Head of Data and Business Solutions

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Job Summary

This role is responsible for driving Digital Business Solutions through Product/channel delivery and execution in line with digital bank’s ecosystem vision and plan, ensuring it aligns and drives digital bank’s business strategy and helps support its key lines of business.
The role also houses the Business Solutions unit that is responsible for IT Solutions Architecture, responsible for using computer systems to help solve business problems.
This role is also responsible for Data Science, playing a leadership position in the data science department and alignment with the business’s overall vision.
In addition, this role is responsible for driving innovation across the bank in line with Strategy, through execution of strategic projects, special assignment, and the Innovation Centre.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

Accountability:  Business Solutions, Product and Channel Delivery: - (25%)

Outputs:

·       Creating and maintaining an agile approach for Digital channel delivery and building of an ecosystem. 

·       Support the design, development and implementation of the Digital delivery Strategy and customer facing solutions.

·       Conducting an evaluation of the computer system architecture with an emphasis on the design.

·       Analysing the system throughout the enterprise system.

·       Creating and maintaining or enhancing procedures, processes and designs for a computer system.

·       Oversee all Business Solutions for the segment related to Digital Bank to ensure that they are delivered and deployed cost effectively.

·       Oversee and maintain secured Digital platforms for Digital banking operations ensuring appropriate controls are implemented and maintained.

·       Ensure that all product and channel commitments are implemented and maintained to required standards.

·       Oversee channel delivery of product systems development and enhancements and the integration of new systems with existing systems.

·       Ensure development and implementation of all channel delivery policies and procedures, including those for architecture, security, disaster recovery, standards, purchasing, and service provision.

·       Oversee provision of end-user services, including help desk and technical support services

·       Manage Digital Vendor relations.

·       Develop & execute bank Digital strategy baseline for enhancing customer experience and product and service delivery within portfolio.

·       Oversee the project management of technology projects within Digital portfolio.

·       Map digital capabilities to strategic priorities

·       Serve as the sponsor for Digital process innovation.

·       Develop and implement the Country Digital project portfolio in liaison with relevant Business Accountable Executives.

·       Measure new efficiencies and Return on Investment (ROI) of projects and innovations including achievement of the benefits stated within a business case by ensuring that benefits realisation is actively managed throughout the life of the project and post project.

Accountability: Build Enterprise Ecosystem (Innovation and Partnerships) (20%)

Outputs:

·       Design and execute ecosystem and partnerships management framework and strategies to achieve commercial and brand objectives.

·       Develop and maintain an opportunity assessment framework to guide the identification, promotion and development of new markets, services or capabilities through partnerships and/or ecosystem engagements.

·       Continuously evaluate and refine the ecosystem business model, with due regard to partner capabilities and culture to promote strategic collaboration.

·       Build and influence internal and external stakeholder relationships to position Absa Bank Zambia PLC (ABZ) as a trusted, collaborator of innovative financial services.

·       Promote the diffusion of innovation across the Digital portfolio, assuring effective learning and collaboration across all product and channel delivery teams.

·       Assess industry and community market trends, leading to the generation of innovative ideas by developing research programs that incorporate current developments to improve existing products and study the potential of new products.

·       Recognize promising ideas and find ways to introduce them into plans and discard ideas that are ineffective, costly, or beyond the scope of the company’s mission or abilities to develop.

·       Review, analyse and evaluate existing products, services and processes for the sole aim of improving and enhancing them or discarding them completely.

·       Collaborate across business segments to find opportunities for and showcase ideas in the Innovation and emerging business pipeline.

·       Create business architecture models demonstrating how products, operations and systems interoperate within the organization.

·       Conduct analysis to determine best path for solving business problems/opportunities that may include process improvement, systems enhancement, user training, and/or software procurement.

·       Apply and utilize business modelling methods to ensure results-oriented deliverables in a way that can be recreated and used as a corporate knowledge resource available to project level initiatives as an executive decision making. This acts as POC that builds onto the business case.

·       Evaluate and present information that will facilitate effective and timely decision-making through written and oral communication materials that effectively summarize findings with recommendations.

·       Partner with IT architecture team in developing an IT framework that aligns with the business plan.

Accountability:  Data Science (MIS) (25%)

Outputs:

·       Responsible for playing the role of leading innovation within the business and, defining how the business creates additional value through the utilization of its data assets and analytics.

·       Responsible for consistently identifying and monitoring key business risks and realizing the data needs of the business. Manage the junior data science teams and oversee all activities ensuring alignment with departmental and business-wide vision and strategies.

·       Drive education and evangelization of data sciences throughout the business by communicating the vision and use cases of advanced analytics.

·       Build the business’s data science talent needs through role definition, recruitment, and development of a team of data scientists that will jointly move the business’s agenda forward.

·       Play a mentorship role to key data science positions, guiding them in them through the execution of their duties, and encouraging their professional growth in preparation for their occupation of his position in future.

·       Play a strategic role by continuously improving the business’s data analysis model, creating industry-leading performance through the leveraging of new and creative data-sources, and employing the latest in machine learning in the department.

·       Scope, design, and implements machine-learning models to support the business’s numerous initiatives and programs with a view of achieving overall objectives and targets. In this position, he matches and optimizes algorithms that are fundamental to the business’s products/services identifying better matches that will ultimately improve the consumer experiences.

·       Play an analytical role with a drive towards experimental data modelling designs within the business. He will constantly run A/B tests in order to evaluate changes in the business’s product/services.

