Job Summary

To drive and deliver exceptional retail business performance, through the provision of efficient business management, powerful leadership, team development and achievement of operational rigour excellence in branches.

Job Description

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Role holder is responsible for all sales staff within the Branch including the Lead Generators assigned to the Branch.
• Working with the operations Officers, Operations Managers and branch staff to achieve controls, sales & service through in-branch business development activities, effective Banking Hall management and providing feedback to the team.
• Build and develop a high performing team through embedding performance development and coaching. Ensure that team members receive coaching and feedback in order to develop to achieve their maximum potential.
• Discuss and finalise Performance Development Plans and ratings for all Sales staff in the branch.
• Determine and manage Training Needs Analysis and Succession plans for Sales staff in the branch, including relevant accreditation for each role.
• Manage all Branch staff attendance levels, based on monthly absence statistics (annual leave, sick leave, family responsibility leave, maternity leave, study leave etc) compiled by operations Officer, and submit to HR for record keeping.
• Directly responsible for discipline – initiate misconduct or incapacity charges, follow Barclays discipline processes together with HR and an independent chairperson. Dismissals are signed off by the functional head as the Branch Manager is often the initiator in the case. Letters of warning are signed by the branch managers in cases where they do not act as the initiator. May delegate the task of initiating a disciplinary case to a Team Leader for less complex cases.
• Ensure that branch staff own and manage customer queries and complaints by taking ownership and resolving in a timely manner. Act as the escalation point for their unresolved queries and complaints.
• Motivate staff and ensure they are recognized through the Barclays Africa recognition schemes.
• Create an empowering environment for branch staff, encouraging individual ownership and initiative.
• The Branch Manager will be responsible for ensuring that morning huddles are conducted daily.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Agree Sales targets and take accountability for the overall achievement of Retail performance objectives for the branch in terms of:

• Employee Satisfaction
• Customer experience
• Sales growth, income contribution and total balance sheet (assets and liabilities).
• Costs performance
• Risk and rigour management
• Provide input into the MTP and strategic plan for Retail
• Ensure that all Branch staff performance is at the prescribed productivity levels.

Budget accountability:

• Responsible for achieving annual sales Balance sheet and Profit and loss targets as agreed with the Area Manager or Regional Manager. Monitoring of progress towards achieving targets is done on a monthly basis.
• The Branch manager is also responsible for maintaining a healthy balance sheet in the branch i.e. ensuring the assets on the books of the branch are performing to expected standards, that low quality assets are kept to a minimum and that the earnings contribution of the branch is within acceptable levels.
• Cost centre owner and can sign off on invoices and all payments, within overall annual cost budget as agreed with the Regional Manager.
• The role holder is responsible for strict cost management and must sign/approve all costs in their branch including reviewing all service provider quotations before work can proceed. In addition, the branch manager is expected to conduct detailed analysis, on a monthly basis, of all the direct and indirect costs generated by the branch, including:
  • Summaries of total overtime as provided by Team Leaders
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Stationary consumption/telephones etc.
  • Sundry losses
  • Staff costs
  • Premises and utilities
• Active involvement and accountability for making purchase/ refund business decisions within set limits e.g. Sundry loss, Potential Loss Accounts (PLA), customer refunds. Can authorize loans on appeal and approve release of deceased funds within predetermined limits.

Brand, product and business proposition:

• Provide clear direction to branch staff on the Barclays Consumer business objectives, translating and prioritizing into business performance measures at branch level.
• Ensure that merchandising materials are displayed in accordance with guidelines.
• Brief staff on promotional and product launches; provide regular feedback on sales performance.
• Establish relationships with key clients or business influencers in the local area, including doing some client visits, entertainment within overall annual budget limits.
• Complete call reports for every customer visit and this should be filed for snap checks.

