Head : Equities Trading

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Job Summary

The Head Trading Desk is accountable for leading the Stockbroking Trading Desk, ensuring the effective execution of client trading activities across relevant asset classes, markets and platforms. The role is responsible for driving trading excellence, market conduct, operational discipline, client service, risk management and commercial performance within the Stockbroking business.
The role provides operational leadership to the trading function, ensuring that execution standards, regulatory requirements, client outcomes and business performance objectives are consistently met. The Head Trading Desk acts as a key interface between portfolio managers, clients, operations, compliance, risk, technology, product teams and external market participants.

Job Description

Trading Desk Leadership and Execution Excellence

Lead and manage the Trading Desk to ensure accurate, timely and compliant execution of trades across approved markets, instruments and platforms.

Key responsibilities include:

• Oversee daily trading activity and ensure execution is aligned to client mandates, instructions, best execution principles and internal policies.
• Monitor market conditions, liquidity, pricing, volatility and trading risks that may affect client outcomes.
• Ensure trades are executed efficiently, accurately and within agreed turnaround times.
• Drive disciplined pre-trade and post-trade controls.
• Manage escalation of execution issues, failed trades, price disputes, system outages or market incidents.
• Ensure trading practices comply with JSE rules, FSCA requirements, FAIS obligations, internal governance standards and market conduct principles.
• Maintain a high-performance trading environment that balances speed, accuracy, client outcomes and risk discipline.

Strategic and Commercial Leadership

Contribute to the strategic growth and competitiveness of the Stockbroking business by ensuring the Trading Desk supports revenue growth, client retention and market relevance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Support the business strategy for Stockbroking, Wealth, Private Banking, Financial Advisers and Portfolio Management channels.
• Identify opportunities to improve trading capability, client experience, revenue generation and operational efficiency.
• Partner with product, platforms and technology teams to enhance digital trading solutions and adviser/client enablement.
• Provide market insights to business leadership to support strategic decision-making.
• Support growth in assets under management, assets under advice, brokerage income and client trading activity.
• Drive trading desk productivity, cost efficiency and service excellence.
• Contribute to pricing, margin, brokerage and execution model reviews where applicable.

Client, Adviser and Portfolio Manager Enablement

Ensure the Trading Desk delivers a professional, responsive and trusted service to internal and external stakeholders.

Key responsibilities include:

• Act as a senior point of contact for complex trading queries, high-value clients, adviser escalations and portfolio manager requirements.
• Support advisers and relationship managers with execution-related insights, trading processes and market updates.
• Ensure client instructions are handled with care, confidentiality and urgency.
• Promote a client-first culture focused on fair outcomes, transparency and professionalism.
• Strengthen collaboration between the Trading Desk, advisory teams, portfolio management, client service, operations and digital platforms.
• Ensure high standards of communication during volatile markets, corporate actions, major market events or trading disruptions.

Risk, Compliance and Market Conduct

Accountable for ensuring that the Trading Desk operates within regulatory, operational, conduct and reputational risk appetite.

Key responsibilities include:

• Ensure adherence to all relevant trading rules, regulatory requirements and internal control frameworks.
• Maintain strong oversight of market abuse risks, insider trading risk, conflicts of interest, order handling, client priority and personal account dealing requirements.
• Embed a culture of ethical trading, accountability and market integrity.
• Ensure all trading activity is appropriately recorded, monitored and auditable.
• Partner with Compliance, Risk, Legal and Internal Audit on reviews, incidents, remediation and control enhancements.
• Ensure timely reporting and escalation of breaches, near misses, complaints, failed trades or control weaknesses.
• Support business continuity planning for trading operations, including system failures and market disruption scenarios.
• Maintain robust segregation of duties and control standards across the end-to-end trade lifecycle.

Operational Management and Process Improvement

Drive operational excellence across the full trade lifecycle, from order receipt to execution, settlement and reporting.

Key responsibilities include:

• Oversee daily operational rhythm, including start-of-day readiness, trading activity monitoring, end-of-day reconciliations and issue resolution.
• Ensure strong alignment between Trading Desk, Operations, Settlements, Finance and Technology teams.
• Monitor trade breaks, settlement failures, system exceptions and operational risks.
• Drive automation, simplification and digitisation of trading processes.
• Improve controls, workflows, service-level agreements and reporting disciplines.
• Ensure procedures, desk manuals and operating standards are current and consistently applied.
• Support system upgrades, platform enhancements, user acceptance testing and change implementation.
• Ensure business continuity and disaster recovery processes are tested and effective.

People Leadership and Capability Building

Lead, develop and manage the Trading Desk team to deliver high performance, technical excellence and conduct discipline.

