Head, Public Sector

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

My Career Development Portal: Wherever you are in your career, we are here for you. Design your future. Discover leading-edge guidance, tools and support to unlock your potential. You are Absa. You are possibility.

Job Summary

• Provide leadership to the Business and Corporate Relationship Team and customer portfolio comprised: Government Agencies (i.e. Ministries), Government Departments and Parastatal (e.g. State-owned Enterprises-SOEs) & Development Organizations
• Promote and drive Absa business agenda for Government Agencies and Parastatal, through increased income contribution from this sector, excellent customer service to position the bank favorably to the Government sector.
• Manage and sustain customer relationship from the Government Agencies and Parastatal customer segment, developing and building long-term relationships founded on trust, efficient and reliable customer service support.
• Supervise, manage and implement performance development plans for team members within the Government Agencies & Parastatal team to achieve agreed performance objectives and goals.
• Responsible for business development to new customers to bank and existing customers within the portfolio.
• Act as primary liaison between the Bank and key Government Agencies/Institutions such as the Ministry of Finance & Economic Planning, Controller & Accountant General, Parliament, Social Security & National Insurance Trust, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Tema Oil Refinery etc.

Job Description

Key accountabilities

Accountability: Sales and Service – 50%

• Conduct annual/interim credit review for all borrowing customers (entities) within your portfolio dictated by customer circumstances and credit risk profile.
• Prepare and Update Account Plans and customer calling program for all customers within your portfolio ensuring that key business influencers (KBI’s) i.e. Government Officials, Directors, Senior Managers and Officers are contacted on a regular basis, to discuss financial/credit issues, and general business related issues.
• Determine key messages, agreed customer service standards, and negotiated pricing, relationship team contact points (including introductions of new bank personnel to customers and vice versa) and new product changes.
• Own and support the resolution of customer complaints.
• Determine solutions and services that are most effective in meeting customer needs and arrange to sell these, at short notice, both reactively and proactively.
• Plan/co-ordinate any marketing approaches for new business and actively develop existing relationships. Co-ordinate approaches/contacts to your portfolio by businesses across the Absa Group.
• Monitor and ensure adherence to credit risk service standards and policies

Accountability: Business Management  – 20%

• Research, create and follow up on a target list for potential new business.
• Identify priority customers using the Customer Prioritisation Guidelines to assess present and potential contribution.
• Prepare and assess credit applications including personal input of judgmental information on International Credit Advisor (ICA). This is a senior role so the jobholder must be in a position to carry higher than normal personal discretion.
• Monitor and control the quality of the credit portfolio within your own portfolio and team portfolio using “Covenants” and “Condition of Sanction” triggers in accordance with Absa Wholesale Credit Policy guidelines and Bank policy.
• Manage “Early Warning List” customers to arrest deterioration in credit risk profile, and also adhere to Head Office and Regional guidance provide

Accountability: Customer Experience – 10%

• Develop and implements strategies to enhance and broaden customer value proposition, service, delivery, and client engagement in line with the overall product strategies
• Accountable for driving and monitoring customer experience standards, remediating service failures and identifying lead indicators of service issues and collaborate Segment, to develop corrective actions to proactively remediate issues to uphold a high level of customer experience.

Accountability: People and Culture – 10%

• Lead and drive the colleague agenda
• Builds and sustain a culture that aligns to CIB’s aspirational colleague experience to deliver the target customer experience
• Accountable for cascading the CIB strategy to team members
• Accountable for strategic workforce planning, balancing short and long-terms strategic sourcing requirements to ensure that the team is appropriately resourced to meet demand, compliance, and customer experience requirements.
• Embedment of key strategic systems such as salesforce, MyMI. Scorecard etc.
• Manage Performance Development (PD) Plans for your sub-team ensuring that all team members have agreed PD Plans and performance objectives aligned to agreed financial/operational performance objectives for Commercial Banking Unit.
• Undertake day-to-day coaching and co-ordination of Corporate Support staff in provision of consistent service quality and risk.

Accountability: Risk and Control – 10%

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

Role/Person specification

Education and experience required

• Advanced/Master’s degree in Finance/Business Administration s or a relevant qualification
• 5 years’ experience in the Financial Services sector which must include proven experience
• 5 years’ experience as senior Relationship Manager level in financial services
• 5 years’ Corporate and Investment Banking Experience
• Professional Certification / relevant accreditation or equivalent (ACIB, CFA, CIMA etc.)
• Knowledge of Corporate Banking and core corporate banking products and services
• Knowledge of the financial dealings and operations of Government Agencies, Ministries, Departments and State (Public) Owned Enterprises/Institutions and Development Organizations

Knowledge and skills:  

• Strategic thinker
• Strong Leadership ability
• Effective communication skills
• Experience managing diverse teams
• Experience of operating in a changing environment
• Combination of risk awareness and commercial savvy
• Relevant senior business leadership experience
• Product expertise and client acquisition experience is essential.

Competencies:

• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Coping with pressures and setbacks
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Deciding and initiating action
• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Leading and supervising
• Working with people

Education

Bachelors Degree and Professional Qualifications: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)