RIGOUR/COMPLIANCE

• The role holder though not involved in daily operations, will be accountable for the Branch Control health

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Role holder is accountable for ensuring that high customer service levels are maintained in the branch at all times.
• Review monthly query and complaint trend analysis as provided by the Team Leader and provide input to their action plans to prevent recurring issues.
• Interact regularly with internal service providers (e.g. Operations, KYC Helpdesk) to ensure fast and efficient service to customers.
• Interview all customers who want to close their accounts because of poor service or high tariffs to determine the root cause and attempt to retain.
• Proactively drive implementation of service initiatives in the branch, including ongoing toolkit training during the morning huddles and evaluation of service measurements (e.g. touchpads) to plan specific actions for service improvement

ADMINISTRATION

• Direct management of Affluent customer Advisors in the Branch.
• Direct management of collection officers operating the Branch.
• Work closely with Operation officers and Operations Managers to ensure that there are no control lapses in the Branch.
• Ensure that sales governance principles are adhered to at all times when processing applications (Accuracy, quality. TCF etc)
• Give input on all Branch PD ratings
• The Branch Manager will be responsible for ensuring that all communication is effectively passed on to the branch staff.
• Role holder remains the final decision maker in the Branch.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE TEAM

• Provide cover for Branch Managers at other outlets when required.
• Provide honest, direct and constructive feedback to others.
• Deputize as and when required.
• Share knowledge experience and best practice with team members and other branch managers.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

Job Purpose:

To develop technical solutions to problems and opportunities presented by Business, considering functional and non-functional aspects of such solutions and utilizing available technology assets. The role will act as the technical lead for major system projects and will provide technical direction and proposals to meet business requirements or cover existing functionality gap.

Additionally, the role is responsible for maintaining the availability and reliability of applications to ensure that IT can effectively meet service targets in accordance with planned business objectives; to ensure that proper testing occurs for all application changes released into the production environments and to be a single point of contact for all business units and to represent IT in Digital solutions discussion and development sessions.

Service Applications Availability – 30%

• Apply relevant research methodologies, tools, and techniques to gather information effectively and purposefully
• Provide specialist advice and support in area of accountability to ensure that identified solutions and recommendations are appropriate and effective.
• Deliver IT Digital analysis services as per agreed performance contract
• Understand and apply existing best practice frameworks to assist in the implementation of identified subject matter processes and standards.
• Identify and recommend new innovative ways of achieving quality results
• Optimize the availability of the IT infrastructure to deliver cost effective improvements that deliver tangible benefits to business units and customers
• Provide a range of IT availability reporting to ensure that agreed levels of availability, reliability and maintainability are measured and monitored on an ongoing basis
• Provide holistic management of availability that includes people and processes as well as technology
• Take actions to achieve reductions in frequency and duration of incidents that impact Digital Services availability
• Ensure shortfalls in Digital Services availability are recognized and appropriate corrective actions are identified and progressed
• Create and maintain a forward-looking availability plan aimed at improving the overall availability of IT services and infrastructure components to ensure that existing and future availability requirements can be met
• Provide regular reports on availability to Technology management and respective business partners
• Organize and maintain a regular availability review process with both key business and IT representatives
• Initiate and coordinate actions required to maintain or improve availability of applications
• Act as a coordination point for changes to availability levels of applications when needed
• Establish measures and reporting that reflect business, user and IT support requirements with regards to application availability
• Participate in Change Control meetings to assess and authorize changes from an availability perspective
• Assist in SLA negotiation efforts from an availability capability standpoint
• Define the key targets of availability required for the applications and their components that underpin a new or enhanced IT application as the basis for an SLA agreement
• Analyse and review actual availability levels achieved against SLAs and OLA
• Maintain an awareness of technology advancements and best practices that support application availability

Solution and Business Analysis 30%

• Translate documented business requirements into functional and non-functional technical requirements for development/implementation.
• Support project management and provide technical oversight on projects to ensure that requirements are in alignment with business strategies and business architecture roadmap/framework
• Translate strategic initiatives into delivery-focused change initiatives, while translating business processes and issues into effective conceptual and logical models.
• Reviewing development to ensure what is delivered is in line with technical requirements and business intent
• Set baseline through introduction of standards and working practices such as coding standards, design principles and tools.
• Experimenting by building prototypes, frameworks and foundations to be consumed by the technical team.
• Propose and keep a repository of solutions and architectural improvements
• Participating in technology selection and identifying fit for purpose technology solutions.

