Executive: Digital Channels (DevSecOps) at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• Lead the transformation of digital channels through secure development practices (DevSecOps), enhancing customer engagement and operational efficiency.
• Drive innovation and automation across platforms to support strategic business objectives and ensure compliance with security standards.

Job Description

KEY FOCUS AREAS

• Implement and operate DevSecOps platforms and delivery pipelines within approved infrastructure frameworks
• Lead CI/CD toolchain implementation, container orchestration, and microservices platform operations
• Ensure reliable, secure, and efficient application deployment and release management processes
• Drive automation excellence in development environment provisioning and platform monitoring
• Manage application security implementation, code quality frameworks, and operational observability
• Optimize developer productivity through platform services and self-service capabilities within infrastructure governance standards

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategy Formulation and Execution

• Lead the strategic integration of DevSecOps principles into digital channel development and operations.
• Define and execute digital transformation roadmaps that prioritise secure, scalable, and customer-centric platforms.
• Align digital channel strategies with enterprise architecture and security frameworks.
• Translate long-term strategic objectives into aligned business plans, execution roadmaps and key milestone measurements for the business area.
• Cascade strategic goals and ensure alignment between business unit vision and functional implementation priorities, setting clear short, medium and long-term milestones.
• Develop effective partnerships to enable business performance and contribute to sector-wide influence aligned with strategic initiatives.
• Respond to emerging policy and regulatory trends by adapting operational strategy and ensuring compliance alignment.
• Coordinate business enablement efforts for Business Banking, ensuring delivery capability across systems, processes, and teams.
• Track execution progress against key strategic initiatives and intervene to correct course where needed.
• Support transformation initiatives through structured programme delivery and change management practices.
• Provide expert advice and support in operating model, strategy, and value chain formulation and delivery alignment.
•  Identify practices and technologies that provide competitive advantage and enable knowledge sharing and integration of practice areas.
• Undertake analysis of management and specialist information and guide reporting tool implementation to improve decision-making quality.

Customer Primacy

• Champion secure and seamless digital experiences that meet evolving customer expectations.
• Leverage DevSecOps practices to ensure reliability and responsiveness of customer-facing platforms.
• Use customer feedback and analytics to continuously improve digital service delivery.
• Interpret market and customer insights to inform operational plans and prioritise capability investments.
• Utilise customer data to improve processes and propositions, ensuring measurable customer value delivery.
• Instil customer-centric decision-making in teams, balancing experience and efficiency targets.
• Implement initiatives that improve customer engagement and retention through operational enhancements.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives to deliver consistent customer journeys and service quality.
• Represent the voice of the customer within leadership forums to influence service delivery priorities.
• Plan and deliver services that create a culture which aims to exceed customer expectations in all aspects of the business.
• Provide expertise in designing integrated frameworks to embed service excellence.

Sustainable Growth

• Drive growth through the expansion and optimisation of secure digital channels.
• Identify and implement technologies that support scalable and sustainable digital operations.
• Collaborate with business units to align digital initiatives with revenue and engagement goals.
• Develop business area growth plans aligned to segment and enterprise priorities.
• Work with business partners to define and execute on growth strategies and operational initiatives.
• Mobilise functional teams to deliver growth targets and embed performance accountability.
• Monitor growth delivery, resolving barriers and reinforcing strategic objectives at operational levels.
• Evaluate financial and customer returns on initiatives to ensure alignment with business viability.
• Formulate and develop multi-function operating frameworks that contribute to sustainable growth.

Client-Driven Innovation and Change

• Foster a culture of innovation by embedding DevSecOps into the digital delivery lifecycle.
• Lead initiatives that transform customer engagement through automation and agile delivery.
• Evaluate emerging technologies to enhance digital channel capabilities and security.
• Monitor competitive landscape and identify opportunities to improve products, services, or operations.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation within the team to enhance customer outcomes.
• Shape client experience initiatives through project ownership and delivery responsibility.
• Lead operational change, ensuring readiness, engagement, and measured impact across delivery teams.
• Influence and communicate across all levels of the business to minimise resistance to change and ensure onboarding of target audiences.
• Scan the external environment to investigate alternative delivery models and offer innovative advice for competitive advantage.
• Drive change management activities across a single value chain for optimal adoption of change.

Leading Talent

• Build and lead high-performing teams skilled in DevSecOps, agile delivery, and digital innovation.
• Mentor talent in secure development practices and cross-functional collaboration.
• Promote continuous learning and capability development in digital disciplines.
• Embed people processes and values into business routines, reinforcing a strong leadership culture.
• Develop workforce capabilities to meet business plan execution requirements and future readiness.
• Create inclusive team environments that support performance, wellbeing, and growth.
• Address escalated people issues and ensure application of performance and development processes.
• Develop future leaders through mentorship, stretch assignments, and tailored development experiences.