Key responsibilities include:

• Set clear performance expectations, service standards and behavioural expectations for the team.
• Build technical capability across markets, instruments, execution platforms, regulation and client service.
• Coach and develop traders to strengthen execution judgement, market awareness and risk management.
• Manage team capacity, leave planning, succession, cross-skilling and resilience.
• Address underperformance, conduct concerns and control failures promptly.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and client obsession.
• Ensure mandatory training, fit-and-proper requirements and regulatory competence standards are met.
• Support talent development and succession planning for critical trading roles.

Technical Competencies

The role requires strong technical competence in:

• Equity and listed instrument trading
• Stockbroking operations and trade lifecycle management
• JSE rules and market conduct requirements
• Best execution and order handling principles
• FAIS, FSCA and relevant financial markets regulation
• Market risk, operational risk and conduct risk management
• Trading platforms, market data systems and execution tools
• Settlement processes and trade reconciliations
• Client mandate and instruction management
• Business continuity and incident management
• Data analysis, MI reporting and performance tracking
• Digital trading and process automation

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Relevant degree in Finance, Investments, Economics, Accounting, Commerce or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification would be advantageous.
• SAIS Membership  would be preferable   (Stockbroker exam and experience)
• Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) Traders Exam
• SAIFM RPEs

Required Experience

• Proven track record of 5+ years’ experience in trading, financial markets, stockbroking, investment dealing or execution environments.
• Demonstrated 3–5 years’ leadership experience or proven leadership capability in managing traders, dealers, specialists or high-performing market-facing teams.
• Experience operating in a regulated financial services environment, with strong exposure to trading governance, risk controls, market conduct and client execution standards.
• Proven ability to manage trading activity under pressure, particularly during periods of market volatility, high volumes or complex client execution requirements.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders, portfolio managers, advisers, institutional clients, private banking teams, operations, compliance and risk partners.
• Experience in improving trading processes, controls, platforms, service standards and operational efficiency.

Expertise

• Deep knowledge of financial markets, trading environments and asset classes, including equities, listed instruments, FX, commodities, ETFs, bonds, derivatives or other relevant investment products.
• Strong understanding of trading tools, dealing platforms, market data systems, order management systems and execution workflows.
• Sound knowledge of market conduct principles, best execution, order handling, client priority, conflicts of interest and regulatory requirements.
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end trade lifecycle, including order receipt, execution, confirmation, settlement, reconciliation, exception management and reporting.
• Ability to interpret market trends, liquidity, pricing, volatility and execution risks to support informed trading decisions.
• Strong commercial, analytical and risk-management capability, with the ability to balance client outcomes, revenue delivery, operational discipline and regulatory compliance.

Key Competencies

Commercial Mindset

• Demonstrates exceptional commercial acumen, driving sustainable revenue growth, profitability, and value creation across the Advice & Investments portfolio. Integrates market intelligence, client insights, and financial performance to shape strategic decisions. Optimises resource allocation, cost-to-income, and investment returns while embedding a strong performance and accountability culture aligned to business outcomes.

Customer Excellence

• Champions a customer-first approach by ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery across the end-to-end client value chain.
• Embeds customer-centric practices into operational processes and decision-making, balancing experience, efficiency, and commercial outcomes. Monitors customer metrics and drives continuous improvement in engagement, satisfaction, and retention.

Digital Affinity

• Demonstrates a strong understanding of digital technologies and their application in transforming business performance and customer experience.
• Drives adoption of digital platforms, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to enhance scalability, efficiency, and insight-driven decision-making.
• Promotes a digitally enabled culture aligned to the A&I transformation agenda.

Effective Communication

• Communicates complex strategic, financial, and operational concepts with clarity and impact across diverse stakeholder groups, including Exco and external partners. Influences decision-making through compelling, data-driven narratives.
• Ensures alignment through structured, transparent, and timely communication, adapting style to drive engagement and execution.

Leading Change

• Drives and embeds strategic transformation initiatives across the A&I value chain, ensuring alignment to business objectives and measurable outcomes.
• Drives adoption through effective stakeholder engagement, clear communication, and structured management practices. Fosters a culture of agility, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Leading People – Leadership Level

• Provides inspirational leadership across diverse, multi-functional teams, fostering a high-performance, inclusive, and accountable culture.
• Builds leadership depth through succession planning, coaching, and targeted development.
• Aligns people strategies to business priorities, ensuring capability, engagement, and future readiness across the organisation.

Product and/or Service Knowledge

• Demonstrates strong expertise across investment, advisory, fiduciary, and financial services offerings.
• Applies deep product knowledge to shape integrated client solutions, enhance competitiveness, and support revenue growth.
• Ensures alignment of product strategies with client needs, market trends, and regulatory requirements.

Strategic Execution

• Execute Business strategy aligned to PPB and Group priorities, positioning A&I for sustained competitive advantage.
• Translates Stockbroking strategy into clear, actionable plans with measurable outcomes.
• Anticipates market shifts and integrates enterprise-wide perspectives to deliver holistic, future-fit business solutions.

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