate action where performance deviates from agreed tolerances.

Change Implementation, Planning & Management

• Defining and managing the process of deploying change into the business in a way that is sensitive to, and fully compatible with, business operations.
• Ensures that there is a business perspective on how the new technical capabilities will be delivered to the business, including planning around key business cycles, selecting appropriate customers for migration, etc.
• Initiates and managed the business implementation plan, including all the activities that the business needs to do to prepare for new technical components and technologies or process/organisation changes.
• Tracks and reports against these activities to ensure progress.
• Defines and manages the activities to ensure achievement of the business case after delivery.
• Outlines key business engagement messages that need to take place throughout the programme/project.
• Oversee training/communication activities to ensure it is fit for purpose for level of business change.

Benefits Management

Monitoring for the emergence of anticipated policy benefits (typically specified as part of the business case for a change programme or project). Action (typically by the programme management team) to optimise the business impact of individual and combined benefits.

• Promotes the change programme vision to staff at all levels of the business operation, brings order to complex situations and keeps a focus on business objectives.
• Works with senior people responsible for the line business operation to ensure that maximum improvements are made in the business operations as groups of projects deliver their products into operational use.
• Maintains the business case for funding the programme and confirms the continuing business viability of the programme at regular intervals. Stakeholder relationship management: The coordination of relationships with and between key stakeholders, during the design, management and implementation of business change.
• Develops and manages one or more defined communication channels which facilitates open communication and discussion between stakeholders for multiple work 3 streams/projects.
• Initiates communications between stakeholders, acting as a single point of contact for defined groups.
• Communication to key stakeholders/groups to keep them informed of key changes and potential impact of the project outcome through published status reports.
• Facilitates the negotiation/mediation between different stakeholders to aid decision making process.

Role/Person Specification

Education And Experience Required

• NQF Level 6: B Degree.
• Appropriate professional accreditation in Programme and or Project Management. PMP a requirement.
• An appropriate university degree, with preference for a B Sc., B Sc (Eng), B Comp Sc
• A post-graduate degree such as an MBA would be advantageous.
• Minimum 2 - 5 years Banking /Financial Institution working experience.
• 2-3 years direct experience in managing successful business change projects.
• Solid knowledge of project management methodologies.
• Project Management experience gained in a complex Financial Service environment.

Knowledge & Skills

• Proven Project Management and Change Management skills and expertise.
• Experience of employing change management best Practices and disciplines.
• Experience of managing activity across the whole of a project lifecycle, using current technology, structured methods and a quality process.
• Exposure to governance, control and risk management.
• Proven ability to effectively work across teams at all levels.
• Ability to negotiate/influence at senior level.
• Proven ability to manage direct reports: leadership, motivation, coaching and people[1]development.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.

Competencies

• Deciding and initiating action.
• Learning and researching.
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking.
• Relating and networking.
• Adapting and responding to change.
• Persuading and influencing.
• Creating and innovating.

Education

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