Job Description

Empowering Africa's tomorrow, together...one story at a time.
With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.
Job Summary Are you ready to lead and innovate in the realm of Physical Cash & Card Issuing and Acquiring? We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to lead this area in our Transactional Banking business.
As a Product Head for the applicable product(s) in Transactional Banking Pan Africa, you will play a pivotal role in developing and managing a suite of banking products and services aimed at optimizing the financial transactions and experiences of our customers. This role requires a deep understanding of the South African banking landscape, regulatory requirements, and customer needs. You will be responsible for driving the product strategy, development, and lifecycle management to ensure our offerings are competitive, compliant, and meet the evolving needs of our clients in an ever-changing, dynamic, and competitive landscape. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future Physical Cash and Card Issuing & Acquiring offered to our CIB Clients.
In this role you will also engage with Native Product Owners in Business Banking, where you will focus on;

• Collaboration and Interlock,
• Governance and SLAs,
• System and MI Input,
• Product Specialism,
• Client Migration

Your Key Accountabilities to CIB will include;
Product Strategy and Growth:

• Set product strategy and vision for the future, driving our ambition to be the best Transactional Bank across Africa.
• Product development:
• Identifying opportunities for new/enhanced product to improve competitiveness.
• Develop the required Business case(s) and allocation of Strategic Investment Funding for new/enhanced products.
• Engage and collaborate with group stakeholders to align on product strategy and position in the market
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product Development, Sales, Marketing, Technology, and Compliance, to define product strategies that align with the organization's goals and market demands.

Product Lifecycle Management:

• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive product roadmap to guide new productdevelopment and enhancements.
• Define product specifications, features, and functionality, and oversee the Product Development process from ideation to launch.

Future Proofing the Business:

• Understand customer needs, behaviors, and pain points to develop and design products that provide a value enhancing client experience.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities and trends in the applicable product (s).

Product Marketing and Go-to-Market Strategy (Commercialisation):

• Collaborate with the Sales Enablement & Marketing teams to develop go-to-market strategies, including pricing, positioning, and promotional activities
• Ensure effective communication of product features and benefits to both internal stakeholders and clients.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Native Product Owners to prioritise and execute product development initiatives, managing project timelines and budgets.

Governance and Regulatory Compliance:

• Regulatory compliance o Stay up to date with local banking regulations and ensure that all products and services comply with financial regulations and standards.
• Work closely with compliance and legal teams to address regulatory requirements and changes.

Financial Management / Maximising Financial Performance:

• Manage the financial performance of the product portfolio, including margin analysis / product returns, market share analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and cost management. Identify revenue growth opportunities and cost-saving initiatives.

People & Talent Management:

• Lead, support and motivate the Product Team - including responsibility for performance management, talent and training development, including succession planning.
• Ensure the team is fully / adequately resourced to execute on the strategy by recruiting and attracting talent to the organisation.

Send us your CV if you have the required experience as well as meet the below requirements;

• A Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Banking, Economics or a Post Graduate degree or MBA preferably
• 10 years or more proven experience in Product Management within the South African and/or African banking sector, with a focus on transactional banking products.
• Knowledge / Awareness of key banking regulations and compliance requirements.
• Experience in strategy formulation and delivery / strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to drive product decisions.
• Managing Strategic Relationships and Partnerships

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

Skills Required