Test Management 15%

• Work closely with Release Analysts
• Review releases and assign appropriate release testing tasks
• Compile and review the Testing Deliverables
• Conduct installation procedure tests
• Participate in functional, performance, and integration testing results
• Coordinate user acceptance testing
• Coordinate back out testing
• Conduct supporting documentation review
• Compile test results
• Conduct release test review
• Coordinate post release testing
• Validate and communicate results of testing activities

Business Liaison 10%

• Identify service needs for the Business Units represented to IT
• Escalate Business unit service issues to the Service Manager
• Communicate service status on service issues to the Business Unit
• Assist in SLA negotiation efforts with Business Unit(s)
• Report on quality of services rendered to Business Unit(s)

Risk Management 5%

• Build relationship with country Technology Risk and Compliance team and provide support wherever required.
• Contribute and deliver to the improvement of the risk profile by delivering improved governance, risk management, controls and compliance requirements.
• Devise and implement an effective plan to deliver a satisfactory risk and audit profile for Operations & IT and achieve audit and assurance targets.

People Management 10%

• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching. Encourage frequent knowledge sharing between team members.
• Determine and analyse development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team.
• Approve leave requests for team members and create leave plan to ensure adequate coverage.
• When required, initiate disciplinary processes for team members calling on support from Human Resources when required.
• Resolve grievances rose by team members and escalate only if required.
• Address poor performance of any team member through the formal Performance Accelerator programme and ensure that continued poor performance is appropriately dealt with.
• Motivate team members and ensure that their efforts are recognised.
• Participate in the creation and implementation of Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) actions for the team.

Education And Experience Required

• Undergraduate or higher in Computer Science or any other Technology related field.
• Software development experience
• 7 years minimum IT experience
• Experience in digital financial services from either Telco or Financial Institution companies.
• Experience in software development lifecycle management using waterfall, agile & hybrid methodologies.

Subject Matter Expert Qualifications

• ITIL v4 Certification
• AWS Practitioner or any other cloud certification
• Architecture Framework Certification (e.g., TOGAF The Open Group Architectural Forum 8.1).
• Excellent understanding of DevOps, Agile working and CICD
• Minimum of 2 years’ service management experience

Knowledge and skills: (Maximum of 6)

• Translate Bus Requirements to Tech Solutions (Solid)
• Cloud expertise (Solid)
• Software development lifecycle (Solid)
• ITIL - Governance Framework (Solid)
• Strategic Thinking (Solid)
• Understand the IT service delivery within a corporate environment (Advanced)
• Negotiation Skills (Solid)
• Communication Skills (Written and Verbal) (Solid)
• Conceptual thinking, ability to analyse, make decision and initiate action (Solid)

Competencies: (Maximum of 6 competencies)

• Agile ways of working (Meets all the requirements)
• Business Analysis (Meets all the requirements)
• Solution Design and Architecture (Meets all the requirements)
• Commercial mindset - (Meets all the requirements)
• Creative and innovative thinking (Meets all the requirements)
• Openness to change (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development)

Job Purpose

The main job purpose is for maintaining the availability and reliability of applications to ensure that IT can effectively meet service targets in accordance with planned business objectives for the service; to ensure that proper testing occurs for all Application changes released into the production environments and to be a single point of contact for all business units and to represent IT in Digital solutions discussion and development sessions.