Operational Effectiveness

• Execute platform operations within approved infrastructure governance frameworks and budget allocations
• Collaborate with infrastructure teams to ensure seamless integration between strategic architecture and operational delivery
• Report platform performance metrics and operational excellence indicators to infrastructure governance forums
• Implement DevSecOps pipelines to streamline development, testing, and deployment processes.
• Optimise digital operations for speed, security, and scalability.
• Use performance metrics and analytics to drive operational improvements across digital channels.
• Operationalise strategic goals into functional plans with clear deliverables, timelines, scorecards with team and individual KPIs to enable effective tracking of business and individual performance.
• Set appropriate financial and other resourcing plans to enable business performance, tracking against budgets and investments for both current and long-term strategic goals.
• Ensure integration across business units by resolving operational friction and dependencies.
• Represent the business area in operational forums and with delivery partners.
• Leverage data insights to improve operational effectiveness and customer outcomes.
• Continuously improve processes for agility, quality, and alignment with customer needs and digital tools.
• Identify problems and formulate alternate solutions to resolve value chain conflicts.
• Provide expert advice on operating model, strategy, value chain formulation, and business controls/governance frameworks.

Digital Adoption

• Accelerate the adoption of secure digital tools and platforms across the organisation.
• Promote automation and self-service capabilities to enhance user experience and efficiency.
• Ensure digital solutions are integrated with enterprise systems and aligned with business outcomes.
• Execute digital initiatives and promote adoption of technologies that improve efficiency and user experience.
• Monitor digital platform performance and ensure integration with business processes and outcomes.
• Deliberately identify opportunities to digitise, automate, and implement solutions for customer primacy, innovation, and operational effectiveness.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Embed security and compliance into every stage of the digital delivery lifecycle.
• Monitor and manage risks associated with digital channel operations and data handling.
• Ensure adherence to regulatory standards and internal governance frameworks.
• Implement governance, risk, and compliance frameworks in business processes and team routines.
• Promote risk awareness and lead the response to regulatory changes and emerging issues.
• Support audit readiness and ensure operational teams adhere to compliance requirements.
• Define and consolidate the risk profile for the business area, manage critical risks, and ensure resolution feedback to stakeholders.
• Enable the development and implementation of integrated corporate governance frameworks in areas of specialisation.
• Influence the implementation of effective internal controls systems and corporate governance practices.

Data Monetisation 

• Use data from digital channels to uncover insights and drive strategic decisions.
• Develop secure data pipelines that support analytics and performance monitoring.
• Enable data-driven innovation in customer engagement and operational efficiency.
•  Apply data insights to support business planning and decision-making in the business area.
• Develop mechanisms to ensure data is collected, validated, and used to drive performance improvement.
• Oversee the explicit use of data and its inherent value to explore opportunities and guide decisions.

Stakeholder Management

• Participate in infrastructure governance forums to represent operational delivery requirements
• Coordinate with CIO Digital on platform architecture decisions and technology standard implementations
• Manage relationships with key stakeholders to support aligned delivery and issue resolution.
• Ensure stakeholder expectations are managed and engagement is consistent with transformation priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education/ Qualification:

• Post Graduate Degree: Honours Degree, Post Graduate Diploma and Professional Qualifications [NQF8]

Field of Study:

• Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or related fields.

Work Experience:

• 12 – 15 years experience in a specific capability of importance to the bank, including a track record of 5 years in a people management position in a large enterprise.
• Experience must include developing integrated customer-centric product or service solutions or corporate practice development while working with and managing stakeholders across business and/or functional areas and budget management.
• Exposure to digital transformation and data-driven decision-making is preferred.
• Demonstrated success in leading secure digital transformation initiatives, implementing DevSecOps frameworks, and enhancing customer experience through technology
• Experience in engaging executive stakeholders in strategic planning, digital innovation, and enterprise-wide security and compliance initiatives.

COMPETENCIES

Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Communication
• Influence
• Leadership
• Creativity and Innovation
• Delivering Results
• Adaptability
• Collaboration

Knowledge and Skills:

• DevSecOps frameworks and practices
• Agile and lean methodologies
• Digital platform architecture
• Secure software development lifecycle
• Cloud-native technologies and automation
• Customer experience design
• Data analytics and performance monitoring
• Regulatory compliance and governance in digital environments
• Strategic planning and execution
• Stakeholder engagement and communication

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree: Information Technology

End Date: October 17, 2025