Head: Research & Insights - Marketing

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

Job Summary

Job Purpose:
The Head of Group Market Research and Insights at Absa will be responsible for designing and executing research and insights initiatives that provide the bank with a deep understanding of its target audiences, market trends, competitive landscape, digital business and brand performance. This role oversees the analysis of data to provide strategic guidance to a company. Responsibilities include managing a team, building a research & insight strategy, interpreting data to support decision-making, identifying opportunities for growth, and ensuring that insights align with business goals across all Absa markets.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategy Development:  

• Lead the research strategy for both traditional and digital channels to support the company’s growth objectives.
• Align research insights with overall business strategies, helping inform decisions across marketing, product development, and operations.

2. Research Execution:  

• Oversee qualitative and quantitative research projects, including surveys, focus groups, market assessments, competitive analysis, and trend forecasting.
• Leverage digital tools (Google Analytics, social listening platforms, CRM data, etc.) to monitor online consumer behavior, digital marketing performance, and trends.
• Conduct both primary and secondary research to identify consumer insights and emerging trends in digital markets.

3. Digital Insight Generation:  

• Develop and manage digital analytics programs to track customer journeys, digital engagement, website traffic, and social media performance.
• Implement advanced tools such as SEO/SEM analytics, social media analytics, and content performance metrics to offer insights that optimise digital presence.

4. Team Leadership:  

• Build and manage a high-performing research and insights team, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
• Collaborate with other departments to align research goals with business objectives, ensuring insights are actionable across the organization.

5. Stakeholder Engagement:  

• Present findings and insights to senior leadership, creating clear and compelling narratives that guide decision-making.
• Work closely with marketing, product development, and customer experience teams to ensure that insights are translated into impactful strategies.

6. Market and Consumer Trends:  

• Identify and monitor key market trends, consumer preferences, and industry shifts, particularly in the digital space, to keep the organisation ahead of the curve.
• Conduct competitive analysis and benchmarking to ensure the business remains innovative and responsive to market dynamics.

7. Innovation and Technology:  

• Explore new digital tools and methodologies to enhance research capabilities, such as AI-driven insights, predictive analytics, and machine learning.
• Stay updated on the latest research tools, digital trends, and best practices in consumer and market research.

8. Reporting and Insights Delivery:  

• Develop comprehensive reports and dashboards that summarize key insights from research and digital data analytics.
• Offer recommendations for optimizing customer experience, product offerings, and digital strategies based on findings.

Key Accountabilities:

• Translation of business objectives into strategic research plans and methods that create business insights.
• Managing research projects from start to finish, using quantitative and qualitative research methods to provide insights that inform the bank's digital marketing and business strategies. 
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Marketing and other departments, analysing complex data sets, identifying key trends, patterns, and insights that inform strategic decision-making

• Ensuring research initiatives are aligned with the bank's overall marketing and business objectives 
• Stay up to date with the latest market research trends and technologies and advise the Head of Marketing on how to incorporate them into the bank's research initiatives.

• Research Strategy & Integration between Group Functions, business units and Absa markets
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Media and Digital analysing complex digital and media data sets, identifying key trends, patterns, and insights that inform strategic decision-making
• Develop innovative research tools that can provide budget and time efficient results 
• Managing Target setting for all projects and developing the performance matrix for post-performance results
• Managing research and insight partners and ensuring the brand is connected and involved in industry associations 

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Analytical Mindset:  Ability to analyze and interpret complex data sets to extract meaningful insights that inform strategic decisions.
• Digital Savvy:   Expertise in digital research tools, web analytics, social media metrics, and online customer behavior tracking.
• Leadership:  Strong leadership and team management skills to guide a diverse team of research professionals.
• Communication & Collaboration:  Exceptional ability to communicate research findings in a clear, actionable manner to stakeholders at all levels.Ability to work cross-functionally and influence multiple departments, ensuring insights are applied to improve business outcomes.
• Innovative Thinking:  Forward-thinking with the ability to stay ahead of industry trends, particularly in the digital landscape.

Team Management , Research Project Operationalising, Subject matter expertise:

• Experience of both data and business metrics, with strong understanding of fundamentals in quantitative and qualitative research techniques, algorithms, machine learning, natural language processing and statistical modelling.
• Senior leadership experience 
• At least 5-6 years in a multinational Corporate environment
• Superior understanding of Business Operations Management
• Strategic planning and execution
• Superior understanding of Market Research and Insights initiatives
• Research Tools & Platforms
• Research Project Management
• Data Analytics & Data Analysis

Research (Brand, Consumer, Industry):

• Ability to run Industry related research projects such as Marketing Mix Modelling / Cross channel/media studies, ROMI studies (inclusive of Return on Sponsorship Investment model)
• Data Analytics & Insights
• Data Visualisation / Dashboarding - using Data Visualisation Tools such as DatoRama and PowerBI
• Identify opportunities to automate and improve data analytics capabilities of the organisation by collaborating with other team
• Dipstick / Prompt / Agile Research Studies using Bot Technology for prompt/switch Results
• Ad Effectiveness Studies / Link Testing Campaign Performance 
• Reporting at Exco Level 
• Industry Bodies - Representation and Contribution such as Research Association of SA, PAMRO, MRF
• Trends, Landscape Shifts and Future Focused Trends
• Driving measurement, data analysis and insights within Martech Stack to identify key opportunities for hyper-personalization / single view of consumer 
• Work in partnership with business units data analytics teams to drive seamless & intuitive customer experience, inclusive of ability to identify data triggers to drive contextual communications 

Reporting & Dashboarding | Strategic Insights and interpretation of data to drive Integrated Marketing Communications: 

• Media
• Digital – Performance Marketing, 
• Search Engine Optimisation
• Owned Digital platforms performance
• Data Triggers to drive contextual communications 
• Social Media
• PR
• Influencers
• Brand
• Sponsorship inclusive of developing Client/Customer experience measurements, Return on Sponsorship Investment Models aligned to overall Sponsorship Commercialisation
• Corporate Citizenship
• Business Units – Relationship Banking, Corporate Investment Banking, ARO (Rest of Africa & International)

Performance & Performance Marketing Tracking and Analytics across channels & campaigns: 

• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Business vs Brand

Competitor Tracking and Analysis drawing out strategic insights:

• Monthly Tracking
• Bi-Annual Reviews
• Competitor Mapping & Deep Diving

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Minimum B-degree (NQF level no.7) / Desired: Post Graduate Degree (NQF level no.8+)
• Honours & Masters Preferrable

Preferred Experience & Skills:

• 10+ years (Technical/Managerial) experience
• 10+ years Market Research and Insights experience
• Excellent analytical skills and problem-solving skills with sales data from internal and external sources
• Excellent communication skills, including presentation and training skills
• Strong planning and project management skills
• Can identify and prioritise the key insights from a wealth of data

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Marketing (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