Service (Applications) Availability 40%

• Deliver IT Digital analysis services as per agreed performance contract
• Understand and apply existing best practice frameworks to assist in the implementation of identified subject matter processes and standards.
• Identify and recommend new innovative ways of achieving quality results
• Provide a range of application availability reporting to ensure that agreed levels of availability, reliability and maintainability are measured and monitored on an ongoing basis
• Successfully facilitate delivery of changes to reports needed by the business and ensure that reports and their dependencies are made available for the business.
• Provide holistic support of application availability to Business Users
• Take actions to achieve reductions in frequency and duration of incidents that impact application availability
• Ensure shortfalls in application availability are recognized and appropriate corrective actions are identified and progressed
• Take action on agreed appropriate actions with Line Management to maintain or improve application availability levels
• Initiate and coordinate actions required to maintain or improve availability of applications
• Act as a coordination point for changes to applications when needed
• Maintain an awareness of technology advancements and best practices that support application availability

Test Management 30%

• Work closely with Release Analysts
• Review releases and assign appropriate release testing tasks
• Compile and review the Testing Deliverables
• Conduct installation procedure tests
• Participate in functional, performance, and integration testing results
• Coordinate user acceptance testing
• Coordinate back out testing
• Conduct supporting documentation review
• Compile test results
• Conduct release test review
• Coordinate post release testing
• Validate and communicate results of testing activities

Business Liaison

• Identify service needs for the Business Units represented to IT
• Escalate Business unit service issues to the Service Manager
• Communicate service status on service issues to the Business Unit
• Assist in SLA negotiation efforts with Business Unit(s)
• Report on quality of services rendered to Business Unit(s)

Risk Management

• Build relationship with country Technology Risk and Compliance team and provide support wherever required.
• Contribute and deliver to the improvement of the risk profile by delivering improved governance, risk management, controls and compliance requirements.
• Devise and implement an effective plan to deliver a satisfactory risk and audit profile for Operations & IT and achieve audit and assurance targets.

People Management

• Responsible for driving own Performance Development, collating relevant documentation, preparing for and arranging reviews.
• By utilizing skills matrix, identify training and development requirements, formulating own plan to be agreed with team manager. Responsible for ensuring own plan is completed within agreed timescales.
• Undertake all necessary training in order to perform the role to the required standards, including gaining accreditation where appropriate

Education and experience required

• Undergraduate or higher in Computer Science or any other Technology related field.
• 3 years IT experience minimum
• Experience in digital financial services.

Subject Matter Expert Qualifications

• ITIL v4 Certification
• AWS Practitioner or any other cloud certification
• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience

Knowledge and skills: (Maximum of 6)

• Translate Bus Requirements to Tech Solutions (Solid)
• Cloud expertise (Solid)
• Software development lifecycle (Solid)
• ITIL - Governance Framework (Solid)
• Strategic Thinking (Solid)
• Understand the IT service delivery within a corporate environment (Advanced)
• Negotiation Skills (Solid)
• Communication Skills (Written and Verbal) (Solid)
• Conceptual thinking, ability to analyse, make decision and initiate action (Solid)

Competencies: (Maximum of 8 competencies)

• Agile ways of working (Meets all the requirements)
• Business Analysis (Meets all the requirements)
• Solution Architecture (Meets all the requirements)
• Commercial mindset - (Meets all the requirements)
• Creative and innovative thinking (Meets all the requirements)
• Openness to change (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development)

Job Summary

To plan, manage and monitor the implementation of credit control management activities and processes in order to deliver on approved operational plans in an effective and efficient manner.

