Regional Manager: Physical Channels at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Description

Education and experience required

• B Degree or equivalent NQF 7
• Postgraduate Degree would be an advantage
• Appointment as a Key Individual (supported by an FSB recognised qualification) will be a strong preference
• 5-8 years retail banking experience that includes management responsibilities, strong leadership, sales and risk management

The Regional Manager is responsible for Enterprise leadership of the Physical Channels function within the designated geographic Region. This includes overall accountability and responsibility for:

• Driving performance of the Physical Channels against the balanced scorecard;
• Ensuring all sales and service methodologies are upheld in branch,
• Managing the implementation of external sales tactical plans,
• ATM fleet management,
• Managing RIB revenue and market penetration,
• Coordinating the regional citizenship agenda

Regional Physical Channel Management

Accountable for the run and performance of the Physical Channels at a Regional level, which includes accountability for:

• Delivery of the required sales and target customer experience to enable the realisation of the desired customer and commercial shape in support of the achievement of RBB, customer segment and product aspirations.
• Maintaining a competitive cost-to-serve model for the Physical Channels by driving optimisation initiatives and prudently managing the cost base whilst optimizing sales and customer experience.
• Accountable for the management of the ATM fleet (end-to-end) within the trade Area; ensuring that ATM’s are available and operating as per SLA in support of the target customer experience.
• Accountable for leading and building an external sales capability in the Region to support the acquisition of the desired customer and revenue shape.
• Accountable for supporting Retail International Banking functions in the Region to enable the achievement of the target customer and revenue shape.
• Developing and growing the identified Areas as a Franchise business. Growth includes: Sales, Financial Performance (cost, volume and value), Customer attraction & retention (service), Brand reputation, Role in society (Citizenship).

Leading Physical Channels in the Region

• Develop, implement and monitor an integrated Physical Channels Regional business plan. This includes:
• The achievement of performance targets for sales, customer service, complaints and risk. Mobilizes managers in the Region to create and implement action plans.
• Accountable for translation and cascade of the Physical Channels Regional business plan to all colleagues in the Area, so that appropriate line of sight is drawn between what individual colleagues do on a daily basis in supporting the overarching Regional business plan and the commercial aspirations of RBB.
• Sponsor local initiatives by defining the contents and reviewing the effectiveness of the initiatives on a regular basis.
• Take the lead in the Region on execution of strategic projects initiated by Physical Channels head office, ensuring that adequate project resources are assigned and tracking progress against project plans.
• Interlock with Relationship Banking, CIB and other BU’s to create forums for discussion of good practices, identifying and exploring new business opportunities and or implementing effective sales techniques in the Area.
• Create an enabling environment for change, transformation and innovation.
• Develop and enhance local market knowledge and competitor trends to effectively inform and enable achievement of objectives.

Create a culture of sales and service excellence

• Actively lead and manage change implementation towards positioning Absa as most competitive mover in the defined Region.
• To monitor and drive the achievement of sales scorecards in Area (branch sales and external sales).
• Promote an entrepreneurial mind-set with Regional colleagues enabling the acquisition of high value, profitable customers that support sustainable financial returns (move from a farming model to seek acquisition of high value sustainable new business), and increase share of existing customers’ wallets.
• Ensure that the Branch Performance Management Framework is implemented among all branches by ensuring a thorough understanding of its intent as well as ensuring plans for marginal branches and success sharing of top branches.
• Ensure that the customer experience standards are understood and applied by all branches in the Region.
• Review the customer experience performance measures regularly and develop action plans to remediate recurring issues.
• Monitor and ensure quick resolution of escalated customer complaints. Personally respond to customers if necessary.
• Co-own the relationship with the key and high value Retail customers in the Region. Ensure that their needs are attended to and that their service concerns are speedily resolved.

Provide operational oversight

• Understand through local insights and inform network planning in the Region for all points of presence (POP's), including ATM's.
• Ensure that all plans related to physical infrastructure support the Growth and Efficiency objectives of the Region and broader RBB.
• Ensure effective operation of the ATM fleet management network end to end in the Region.
• Escalate concerns relating to Group functions so as to improve service delivery.

Control and governance in the region

• Create a culture across teams to encourage responsible and customer orientated banking practices.
• Ensure audit issues /findings log are reviewed so that adequate attention is given to closure within the agreed timelines.
• Completes and oversees required compliance and regulatory attestations of own and impacted team members, ensuring that these are concluded as per stipulated timelines and within governance
• framework.
• As a Key Individual, manage and oversee activities of impacted team members with the necessary care, skill and diligence and act within the standards and rules as set by legislation in respect of statutory obligations, services rendered, business processes and operational ability as well as instilling a culture of treating customers fairly in all aspects of the business.
• Review and approve Detailed Risk and Control Assessments (DRACA's) prepared in the function as per regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Oversee the development of Key Risk Scenarios by actively working to minimise the amount of economic capital that has to be set aside for operational risk.
• Actively work with Retail Fraud Risk Management, contributing towards developing and monitoring early warning indicators.
• Keep updated and increase awareness (and ensure all staff are adequately informed) on all regulatory requirements and changes and drive behaviour and in branch activity accordingly.
• Drive a culture of proactive compliance and risk management within areas and implement routines and processes for proactive management of all risk types across branches.
• Accountable for the overall management of all risk and compliance related matters and ensuring adherence to policies as per Absa ’s policy and procedure framework.