Head: Business Data Insights and Enablement

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

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.

Job Summary

We are seeking a senior leader to integrate and lead two high-performing data teams focused on two key headline product portfolios within the Personal and Private Banking cluster business.

This role is central to enabling strategic, data-driven decision-making and customer-centric innovation across the Personal and Private Banking segments.

This role falls within the Analytics & Modelling sub-job family, where the focus is on employing advanced analytics and modelling techniques to extract insights from data, inform decision-making, and support strategic initiatives. The successful candidate will act as a value enabler and integrator, bringing deep functional expertise and industry insight to shape and execute the data enablement strategy.

Importantly, the current teams are at varying levels of maturity and are primarily focused on reporting. This role requires a leader who can build and scale insight-generation capabilities, embedding advanced analytics practices and uplifting the overall data maturity.

Job Description

Qualifications & Experience required

• Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Economics, or a related field (required).
• Postgraduate qualification in Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, or Applied Statistics (preferred).
• Minimum 5–7 years' experience in data analytics, insights, or data enablement roles within a commercial bank, specifically in Personal and Private Banking.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence data strategy across business and technical domains.
• Demonstrated experience in working with engineering and data architecture teams to define and deliver structured, scalable data solutions.

Preferred Certifications (not all required)

• SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional
• Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate
• Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
• Advanced SQL Certification

Key areas of responsibility/performance:

• Insight Leadership & Capability Building: Transition reporting-focused teams into insight-driven analytics hubs. Develop and embed advanced modelling and analytics capabilities to unlock deeper customer and product insights.
• Team Leadership, Development & Integration: Lead, manage & mentor two specialist teams, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture that values continuous learning, innovation, and delivery excellence.
• Advanced Analytics & Modelling: Apply sophisticated techniques using SQL, SAS, Python, and BI platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) to uncover trends, predict behaviours, and support strategic initiatives.
• Data Quality & Governance: Champion high standards of data integrity, accuracy, and compliance. Implement robust governance frameworks aligned with regulatory and internal policies.
• Operational Efficiency & Automation: Lead initiatives to automate reporting and streamline data processes, freeing up capacity for strategic analysis and innovation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• • Partner with the Enablement team to embed horizontal capabilities, standardised tooling, and best practices across the data value chain.
• Work closely with the Customer team to ensure insights are aligned with customer needs across products and channels.
• Collaborate with the Engineering team and the Chief Data & Analytics Office (CDAO) to define and structure data requirements, ensuring optimal data warehouse design and accessibility for analytics use cases.
• Strategic Enablement & Monetisation: Translate insights into business opportunities, supporting sustainable growth, product optimisation, and data monetisation initiatives.
• Functional Leadership: Influence and provide structure to key value elements within the data enablement function, aligning delivery with ABSA-wide strategic goals and benchmarking for optimal fit.
• Change Enablement: Lead the planning and execution of controlled changes to data practices and processes, fostering innovation and organisational agility.

Education

Bachelor's Degree: Data Science

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