Senior Manager: Business Process Optimization

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

Job Summary

Job Description

The Senior Manager: Business Process Optimisation is a critical value enablement role reporting to the Executive: Operational Excellence. This role is accountable for the design, coordination, and delivery of process optimisation solutions that enable performance and value creation. The incumbent applies deep Business Process Management expertise and business insight to shape and implement tactical plans, optimise service delivery, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. The role requires strong stakeholder engagement, operational oversight, and the ability to lead teams or practices through change and continuous improvement. Additionally, the role demands driving business ownership of results and embedding change at the organisational level.

 

As a Senior Manager in the Absa Business Banking Operational Delivery Excellence, you will excel in commercializing and monetizing strategies with a strong financial acumen. Your ability to leverage digital tools and technology to automate processes and generate commercial value will be paramount. With a focus on efficiency driven by automation, digitization, and cost optimization, you will consistently create demonstrated value for our clients.

 

KEY FOCUS AREAS

We are shaping the future by turning bold strategies into actionable plans that deliver measurable impact.
Our commitment to customer primacy ensures every solution is informed by insight and designed to create exceptional experiences.
We drive sustainable growth through disciplined performance and smart investment decisions that unlock long-term value.
Innovation is at the heart of what we do—leading change, embracing new technologies, and fostering continuous improvement.
We believe in the power of people, building inclusive, high-performing teams and developing leaders for tomorrow.
Operational excellence is our standard, optimizing processes and ensuring seamless delivery that exceeds expectations.
Digital transformation fuels our progress, embedding automation and innovation to redefine how we work and serve.
Integrity guides us as we uphold governance, manage risk, and ensure compliance with unwavering diligence.
Data is our advantage—transforming insights into smarter decisions and creating value at every opportunity.
Through strong stakeholder partnerships, we align priorities, communicate transparently, and deliver outcomes that matter.

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

Strategy Formulation and Execution

·       Drives growth through goal-oriented collaboration, strong relationships, and innovative approaches.

·       Demonstrates ownership of decisions, actions, and outcomes, consistently upholding high standards.

·       Translate strategic objectives into operational plans with clear deliverables, timelines, and performance measures.

·       Align team or practice area priorities with business goals, ensuring tactical execution supports broader strategic outcomes.

·       Monitor progress, identify risks, and implement corrective actions to ensure delivery.

 

Customer Primacy

·       Use customer insights to inform service design and delivery improvements.

·       Champion initiatives that enhance customer experience, satisfaction, and loyalty.

·       Collaborate across teams to ensure consistent and differentiated customer journeys.

 

Sustainable Growth

·       Advances efficiency through automation, digitisation, and digitalisation to optimize costs.

·       Contribute to the development and execution of growth plans aligned with business unit priorities.

·       Drive performance accountability within the team or practice area.

·       Support investment decisions through analysis of operational impact and value creation.

 

Client-Driven Innovation and Change

·       Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

·       Lead change initiatives, ensuring readiness, engagement, and adoption.

·       Support the implementation of new technologies, processes, and practices.

·       Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen principles to drive structured process improvement initiatives.

·       Lead root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for process failures.

·       Implement change readiness assessments and structured adoption plans for new processes and technologies.

·       Drive stakeholder engagement to ensure successful implementation and sustainability of changes.

 

 

Leading Talent

·       Champions talent development, inclusion, and fosters a culture of continuous learning.

·       Develop team or practice capabilities to meet current and future business needs.

·       Foster a culture of performance, inclusion, and continuous learning.

·       Manage performance, development, and succession planning.

 

 

Operational Effectiveness

·       Translate business priorities into operational plans with defined KPIs and scorecards.

·       Optimise processes for efficiency, quality, and alignment with customer needs.

·       Resolve operational issues and ensure continuity of delivery.

·       Establish and maintain process architecture standards (e.g., BPMN) to ensure consistency and scalability across the organisation.

·       Define and govern process ownership frameworks to embed accountability for end-to-end processes.

·       Develop and monitor process KPIs and scorecards to measure efficiency, turnaround times, and customer impact.

·       Build dashboards and reporting frameworks for real-time visibility of process performance.

·       Develop capacity planning frameworks to optimise resource allocation and support process efficiency.

·       Align workforce planning with process redesign to ensure sustainable delivery.

 

 

Digital Adoption

·       Promote the use of digital tools and platforms to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.

·       Identify opportunities for automation and digitisation.