·       Track the business’s performance against data analysis model and monitor trends in key business KPIs, providing valuable insights to relevant departments for overall business performance improvement.

Accountability:  Customer Experience (5%)

Outputs:

·       Managing the channel delivery Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Operating Level Agreements (OLAs)

·       Supporting the Sales, agent and merchant acquisition sales teams through technology enablement.

·       Providing support to business product teams in developing innovative digital products

·       Support customer experience team to provide best in class customer experience and service through various service channels.

·       Creative baseline for problem-solving, knowledge transfer and effective application of all relevant banking policies, processes, procedures, and guidelines to consistently achieve required compliance standards or benchmarks.

 

 

Accountability: Process Management: - (10%)

Outputs:

·       Assist in the design and implementation of measures to determine the effectiveness of the processes, including measures to determine the cost per process.

·       Assist review risk events and audit comments raised in incident reports for process failures. Assist in root cause analysis and recommend process changes to prevent issues form recurring.

·       Coordinate the review of existing processes to identify areas of improvement and champion these improvements, within agreed guidelines.

 

Accountability: Leadership and Teamwork: - (10%)

Outputs:

·       Be an effective team player through communication, performance management, development plans and reward/recognition practices.

·       Cultivate an environment that supports diversity and reflects Absa Brand values

·       Build a culture of continuous improvement in customer experience.

·       Seeks opportunities to integrate, simplify and streamline activity through involvement of teams in the geographic and functional matrix.

·       Works in a facilitative manner to build capability in progressing objectives but does not lose sight of the profitability and productivity outcomes.

·       Acts in a manner that transparently promotes the organization’s values and delivers in an aligned manner.

·       Drive self-empowerment in the team to enable development of open communication, teamwork and trust that are needed to support true performance and customer-service oriented culture.

·       Oversee the activities of the team to ensure effective delivery of identified opportunities.

·       Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching. Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.

·       Determine and analyse development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.

 

Accountability:  Risk, Governance and Regulatory (5%)

 

Outputs:

·       Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Absa Policies and Policy Standards.

·       Policy adherence in the management of the information system environment.

·       Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role.

·       Ensure that local regulations and laws are adhered to and will be required to provide local support in implementations and configurations done in the first line of cyber security and information risk management.

 

Role / Person Specification

 

Role Specific:

·       Analytical skills and an eye for detail

·       Commercial awareness

·       Numerical skills

·       Planning and organisational skills

·       Ability to understand broader business issues

·       Communication and presentation skills

·       Formulating strategies and concepts

·       Persuading and influencing

·       Presenting and communicating information

·       Clear and concise writing and reporting

 

Person Specific:

• Excellent leadership skills

• Advanced understanding of the nature and dynamics of the banking industry

• Ability to prepare and present proposals for the assigned business units and products

·       Negotiation skills

·       Risk management skills

·       Project and Change management track record of business risk management

·       Successful delivery of business and cultural change and delivery and embedding of associated benefits.

·       Experience of Bank operations management at a senior level

• Good interpersonal skills

• Project management skills

• Planning and organising skills

• Resilience and flexibility

• Quality/excellence mindset

• Business management skills

• Customer service orientation

• Results focussed

 

Education and Experience Required

Preferred: Master’s degree in business administration or any technology related field

Essential: Degree or relevant professional qualification (BBA, Engineering, Computer Science etc)

 

Experience:

• 5+ years minimum experience in product development, project management and customer experience with strong business re-engineering experience in enhancing customer experience and managing grievance redressal systems in leading banks/ financial services or Telecom companies.

• 3+ years minimum experience in Commercial Environment at mid-senior Managerial level

·       Awareness of cultural differences and varying legal/regulatory environments.

·       FMCG, Banking or Financial services industry related knowledge.

Knowledge & Skills:

Essential

·       Working knowledge of international and specific operating environments, relating to a Digital Banking strategy

·       Significant Digital Banking experience in a senior management role, operating in a multinational business.

·       Detailed understanding of the external economic, political, legal and regulatory environment and its internal impacts in the regional and each country

·       Strong commercial acumen and knowledge of industry practices and performance measurements

·       Knowledge of principles, practices and techniques of information technology and business strategy.

·       Knowledge of methods, material, and techniques employed in computer systems planning, design, and implementation.

·       Working knowledge of web analytics tools (Google Analytics, Web Trends)

·       Digital Analytics experience

 

Preferred

• Practical knowledge and application of Digital Banking solutions, strategic alliance partnerships including digital business transformation strategies.

• Expert knowledge of managing customer experience with strong business re-engineering experience in enhancing customer experience and managing grievance redressal systems in leading banks/ financial services or Telecom companies

• In-depth understanding of Absa Group and the Absa Africa strategy, operating structure and interfaces with other functions/Ability to operate at strategic level in ambiguous/dynamic environment.

Competencies:  

·       Business management

·       Project Management

·       Risk Management

·       Financial acumen

·       Communication/Influencing skills

·       Stakeholder/customer relationship management

·       Leadership and people management skills

·       Strong data and digital experience

·       Strong Communication/Influencing skills and managing multiple stakeholders and customer relationships

·       Strong influencing and negotiation skills

·       Excellent diagnostic skills, rigorous approach to problem solving and strong analytical skills

·       Excellent comprehension skills to understand and interpret industry data and economic trends

·       Talent creation and development skills to mobilise, manage and improve functional specialist teams.

·       Strong Leadership and team-working skills at senior executive level

·       Ability to think creatively and identify innovative solutions

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology