Shared Services: Senior Analyst at Sanlam Group

Purpose of this role

• The Shared Services: Senior Analyst is responsible for enabling the translation of complex business, operational, and analytical requirements into clear, actionable solutions that drive value across Shared Services and the broader Sanlam Corporate environment.
• Operating at the intersection of business, data, and technology, the role serves as a key liaison between Business Owners, stakeholders, and Agile delivery teams, ensuring that requirements are clearly defined, prioritised, and aligned to strategic objectives. The Shared Services: Senior Analyst plays a critical role in shaping solution design through deep analytical insight, with a strong emphasis on data interpretation, modelling, and value optimisation.
• The role contributes to the successful delivery of initiatives within the Core Operations environment by supporting Continuous Improvements activities, deeply analysing the problem statement through data modelling, process assessments and facilitating stakeholder engagement to ensure that deliverables meet defined business outcomes across.
• Given the complexity of the Sanlam Group landscape—including legacy platforms, evolving data ecosystems, and emerging capabilities such as AI, automation, and advanced analytics—the Shared Services: Senior Analyst is required to apply structured problem-solving, quantitative reasoning, and strong commercial acumen to support informed decision-making and sustainable solution design.
• This role is particularly suited to individuals with strong quantitative and analytical backgrounds (including actuarial science), who can combine business insight with data-driven thinking to enhance operational efficiency, risk management, and customer outcomes in support of sustainable and profitable growth.

Key responsibilities

Not limited to but includes: 

• Ownership & Accountability
• Acts as a Data Steward for Core Operations
• Owns and defines business level acceptance criteria for initiatives items to ensure optimised deployment of capacity and high quality deliverables.
• Ensures the visibility, transparency, and clear to all stakeholders in line with the requirements and expectations of the Head.
• Collaborates with the multiple stakeholders to ensure technical enablement of features.
• Ensure the Team delivers in alignment with the business strategy, maintaining strategic cohesion between the team and business objectives.
• Responsible for ensuring alignment between business-led goals and technical Team delivery focus.
• Enables consistent feedback loops to the teams.
• Demonstrates independent decision-making that aligns with business priorities, ensuring optimal outcomes for the organization.
• Effectively influences stakeholders, fostering collaboration and driving consensus to support the team's objectives and strategic goals.

Execution and Delivery

• Ensures the timeous delivery of prioritization and delivery tracking.
• Ownership of the modelling creation and refinement requirements of the team.
• Provides the management level reporting on CI activities, progress and status.
• Assigns business value and articulates the business benefits and clear expectations.
• Participates in the active and ongoing review of Core Operations performance and identify areas for improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Works closely with Business Owners and key stakeholders to translate business objectives into activity.
• Engages with Customers and End-Users to validate priorities and feature expectations.

Change Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement 

• Acts as a key change leader, facilitating business ownership and cross-functional collaboration.

Minimum requirements

• A relevant Actuarial and/or Business Analyst Degree/Certification
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in Financial Services and modelling
• A minimum of 3 years hands-on lead business analysis experience across the financial services industry (preferably within Insurance or Employee Benefits)
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field an advantage

Knowledge and skills

• Data modelling experience with high volume Insurance data.
• Advanced Excel certification (preferred not required)
• Excellent stakeholder management and prioritization skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in complex, scaled environments.

Behavioral competencies

• MUST BE A TEAM PLAYER
• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results and meets deadlines, even under tough circumstances.
• Cultivates Innovation by creating new and better ways for the organisation to be successful.
• Client Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Resilience - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.

Core competencies

• Flexible and Adaptable - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Courage - Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.
• Manages Complexity - Demonstrated ability and proven record to make complex decisions.
• Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Plans and Aligns - Planning and prioritising work to meet commitments aligned to organisational goals
• Outstanding communication - presentation and leadership skills