·       Support digital transformation initiatives and ensure effective adoption.

·       Partner with technology teams to integrate automation, workflow tools, and digital platforms into redesigned processes.

·       Champion intelligent automation and robotic process automation (RPA) initiatives.

 

 

Good Governance, Risk and Compliance

·       Implement governance, risk, and compliance frameworks within operational routines.

·       Promote risk-aware decision-making and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.

·       Monitor and manage operational risks, ensuring timely resolution and reporting.

·       Embed regulatory compliance requirements into process design and optimisation frameworks.

·       Ensure all process changes meet audit and control standards.

 

 

Data Monetisation

·       Use data and analytics to inform decisions, improve performance, and identify opportunities.

·       Ensure data quality and relevance for reporting, insights, and operational planning.

·       Apply performance insights to drive continuous improvement and value creation.

·       Use process analytics and operational data to identify bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.

·       Conduct trend analysis and predictive modelling to inform process optimisation strategies.

 

 

Stakeholder Management

·       Build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

·       Align delivery with stakeholder expectations and business priorities.

·       Communicate progress, risks, and outcomes effectively.

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

 

Education/Qualification:
Bachelor’s Degree, Advanced Diplomas, Post Graduate Certificate, or B Tech [NQF7].

 

 

Field of Study:

Business, Commerce and Management Studies

 

Work Experience:

• 5 - 12 years experience in a specific capability of importance to the bank, including a track record of 3 years in a people management position.

• Exposure to process design, optimisation, quality management, customer centricity, technology and data-driven decision-making is preferred.

 

COMPETENCIES

 

Leadership Competencies:

·       Strategic Thinking

·       Business Acumen

·       Communication

·       Influence

·       Leadership

·       Delivering Results

·       Adaptability

·       Collaboration

·       Decision-Making

 

 

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong commercialisation and monetisation skills with an affinity for finance

• Digital affinity and dexterity that leverages technology to automate and create commercial value

The Senior Manager: Business Process Optimisation is a critical value enablement role reporting to the Executive: Operational Excellence. This role is accountable for the design, coordination, and delivery of process optimisation solutions that enable performance and value creation. The incumbent applies deep Business Process Management expertise and business insight to shape and implement tactical plans, optimise service delivery, and ensure alignment with strategic objectives. The role requires strong stakeholder engagement, operational oversight, and the ability to lead teams or practices through change and continuous improvement. Additionally, the role demands driving business ownership of results and embedding change at the organisational level.

 

As a Senior Manager in the Absa Business Banking Operational Delivery Excellence, you will excel in commercializing and monetizing strategies with a strong financial acumen. Your ability to leverage digital tools and technology to automate processes and generate commercial value will be paramount. With a focus on efficiency driven by automation, digitization, and cost optimization, you will consistently create demonstrated value for our clients.

 

KEY FOCUS AREAS

We are shaping the future by turning bold strategies into actionable plans that deliver measurable impact.
Our commitment to customer primacy ensures every solution is informed by insight and designed to create exceptional experiences.
We drive sustainable growth through disciplined performance and smart investment decisions that unlock long-term value.
Innovation is at the heart of what we do—leading change, embracing new technologies, and fostering continuous improvement.
We believe in the power of people, building inclusive, high-performing teams and developing leaders for tomorrow.
Operational excellence is our standard, optimizing processes and ensuring seamless delivery that exceeds expectations.
Digital transformation fuels our progress, embedding automation and innovation to redefine how we work and serve.
Integrity guides us as we uphold governance, manage risk, and ensure compliance with unwavering diligence.
Data is our advantage—transforming insights into smarter decisions and creating value at every opportunity.
Through strong stakeholder partnerships, we align priorities, communicate transparently, and deliver outcomes that matter.

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES

 

Strategy Formulation and Execution

·       Drives growth through goal-oriented collaboration, strong relationships, and innovative approaches.

·       Demonstrates ownership of decisions, actions, and outcomes, consistently upholding high standards.

·       Translate strategic objectives into operational plans with clear deliverables, timelines, and performance measures.

·       Align team or practice area priorities with business goals, ensuring tactical execution supports broader strategic outcomes.

·       Monitor progress, identify risks, and implement corrective actions to ensure delivery.

 

Customer Primacy

·       Use customer insights to inform service design and delivery improvements.

·       Champion initiatives that enhance customer experience, satisfaction, and loyalty.

·       Collaborate across teams to ensure consistent and differentiated customer journeys.

