Head of Commercial Services

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Job Summary

• To provide strategic leadership and end-to-end oversight of Commercial Services, ensuring that the Bank’s external spend, supplier ecosystem, property portfolio, workplace services and safety obligations deliver measurable business value, operational resilience and an excellent colleague and customer environment.
• Lead an integrated, data-led Commercial Services operating model aligned to CODO and enterprise priorities.
• Optimise bank-wide third-party spend, total cost of ownership and demand while protecting service quality, control and continuity.
• Direct the property and workplace portfolio, including leases, projects, facilities, utilities, occupancy and asset lifecycle management.
• Strengthen supplier governance, third-party risk, contract performance and resilience across critical services.
• Accelerate digitisation, automation and analytics across source-to-pay, supplier management, facilities and service operations.
• Embed sustainability, safety, accessibility and responsible sourcing into commercial and workplace decisions.
• Build a high-performing, future-ready team and trusted partnerships with businesses, Finance, Risk, Legal, Technology and Group functions

Job Description

Key accountabilities/Deliverables/Outcomes

Accountability: Commercial Strategy, Value and Financial Stewardship - 20%

• Define and execute the Commercial Services strategy, operating model, scorecard and multi-year roadmap in alignment with CODO and the Bank’s strategic priorities.

• Own the function’s budget, benefits plan and productivity agenda, with transparent tracking of cost, value, service, risk and sustainability outcomes.

• Lead enterprise spend and demand analytics, should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership assessments, and market benchmarking to identify structural value opportunities.

• Partner with business and Finance leaders to challenge demand, shape investment choices and translate business requirements into commercially sound solutions.

• Provide executive insight on market movements, supplier concentration, property economics and emerging commercial risks and opportunities.

Accountability: Strategic Sourcing, Contracting and Supplier Performance - 20%

• Lead category strategies, competitive sourcing, negotiation and contracting for goods and services within the function’s mandate, ensuring value, fairness and policy compliance.

• Establish disciplined contract lifecycle management, including obligation tracking, renewals, variations, claims, disputes and benefits realisation.

• Segment and govern the supplier portfolio, with clear performance standards, service-level agreements, relationship plans and executive escalation for strategic and critical suppliers.

• Drive supplier innovation, local and diverse supplier participation, responsible sourcing and commercially sustainable partnerships.

• Oversee source-to-pay effectiveness, including requisitioning, purchase order discipline, invoice resolution and timely, accurate supplier payment.

Accountability: Property, Workplace, Facilities and Sustainability - 20%

• Develop and execute the property and workplace strategy across owned and leased premises, aligned to business demand, customer needs, hybrid work and portfolio economics.

• Lead lease negotiations, renewals, exits, acquisitions, disposals, valuations and landlord performance, supported by reliable portfolio and market data.

• Oversee capital projects, refurbishments and relocations to agreed scope, quality, cost, safety and schedule, with robust governance and benefits tracking.

• Ensure effective facilities, utilities, maintenance, workplace, mail, transport, reception, archives and related administrative services through fit-for-purpose service models.

• Embed energy efficiency, resource optimisation, waste reduction, climate resilience and accessibility into premises, projects and supplier standards.

• Maintain property, asset, occupancy and maintenance data to support lifecycle planning, preventive maintenance and informed investment decisions.

Accountability: Digital Enablement, Service Excellence and Innovation - 15%

• Sponsor digitisation and automation across procurement, contract management, supplier governance, facilities, payments and service request journeys.

• Establish reliable management information, dashboards and predictive insights for spend, savings, supplier performance, property, safety, service and risk.

• Design simple, customer-centred services with clear service catalogues, ownership, turnaround standards and escalation routes.

• Measure stakeholder experience and use feedback, process mining, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement to raise service quality and productivity.

• Assess emerging technologies, including AI-enabled analytics and workflow automation, with appropriate human oversight, data governance, security and control.

Accountability: Risk, Control, Resilience and Regulatory Compliance - 15%

• Own the Commercial Services risk and control environment, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, Group standards and Bank policies.

• Lead third-party risk governance across due diligence, financial viability, information security, data privacy, business continuity, subcontracting, concentration and exit planning.

• Ensure critical supplier and workplace services have tested continuity, incident response, crisis management and recovery arrangements.

• Oversee occupational safety, health, environmental and building compliance, including risk assessments, statutory inspections, incident management and remediation.

• Ensure accurate approvals, segregation of duties, records, invoice controls and assurance across sourcing, contracting, property and payments.

• Act as the accountable escalation point for material incidents, control gaps, audit findings and regulatory matters, ensuring timely and sustainable closure.

Accountability: People Leadership and Enterprise Partnership - 10%

• Build an inclusive, high-performing team with clear accountabilities, succession coverage and capability plans across commercial, property, digital, analytics, risk and sustainability disciplines.

• Coach leaders and colleagues, set stretching objectives, provide regular feedback and manage performance and recognition fairly.

• Create cross-functional ways of working with CODO, business units, Finance, Risk, Legal, Compliance, Technology, Security, Human Capital and Group functions.

• Influence senior stakeholders through evidence-based recommendations, effective governance forums and transparent communication of trade-offs and decisions.

• Promote ethical conduct, a strong control culture, customer obsession, innovation and continuous learning.

 

Risk and Control objective

• To lead, drive and provide strategic oversight of Commercial Services for Absa Bank Kenya, ensuring that commercial, supplier, property, workplace and payment activities are efficient, resilient, responsible and conducted within approved risk appetite, policy and regulatory requirements.

Role/person specification

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Commerce, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, Property/Facilities Management or a related discipline.

• Postgraduate qualification or MBA is advantageous.

• Relevant professional certification is strongly preferred, for example CIPS or an equivalent procurement qualification; facilities, property, project management, sustainability or risk certification is advantageous.

Experience

• At least 10 years’ relevant experience across procurement/commercial management, supplier management, property/facilities or enterprise services, including substantial senior leadership experience.

• Demonstrated accountability for significant budgets, complex negotiations, strategic suppliers, outsourced services and/or a multi-site property portfolio.

• Experience in a regulated financial services or similarly complex environment is strongly preferred.

• Proven delivery of measurable cost, service, risk, digital transformation, sustainability and stakeholder outcomes.

Knowledge and Skills

• Banking operating models, regulatory expectations and operational resilience requirements.

• Strategic sourcing, category management, competitive tendering, negotiation and contract lifecycle management.

• Third-party risk management, supplier due diligence, concentration risk, business continuity and exit planning.

• Spend analytics, demand management, should-cost modelling, total cost of ownership and benefits realisation.

• Property portfolio strategy, leasing, valuation, workplace planning, facilities operations and capital project governance.

• Occupational safety, health, environmental and building compliance requirements.

• Source-to-pay controls, accounts payable interfaces, financial governance and management reporting.

• Digital procurement, workflow automation, data visualisation and responsible use of AI-enabled analytics.

• Sustainability, climate resilience, energy efficiency, responsible sourcing and inclusive supplier development.

 

Absa Bank Kenya is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. 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.

***Application Deadline – 16th October 2026***

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)