Business Relationship Manager

Sabenza IT & Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading IT recruitment firm in South Africa seeks an experienced Business Relationship Manager to lead client engagements and drive IT transformation for key accounts in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of relevant experience and a proven track record in consultative selling, account growth, and P&L management. This role offers the opportunity to influence strategy and deliver measurable business outcomes through technology, working closely with executive leaders.

Qualifications

• 8+ years experience with Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) clients.
• Proven success driving 20%+ year-on-year growth in strategic accounts.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary executive contact for key BFSI clients.
• Drive 20%+ year-on-year account growth.
• Oversee delivery of large, complex IT transformation programmes.
• Engage in discussions on engineering practices.

Skills

Client relationship management

Consultative selling

P&L management

Negotiation skills

Agile methodologies

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Business, Engineering, or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Job Specification: Business Relationship Manager / Client Partner

We are seeking a highly experienced Business Relationship Manager / Client Partner to lead strategic client engagements, drive large-scale IT transformation programmes, and grow key accounts within the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector. This role requires a commercially astute, technology-driven leader with deep consulting experience, exceptional executive presence, and a strong track record of driving sustained revenue growth and delivering measurable business outcomes through technology.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary executive contact for key BFSI clients, engaging confidently at CXO level.

• Build, nurture, and maintain long-term strategic relationships to ensure high levels of client satisfaction and trust.

• Understand customer business needs and translate them into actionable technology roadmaps and transformation initiatives.

• Drive solution-based, consultative sales discussions to identify and unlock new opportunities.

• Lead and contribute to steering committees, governance forums, and stakeholder engagements.

Account Growth & Commercial Management

• Own and manage account P&L (> USD 5M), ensuring revenue, margin, and growth targets are met or exceeded.

• Drive 20%+ year‑on‑year account growth, expanding services, strengthening footprint, and increasing strategic relevance.

• Lead account planning, pipeline development, deal strategy, and contract negotiations.

• Ensure financial performance, forecasting accuracy, and commercial discipline across all engagements.

Programme Delivery & Execution

• Oversee the delivery of large, complex IT transformation programmes for enterprise customers.

• Co‑create technical solutions, project implementation plans, and delivery frameworks aligned to customer objectives.

• Provide direction across all stages of the SDLC, ensuring adherence to best practices and delivery methodologies.

• Lead change management initiatives and ensure seamless execution across multi‑disciplinary teams.

Engineering & Technology Leadership

• Engage deeply in discussions on engineering practices including:

  • Automation
  • DevOps
  • Quality Engineering
  • Modern Software Development

• Guide clients toward modern engineering principles and scalable transformation architectures.

• Ensure delivery excellence through quality governance, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide leadership across cross‑functional delivery, sales, and consulting teams.

• Foster a culture of empathy, collaboration, and high performance.

• Mentor team members and ensure alignment to customer expectations and organisational goals.

Required Skills & Experience

Industry & Domain Expertise

• 8+ years working with Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) clients.

• Proven experience delivering business solutions and outcomes leveraging technology.

Client Partnership & Sales

• 8+ years in solution‑based sales, consultative selling, and account growth.

• Demonstrated success driving 20%+ YoY growth in strategic accounts.

• Ability to influence and build relationships at executive leadership level.

Programme & Delivery Management

• Strong understanding of Software lifecycle and delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid), end‑to‑end SDLC, enterprise architecture and transformation patterns.

• Experience overseeing large, multi‑year transformation programmes.

Commercial & P&L Ownership

• Proven ability to manage end‑to‑end P&L for accounts > USD 5M.

• Strong commercial acumen, budgeting, and financial governance capability.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Excellent communication, negotiation, decision‑making, and conflict management skills.

• Empathetic, customer‑centric mindset with ability to influence diverse stakeholders.

• Proven track record of high client satisfaction and strong team engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Business, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).

• Additional certifications in project management, Agile, or consulting advantageous.