Head of Customer Network & Sales at ABSA Bank

Position: Head of Customer Network & Sales 

Absa Group Limited 

Dar es Salaam

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With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

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Job Summary

The purpose of the role is to recommend, develop and lead an integrated channel strategy for Absa Bank Tanzania Limited. It will require understanding the total footprint of Absa Bank Tanzania Limited and competitors in the continent leverage on best practices from Absa Group and ensuring the bank has optimum distribution through all touch points. Besides electronic channels the real focus will be on physical branch distribution, setting up of Direct sales and CLM Team and Loan centers and Prestige Premier Centers for customer segments.

• Creating an overall channel strategy (Physical and Electronic) and communicating this to ABT stakeholders,
• Provide leadership on branch performance by delivering balance sheet, Profit and Loss, and grow business through NTB customer acquisition through branch and Direct Sales channels on chosen Segments.
• Drive Customer Life Management calling programme through active tele calling programme.
• Run the centralized retention unit called Customer Life Cycle Management Unit (CLM) – a dedicated team supports the Business to achieve its set goals and objectives through proactive provision of post-sales support on boarding of both new and some existing customers thus retaining our customers and minimizing attrition on both assets and liabilities
• Leverage CLM team to call on behalf of Branches to activate and X-Sell.
• Drive Customer adoption for Digital banking – Hello Money, Internet, BMB and BTB, iATM adoption
• Re-alignment of the ATM and branch strategy to business requirements,
• Personal segment push towards Hello Money – Mobile banking
• Challenge of working as part of a team across many locations.
• Journey times may be long – the role holder will be required to provide support to all (branches) clusters as necessary.
• Challenge of liaising/communicating with both a specialist property team and the end user community.
• Owing to time constraints the role holder has to be adaptable, able to work under pressure and ensure that deliverables are achieved within agreed timescales.
• Managing at a time of significant cultural change.
• Managing the inputs of, and negotiating trade-offs between, cross-sectoral customers that operate within the Absa Bank Tanzania network.
• Managing the significant reputation and operation risk associated with retail transformation initiatives and change.

Job Description

Main accountabilities and approximate time split

50% – Lead and develop Retail Banking Customer Network Integrated strategy

Distribution (Branch Network)

• Update Retail strategy and ongoing Distribution assessment.
• Lead scientific method of branch optimization
• Branches to leverage and collaborate with CLM and Absa Direct Team.
• Develop key matrix to evaluate productivity and efficiency of all touch points
• Reshape physical distribution understanding the customer profile and demographics and competitor footprints
• To understand the synergies between Retail and Business Banking and align the distribution strategy to them
• Ensure compliance to all regulatory and bank standards
• Work with the heads of segment and channels in country to monitor the channel efficiency and bring best practice from around the world
• Work along side the head of Retail and Corporate performance managers and all segment owners to identify the right channel mix for the targeted customers
• To ensure that all channels have a robust business case and profitability analysis is in place

Sales & Workplace Banking

• To Develop Workplace Banking and Sales Strategies and to lead strategy implementation to deliver superior Sales and Workplace Banking Performance.
• To interpret and communicate overall Retail Business Strategy as well as the strategy for Workplace Banking and Direct Sales Unit.
• To provide Innovative Sales leadership to create retail products demand and device consumer outreach campaigns to capture opportunities.
• Sales of new customer acquisition across all Retail segments to include direct on boarding of Personal and Prestige customers with a referral approach on Premier customers.
• To ensure that Workplace Banking and Sales have significant contribution to overall retail business in country.
• To be Responsible for overall performance of the Workplace Banking and Direct sales Unit in Country (Currently comprising of Business Relationships Acquisitions at company level for Sales Penetration of
• Absa Direct Payroll accounts and Loans, Scheme Loans, and Standard Liability accounts).
• Deepening Commercial Relationships to grow penetration in company employee bases.

30% – Ensure delivery of channel solutions

• With input from the Retail Banking Director, agree targets and take accountability for the overall achievement of performance objectives for Branch Network, Direct sales and Workplace Banking Unit in terms of:
• Workplace Banking company signups on Absa Direct, Scheme Loan Companies and Payroll Companies.
• Driving Sales Growth and penetration in all signed up relationships.
• Ensuring the best in class customer experience across all branches and sales centers.
• Embedding Risk and Rigor Management throughout all branch processes and operations.
• Driving Revenue Generation and Cost Management across the customer network and direct sales channel.
• Lead and guide the Sales Heads and Branch Cluster Managers to deliver all channel strategies
• Interface with IT and other stake holders to ensure t here is a robust strategy and architecture around the Branch and Sales Channel strategy
• Interact with Exco and Head of customer solutions, Country MDs and other stake holders to arrive at distribution decisions
• Manage the entire channel space through analytics and get scientific decision making as a basis of channel strategy

20% – Teamwork

• Establish Winning together culture
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with key stakeholders, colleagues in own, other functions, vendors and other 3rd party suppliers to ABT to deliver first class sales and service to customers through all ABT’s distribution channels

Risk and Control Objective

• In the event of major issues in the business unit, act as crisis coordinator and allocate tasks to the crisis teams.
• Review the risk and compliance profiles of the business unit on a regular basis and provide consultative support to the Managing Director on changes that are required to rebalance risk and reward where required.
• Understanding of own role in the end to end processes in which you play a part, including applicable risks and controls.
• Adhere to Absa’s policies and procedures applicable to own role, demonstrating sound judgment and responsible risk management.
• Keep up to date on all regulatory changes and have the ability to articulate the impact to the Business, be well informed on the industry thinking.
• All mandatory training completed to deadline.

Technical skills / Competencies

• Experience of managing branch distribution
• Sales, Service and Operations management, track measure and assess.
• Risk analysis of any 3rd party tie ups
• Understanding of customer needs in various countries in Africa
• Project and change management
• Team working
• Planning and organization
• Good communicating skills
• Presentation skills
• Problem solving and analysis
• Negotiation skills
• Numeracy and analytical thinking

Knowledge, Expertise and Experience

Essential

• In depth understanding of Absa Group distribution strategies.
• Drive sales performance
• Understanding and experience of having managed distribution strategy in a country
• In depth knowledge of the local environment and business processes.
• Knowledge of Absa Bank technology policy and procedures
• At least 10 years experience in senior leadership role in Banking industry in Africa
• Understanding of Retail and Corporate Banking business dynamics
• 3 years experience in project management
• BSc/BCom degree or suitable equivalent
• E-Commerce certificate or equivalent
• MBA (Masters in Business Administration)
• Project Management Qualification or equivalent

Preferred

• Understand of delivery channels and the role within the business environment
• Knowledge of the Absa Group business model

Absa Values

Absa’s Values and Behaviors represent the set of standards which governs the actions of all of us who work for the bank and against which the performance of every one of us in Absa are being assessed and rewarded:

• Trust
• Resourceful
• Stewardship
• Inclusive
• Courage

Education

Master’s Degree: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

How to Apply:

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