Executive: Special Projects & Business Optimisation: Group Finance (JG15/16)

Sanlam; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanlam is seeking a strategic project leader to manage high-impact projects that align with the CFO’s agenda. The role requires delivering measurable outcomes and optimizing business performance. Candidates should have extensive experience in project management and financial acumen, ready to foster relationships with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 8-10 years experience in managing complex projects.
• Experience in strategy consulting or high-impact finance.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver strategic, complex projects.
• Manage resources effectively and allocate budgets.
• Track project outcomes and report to senior executives.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Strategic Planning

Financial Acumen

Project Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field

Job description

Who are we?

Sanlam was established as a life insurance company in South Africa but has since transformed into a diversified financial services group that operates across the African continent, India, Malaysia and selected developed markets, with listings on the Johannesburg, A2X and Namibian stock exchanges. In 2018 the Group celebrated its centenary as well as 20 years since demutualisation and listing in South Africa and Namibia. Sanlam is one of the largest internationally active insurance groups in the world with a presence in 31 countries and has the biggest non-banking financial services footprint on the African continent.

The Group's five business clusters (Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz and Santam) house the Group's business operations. The Group Office provides strategic direction and support to the five clusters, assisting them in realising their strategies and meeting their business objectives. The Group Office is responsible for governance and for the Group's centralised functions, which include: Finance, Actuarial and Risk Management, Strategy, Human Resources, Market Development and Sustainability.

What will you do?

Key Responsibilities

This role provides strategic leadership and executional oversight of high-impact projects aligned to the CFO’s agenda, with a strong focus on business optimisation, stakeholder alignment, and driving measurable financial and operational outcomes.

• Project Leadership & Strategy
• Lead end-to-end delivery of strategic and complex projects that drive business performance.
• Translate strategic objectives into executable workstreams and manage timelines, risks, and deliverables.
• Drive business optimisation through improved efficiency, resource utilisation, and operational excellence.
• Manage cross-functional teams across departments such as Finance, Actuarial, Strategy, Operations, and Investor Relations.
• Stakeholder Management
• Build trusted relationships and drive influence across senior stakeholders and departments.
• Collaborate effectively with Finance, Balance Sheet Management, Business Units, Strategy, and external advisors.
• Ensure transparent communication with executives through regular project updates and performance feedback.
• CFO Strategic Support & Communication
• Execute strategic CFO-led initiatives in areas such as capital planning, performance acceleration, investor engagement, and M&A.
• Develop impactful presentations, talking points, and briefing materials to support CFO communications internally and externally.
• Budgeting, Resource & Risk Management
• Create and manage project budgets and business plans within financial constraints.
• Allocate resources effectively, ensuring teams have the tools and support for successful delivery.
• Identify and mitigate risks with proactive issue resolution and contingency planning.
• Performance Monitoring & Reporting
• Define KPIs and measurable goals for all major initiatives.
• Track project outcomes and report regularly to senior executives.
• Evaluate success based on delivery, impact, and alignment to strategic business outcomes.
• Process Improvement & Change Management
• Continuously enhance project methodologies and introduce best practices across the organisation.
• Implement structured change management plans to reduce disruption and ensure adoption of initiatives.
• Support smooth business transitions during transformation efforts.
• Strategic Analysis & Insight Generation
• Use data analysis and financial modelling to support recommendations and inform decisions.
• Prepare executive-ready materials for the CFO, CEO, Board, and key stakeholders.
• Travel: May be required for project execution across business units.
  
  

What will make you successful in this role?

What Drives Success In This Role

• Driving and embedding group-wide strategic initiatives.
• Delivering early wins and measurable impact.
• Aligning project delivery with BAU (business-as-usual) operations.
• Gaining buy-in for transformation efforts and ensuring executive alignment.
• Clear and regular communication of progress and value delivery.
  
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Timely and cost-effective execution of CFO-led projects.
• Enhanced visibility and credibility of the CFO function.
• Measurable improvements in financial and operational performance.
• High stakeholder satisfaction and cross-functional collaboration.
• Delivery of quality insights and strategic materials that influence decision-making.
• Effective resource and cost management across initiatives.
• Representation of the CFO in governance forums and support on tactical matters.
  
  

Qualification And Experience

• 8-10 Years proven experience in managing and executing complex projects, with at least 5 years in a leadership or executive role.
• Experience in handling large-scale, strategic, or cross-functional projects.
• Minimum 8–12 years' experience Actuary / CA(SA) in strategy consulting, corporate strategy, investment banking, or high-impact finance roles within complex organizations
• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, project management, or a related field will be an added advantage.
• Proven ability to manage and deliver complex projects with multiple stakeholders
• High levels of intellectual agility, structured thinking, and commercial judgment
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, travel frequently, and manage competing priorities
• Strong financial acumen, with comfort in interpreting and synthesizing financial data
• Experience interacting with or preparing materials for executive and board-level stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management capabilities
  
  

Knowledge And Skills

Strategic Planning

Business Innovation

Forecasting

Business Knowledge

Research and competitor analysis

Personal Attributes

Organisational savvy - Contributing strategically

Balances stakeholders - Contributing strategically

Plans and aligns - Contributing strategically

Optimises work processes - Contributing strategically

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Cultivates innovation - Contributing strategically

Customer focus - Contributing strategically

Drives results - Contributing strategically

Collaborates - Contributing strategically

Being resilient - Contributing strategically

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.

The closing date for applications is 02 July 2025.

Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.