 

Sustainable Growth

·       Advances efficiency through automation, digitisation, and digitalisation to optimize costs.

·       Contribute to the development and execution of growth plans aligned with business unit priorities.

·       Drive performance accountability within the team or practice area.

·       Support investment decisions through analysis of operational impact and value creation.

 

Client-Driven Innovation and Change

·       Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.

·       Lead change initiatives, ensuring readiness, engagement, and adoption.

·       Support the implementation of new technologies, processes, and practices.

·       Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen principles to drive structured process improvement initiatives.

·       Lead root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for process failures.

·       Implement change readiness assessments and structured adoption plans for new processes and technologies.

·       Drive stakeholder engagement to ensure successful implementation and sustainability of changes.

 

 

Leading Talent

·       Champions talent development, inclusion, and fosters a culture of continuous learning.

·       Develop team or practice capabilities to meet current and future business needs.

·       Foster a culture of performance, inclusion, and continuous learning.

·       Manage performance, development, and succession planning.

 

 

Operational Effectiveness

·       Translate business priorities into operational plans with defined KPIs and scorecards.

·       Optimise processes for efficiency, quality, and alignment with customer needs.

·       Resolve operational issues and ensure continuity of delivery.

·       Establish and maintain process architecture standards (e.g., BPMN) to ensure consistency and scalability across the organisation.

·       Define and govern process ownership frameworks to embed accountability for end-to-end processes.

·       Develop and monitor process KPIs and scorecards to measure efficiency, turnaround times, and customer impact.

·       Build dashboards and reporting frameworks for real-time visibility of process performance.

·       Develop capacity planning frameworks to optimise resource allocation and support process efficiency.

·       Align workforce planning with process redesign to ensure sustainable delivery.

 

 

Digital Adoption

·       Promote the use of digital tools and platforms to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.

·       Identify opportunities for automation and digitisation.

·       Support digital transformation initiatives and ensure effective adoption.

·       Partner with technology teams to integrate automation, workflow tools, and digital platforms into redesigned processes.

·       Champion intelligent automation and robotic process automation (RPA) initiatives.

 

 

Good Governance, Risk and Compliance

·       Implement governance, risk, and compliance frameworks within operational routines.

·       Promote risk-aware decision-making and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.

·       Monitor and manage operational risks, ensuring timely resolution and reporting.

·       Embed regulatory compliance requirements into process design and optimisation frameworks.

·       Ensure all process changes meet audit and control standards.

 

 

Data Monetisation

·       Use data and analytics to inform decisions, improve performance, and identify opportunities.

·       Ensure data quality and relevance for reporting, insights, and operational planning.

·       Apply performance insights to drive continuous improvement and value creation.

·       Use process analytics and operational data to identify bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.

·       Conduct trend analysis and predictive modelling to inform process optimisation strategies.

 

 

Stakeholder Management

·       Build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

·       Align delivery with stakeholder expectations and business priorities.

·       Communicate progress, risks, and outcomes effectively.

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

 

Education/Qualification:
Bachelor’s Degree, Advanced Diplomas, Post Graduate Certificate, or B Tech [NQF7].

 

 

Field of Study:

Business, Commerce and Management Studies

 

Work Experience:

• 5 - 12 years experience in a specific capability of importance to the bank, including a track record of 3 years in a people management position.

• Exposure to process design, optimisation, quality management, customer centricity, technology and data-driven decision-making is preferred.

 

COMPETENCIES

 

Leadership Competencies:

·       Strategic Thinking

·       Business Acumen

·       Communication

·       Influence

·       Leadership

·       Delivering Results

·       Adaptability

·       Collaboration

·       Decision-Making

 

 

Knowledge and Skills:

·  Strong commercialisation and monetisation skills with an affinity for finance

·  Digital affinity and dexterity that leverages technology to automate and create commercial value

·  Mindset of efficiency driven by automation, digitization, and cost optimisation to create client value

·       Operational planning and execution

·       Process optimisation and service design

·       Customer experience management

·       Performance measurement and reporting

·       Governance and compliance

·       Digital tools and platforms

·       Data analysis and insight generation

·       Team leadership and developmentMindset of efficiency driven by automation, digitization, and cost optimisation to create client value

·       Operational planning and execution

·       Process optimisation and service design

·       Customer experience management

·       Performance measurement and reporting

·       Governance and compliance

·       Digital tools and platforms

·       Data analysis and insight generation

·       Team leadership and development

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