Background

Absa Bank Limited (Absa) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays Africa Group Limited. Absa offers personal and business banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management as well as bancassurance.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Head of Digital Banking, the holder will drive the development, management, and enhancement of digital products offered by the bank. The holders primary focus will be creating, enhancing, delivering & management of the digital products. Further, they will manage & groom the product roadmap while prioritizing & reprioritizing in line with customer and business needs. Holder will play the core task of shaping the banks digital product portfolio, driving innovation, and delivering value to customers while achieving business objectives and maintaining a competitive superior products edge in the market.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Product Strategy - 50%

• Develop product visions that will drive successful product strategies and tactics in the fintech consumer space and platform models that will attract new partners, producers, and consumers.
• As the Innovation steward, define an innovation strategy that is relevant for core innovations, adjacent innovations, and disruptive innovations.
• Manage products through the product lifecycle right from development to decline and applying the right strategic focus for each phase of in the life cycle.
• Define the right key performance indicators for each product and track these indicators to ensure that the product is meeting business goals, and that the product is meeting its strategy.
• Continuous review of product strategies taking into consideration; competition, product performance, trends and catapult bank goals and capabilities.
• Vetting potential opportunities for strategic partnership, opportunity sizing and reviewing commercial and technical feasibilities for investment.
• Owning and driving the overall product road map in line with business needs, oversee implementation and delivery of the same within budget and commercial targets and cost effectively.
• Define product strategy and align digital solution to meet the set revenue mission.

Product Management - 30%

• Design the unit’s product management architecture and ensure its execution across all delivery actors.
• Define best practices product management processes which includes Product vision, product strategy formulation, roadmap development.
• Link between commercial and technology teams to ensure to ensure optimal build for commercial value & alignment to GTM strategies.
• Assure effective governance of the unit’s practices in line with the Group policies and service standards.
• Craft and build the solutions for scale and distribution via digital and alternative channels.
• Uphold operational excellence to meet the Audit and Enterprise risk framework of the Group.

People Management - 20%

• Build and grow high capability product teams, demonstrate success in hiring, coaching, developing, and enabling a team of product managers in a B2C, B2B business and ecosystems.
• Leading a team of product managers, Designers, working and collaborating with tech, vendors, partners, commercial, financial, legal compliance, marketing, and finance teams to ensure the solutions meet the criteria

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree from a reputable institution

Experience

• At least 8 years’ work experience, 3 of which should have been in a similar capacity with a proven track record.
• 5 years of Product Management experience (i.e. creating strategic product roadmap(s) from conception to launch and working with cross-functional teams).
• Experience driving the product vision, go-to-market strategy, and design discussions.
• Knowledge of multiple functional areas such as Product Management, Engineering, UX/UI, In-depth understanding of the various mobile banking platforms
• In-depth understanding of Financial Technology (Fintech).
• Maintain up to date knowledge of competitor and local market activity

Knowledge And Skills

• Understands financial concepts and terms, can use them to describe events and can incorporate the same in problem solving and decision making.
• Anticipates internal and or external business challenges and/or regulatory issues and leads process, product, or service improvements.
• Able to form a clear product vision that align the digital business goals with the overall company goals. Ensures that product strategies and product tactics are based align to product visons and goals thereof.

• Develop product visions that will drive successful product strategies and tactics in the fintech consumer space and platform models that will attract new partners, producers, and consumers.
• As the Innovation steward, define an innovation strategy that is relevant for core innovations, adjacent innovations, and disruptive innovations.
• Manage products through the product lifecycle right from development to decline and applying the right strategic focus for each phase of in the life cycle.
• Define the right key performance indicators for each product and track these indicators to ensure that the product is meeting business goals, and that the product is meeting its strategy.
• Continuous review of product strategies taking into consideration; competition, product performance, trends and catapult bank goals and capabilities.
• Vetting potential opportunities for strategic partnership, opportunity sizing and reviewing commercial and technical feasibilities for investment.
• Owning and driving the overall product road map in line with business needs, oversee implementation and delivery of the same within budget and commercial targets and cost effectively.
• Define product strategy and align digital solution to meet the set revenue mission.
• Design the unit’s product management architecture and ensure its execution across all delivery actors.
• Define best practices product management processes which includes Product vision, product strategy formulation, roadmap development.
• Link between commercial and technology teams to ensure to ensure optimal build for commercial value & alignment to GTM strategies.
• Assure effective governance of the unit’s practices in line with the Group policies and service standards.
• Craft and build the solutions for scale and distribution via digital and alternative channels.
• Uphold operational excellence to meet the Audit and Enterprise risk framework of the Group.
• Build and grow high capability product teams, demonstrate success in hiring, coaching, developing, and enabling a team of product managers in a B2C, B2B business and ecosystems.
• Leading a team of product managers, Designers, working and collaborating with tech, vendors, partners, commercial, financial, legal compliance, marketing, and finance teams to ensure the solutions meet the criteria

• Product Management
• Engineering
• UX/UI
• Mobile banking platforms
• Financial Technology (Fintech)
• Competitor analysis
• Market analysis
• Financial concepts
• Problem solving
• Decision making
• Process improvement
• Product improvement
• Service improvement
• Product vision
• Digital business goals alignment
• Company goals alignment
• Product strategy
• Product tactics

• Bachelor’s degree from a reputable institution
• At least 8 years’ work experience
• 3 years in a similar capacity with a proven track record
• 5 years of Product Management experience
• Experience driving the product vision, go-to-market strategy, and design discussions
• Knowledge of multiple functional areas such as Product Management, Engineering, UX/UI
• In-depth understanding of the various mobile banking platforms
• In-depth understanding of Financial Technology (Fintech)
• Maintain up to date knowledge of competitor and local market activity