Job Purpose

• Facilitate the generation of revenue and assist the business strategic priorities in close working relationship with Corporate & Investment Banking stakeholders.
• Support the Credit leadership in management of impairment and other losses to ensure these are within agreed budgets / forecasts.
• Improving the control and governance environment for risk activities.
• A credit professional acting as credit expert to the relationship team and the conduit to the Credit Risk function for sanctioning purposes.
• Improve and deepen understanding of our clients needs through joint client visits with the assigned portfolio Relationship Managers.
• Responsible for developing practical and appropriate credit solutions (i.e., lending structures) through understanding customers’ needs.
• Delivering high quality and consistent, credit applications and making sound recommendations.
• Monitor and control accounts within designated portfolios to ensure early detection of signs of credit deterioration and taking appropriate actions.
• Maintain integrity of Commercial Credit Risk System (CCRS) data ensuring customer is accurately updated.
• Regularly maintain and update Early Warning Status (EWL) and related strategy sheets for clients classified under these buckets.
• Responsible for championing Credit policy issues to the designated portfolio and relationship teams through attendance of industry and portfolio meetings.
• Responsible for efficient use of Bank capital by challenging pricing of facilities within their portfolio and ensuring borrowings to customers meet the minimum required return for the bank.
• Ensuring Risk Key performance measures are captured correctly and in a timely manner to aid in performance management and decision making

Key Accountabilities

Understanding Credit Solutions Development - 35%

• Assessment of credit proposals through analysis of Business and Credit risks associated with the provision of the bank’s products and services to the customer. Facilitate the generation of revenue and support business growth through development of high-quality credit solutions aimed obtaining fast credit approval from Sanctioning teams.
• Ability to undertake sector and industry analysis to guide the bank in strategy formulation and areas of focus for lending and application of the same within designated portfolio.

The Credit Process - 35%

• Preparation Credit proposals using the CCRS with relevant supporting documentation and recommendations to Credit managers for Sanction. Liaise directly with the Absa Africa Credit Team (BACT) sanctioning office for all credits that are outside local Risk Team discretion. Attend customer meetings with the Relationship Manager where credit related issues are to be discussed/ resolved. Support the timely preparation of facility letters through preparation of accurate Facility Letter Aide Memoirs (FLAM) and ensuring all proposed conditions of sanction, covenants and internal risk triggers are correctly and accurately captured.
• Ensure efficient management of capital by ensuring. Where facility letters are not accepted within set timelines, facilities are cancelled from CCRS.
• Ensure efficient management of capital by ensuring. Where facility letters are not accepted within set timelines, facilities are cancelled from CCRS.

Portfolio Management- Monitoring and Control - 20%

Responsible for reviewing and analyzing financial information produced by customers against set Credit triggers and financial covenants. Monitor and Control quality of portfolio using agreed triggers. Reviewing and engaging Sanctioners on deteriorating trends and trigger events if they give cause for concern, advising the Relationship Manager simultaneously. Recognise and control potential lending fraud risk through robust operational risk and control management.

Staff Management - 10%

Support the Team Leaders in delivering effective performance development for Corporate Credit Managers Assistants (CCMAs) within the team. Drive proactive application of Absa values both personally and throughout the team. Coach and support colleagues within the Team

Technical skills / Competencies

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelors degree or equivalent and/or the ACIB
• Knowledge of credit analysis techniques
• Accreditation on use of the Commercial Credit Risk system would be an added advantage

Mandatory

Proven experience in a Credit role at a junior management level gained within the Bank or a blue-chip financial organisation Excellent understanding of credit and associated risks Experienced user of Commercial Credit Risk System (CCRS) or a similar system to analyse, monitor and report on credit applications. Good interpersonal skills that have been proven in a Business or Credit environment at a management level

Knowledge, Expertise and Experience

Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge of lending fundamentals, credit procedures and processes as laid out in the Absa Africa Wholesale Credit Risk Standards. Products and services frequently used by customers  Knowledge of Commercial Credit Risk System and other relevant bank systems. Awareness of legislation affecting the Bank and customers having the highest regard for confidentiality. A fair understanding of current issues including macro and micro economic environment.

Competencies:

• Analytical skills Communication and presentation skills Negotiation skills Inter-personal skills Report writing skills