Business Assurance Manager

Absa Group; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in Durban is seeking a Business Assurance Manager to oversee the credit life cycle and ensure compliance with group policies. You will be responsible for conducting risk assessments, engaging with stakeholders, and reporting on the adequacy of control mechanisms within credit risk. The ideal candidate will possess strong negotiation, communication, and people management skills, along with an undergraduate degree in a related field. This position offers a dynamic and challenging work environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide assurance on the credit life cycle activities.
• Drive the review process of retail and corporate lending CPAs.
• Monitor adherence to group policies and ensure compliance.
• Identify and report operational risk events impacting credit risk.
• Represent the country in governance and assurance forums.

Skills

People management

Negotiation skills

Risk analysis

Performance Management

Workshop Facilitation

Auditing skills

Team Leadership

Organization skills

Report writing

Communication skills

Education

Undergraduate degree or equivalent

Higher Diplomas in Business, Commerce and Management Studies

Job description

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.

My Career Development Portal: Wherever you are in your career, we are here for you. Design your future. Discover leading-edge guidance, tools and support to unlock your potential. You are Absa.You are possibility.

Job Summary

• Responsible in providing management with the assurance that the entire credit life cycle activities are being conducted in line with Group/Country policies. The business assurance manager is also expected to review the adequacy and effectiveness of the existing controls within Wholesale and retail credit risk department(MI, Data quality, Impairment, Analytics, Modelling, Policy and Governance) and credit operation divisions(Origination, Account management, collection and recoveries/Business support and recovery).
• Responsible for driving the review process of the country retail and corporate lending CPAs.
• Ensure that all CPAs ineffective controls and non-compliant actions are closed within set timelines.
• Monitor adherence to the group policies and ensure dispensation and waivers and breaches are raised where applicable.
• Identify report and monitor operational risk events, which have a credit risk impact.
• Complete all governance and group credit attestation and submission to center on a regular basis
• Ensure that all business review, internal audit, Operation risk, Finance, COO, Management assurance, central bank observations pertaining to credit risk are closed.
• Represent the country in monthly Governance and assurance forum
• Represent the country in the monthly PQR forum.
• Review and submit all audit closure packs.
• Engaging key stakeholders such as internal auditors, Compliance, Risk, Management assurance, center governance teams is a core requirement.
• Creating and managing control environment dashboard.
• Responsible for ensuring sampling tests and key risk assessment methodology is embedded and carried out on a regular basis.

Job Description

• Define the Retail Credit Risk Assurance framework.
• Compile the Business Unit’s Credit Risk Assurance review plans in conjunction with the Key Credit Risk Owner and Senior Credit Risk Management.
• Work closely with center Credit Risk to ensure assurance coverage is taken into account when agreeing annual plans.
• Assign/Conduct Credit Risk Assurance review and key risk assessment work to team member
• Report on the adequacy, appropriateness and effectiveness of the internal control environment and application of the Credit Risk Control framework to the country and center governance forum.
• Manage the program of end-to-end Credit Risk Management Self-Assurance and peer reviews of controls.
• Support the preparation of external Audits.
• Review all Critical processes prepared for the credit risk in compliance with the Policy and ensure that all risks or controls identified through the Credit Risk Assurance review process are captured in the CPAs.
• Test and ensure Conformance, Management Assurance, external auditors, central bank and Internal Audit recommendations are fully embedded within the businesses.
• Attend and make submission and presentation to the monthly assurance.
• Attend monthly PQRs and provide an insight into control environment.
• Represent retail and wholesale credit at all forums and meetings that discuss control environment.
• Obtain inputs to control dashboards from all key stakeholders
• Provide a view of the control environment to in country risk committee
• Work closely with compliance team in managing regulatory observations.
• Keep track of any changes in the regulatory environment that may have an impact on the credit control environment
• Agree and manage service level agreements.
• Monitor compliance against statutory regulator (Bank of Tanzania and Tanzania Revenue Authority).
• Ensure accurate and timely return made as called by regulator to minimize penalties.
• Coordinate the inspection of the bankbook by regulators (BOT, TRA etc.)
• Design, plan and test and implement business resumption, disaster recovery and ensure contingency measures are in place
• Attend EWL1, RRCC and Country provision, watch list and impaired debt committee meetings.

Education

• Under graduate degree or equivalent, business experience, desirable.

Experience Required

• People management and coaching
• Negotiation and Influencing skills
• Risk analysis and control evaluation skills
• Performance Management
• Workshop Facilitation Skills
• Auditing and investigative skills
• Team Leadership skills
• Organization and planning skills
• Report writing and presentation skills.
• Communication skills
• Delegation

Knowledge & Skills

• A good understanding of the Retail Credit Risk cycle, Credit Risks and Controls framework.
• A good understanding of the management of operational risks.
• Detailed knowledge of the Bank’s governance requirements.
• A good knowledge of Bank policies and procedures and local regulations.
• Productivity management & process improvement techniques.
• Communicate well and make relationships work.

Education

• Higher Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)