Managing Executive – Small, Medium Enterprise at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• We are seeking a visionary Managing Executive to lead our SME Banking Cluster, driving growth, profitability, and value creation across micro, small, and medium sub-segments. This is a high-impact enterprise role critical to our ambition of achieving sector leadership across key markets.
• The incumbent will report to the Chief Executive for Business Banking and will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing our sector-specific strategy across Wholesale, Retail and Franchise banking – WRF (including the township economy), tourism, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture, positioning the bank as the partner of choice for entrepreneurs in these segments. By providing innovative financial and non-financial solutions, leveraging digital-first banking experiences, smarter funding, and data-driven insights, the incumbent will enable businesses to scale while driving measurable growth for the bank.
• Success in this role requires strategic leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and digital dexterity. The Managing Executive will influence strategy, inspire high-performing teams, and ensure the business unit delivers on our enterprise ambitions, strengthening our position as a sector-leading banking partner for African entrepreneurs.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

Segment Strategy, Growth and P&L Ownership

• Develop and execute a sector-led Enterprise and SME banking strategy, targeting micro, small, and medium businesses across WRF, tourism, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture.
• Drive market share growth and profitability while enhancing client value across enterprise and SME segments.
• Leverage data-driven insights, AI, and analytics to identify sector-specific growth opportunities and optimise client outcomes.
• Foster an entrepreneurial, client-centric culture, enabling teams to deliver innovative financial and non-financial solutions.

Customer Value Proposition and Ecosystem Development 

• Drive and influence value proposition design tailored to the diverse SME lifecycle (start-up, grow, scale) and sector specific. 
• Build strategic partnerships and ecosystems to strengthen SME access to finance, markets, and business support tools.

Customer Experience and Relationship Excellence

• Champion a customer-centric culture across all SME touchpoints (digital, banker-led and contact centre)
• Promote operational efficiency, digital onboarding, self-service platforms, and process optimisation to support scalable enterprise operations.
• Measure and continuously improve NPA, engagement and retention metrics. 

Risk, Governance & Portfolio Quality 

• Set performance goals and metrics that measure impact on revenue, client base, product adoption, and market share
• Ensure strong risk discipline across credit, operational, conduct, and reputational risks
• Partner with credit and risk executive to maintain a healthy, diversified portfolio aligned to risk appetite. 
• Drive proactive credit management, early warning systems, and turnaround strategies to protect portfolio health
• Ensure full alignment with group architecture, compliance frameworks, and business continuity standards.

Leadership, People & Execution Excellence

• Lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team covering sales, relationship management, product, and enablement
• Foster collaboration across digital, product, and operations teams to deliver integrated solutions for SMEs.
• See clear performance targets, drive accountability, and build future leadership capability within the segment. 

Key Requirements

• Extensive experience (15 – 20 years) in Banking/Financial Services, with proven exposure to micro, small and medium enterprises across multiple sectors.
• Sector expertise in: WRF, tourism, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture.
• Proven track record in driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and value creation in enterprise or SME banking.
• Digital dexterity, with experience leveraging AI, data analytics, and digital banking tools to improve client outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire high-performing teams, influence stakeholders, and execute strategic objectives across markets.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a history of delivering client-centric, sector-focused solutions.
• Solid understanding of financial products and services for enterprise and SME clients, including lending, trade finance, cash management, and advisory services.
• Relevant tertiary qualification (NQF 8) in Finance, Banking, Business Management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to drive operational improvements, process optimisation, and digital transformation within a banking environment.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Leadership & People Development
• Sector Expertise & Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Digital Dexterity (AI, Data & Analytics)
• Customer-Centric Innovation
• Operational Excellence & Process Optimisation
• Analytical & Data-Driven Decision Making
• Ethical Leadership & Integrity

Education

• Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Banking, Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Business, Commerce and Management Studies, Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Business Management

End Date: November 11, 2025