Lead Technology Partner-2

Absa Group; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Absa Group in Sandton, South Africa, seeks a Lead Technology Partner for Business Banking Debt Management. The role leads multi-skilled tech teams, drives modernization, AI enablement, and data-driven decisions while aligning with enterprise risk and regulatory standards.

The position requires extensive leadership in Java/.NET ecosystems, architecture, and SAFe practices, with accountability for strategy, delivery, and governance across critical platforms.

Qualifications

• 10+ years technology leadership experience in financial services
• Experience delivering large-scale transformation programs
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional, multi-disciplinary teams

Responsibilities

• Provide technology strategy and roadmaps aligned with business goals
• Oversee architecture and platform ownership across Risk tech in Business Banking
• Lead delivery using SAFe, manage budgets, risks and stakeholder expectations
• Ensure operational stability, security compliance and modernization of platforms
• Champion data analytics, AI enablement and KPI-driven improvements

Skills

Technology leadership

Financial services experience

SAFe leadership

Data analytics

Cloud transformation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Information Technology or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Java

API-led architecture

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.

Job Summary | Lead the agile solution design, deployment & ongoing optimization & evolution of enterprise wide technology products and services (full stack engineering & ownership / control) in high complexity environments.

Job Description | Position Title – Lead Technology Partner: Business Banking Debt Management. Job Details – Role: Lead Technology Partner, Grade: VP, Business Area: Absa Business Banking: Technology, Reporting To: Executive Information Technology BB Risk Team Leadership: Capable of leading multi skilled technology teams including Developers, Solution Analysts, Scrum Masters to achieve both Operational and strategic goals for Absa Business Banking.

Role Purpose | The Lead Technology Partner for Collections & Recoveries is accountable for executing the technology strategy, architecture, delivery roadmap, operational stability, and modernization agenda for Business Banking Risk technology platforms. The role acts as the primary technology partner for Business Banking Risk Debt Management on behalf of the Executive Information Technology BB Risk, supporting Senior Stakeholder management and reporting for the Debt Management area. The LTP ensures that technology complies with Change, Technology and Regulatory Compliance and meets set objectives of Operational Stability, Tech and Cyber Security Risks and enables and supports business strategic objectives through Transformation and Change programs. The role supports the enrichment of data sources and the enablement of AI both in workforce augmentation and the development of AI Models. “Own the modernization and replacement strategies for the business unit including platform consolidation, API enablement, customer journey digitization, leveraging AI in both AI Model development and workforce augmentation on the back of the data-driven strategies.”

Key Responsibilities

1. Business & Technology Strategy – Provide technology insights and opportunities to partner with and enrich business strategies through technology both from a strategic (3 year) roadmap and immediate gains perspective. Ensure that Technology investments aligns with business strategy for the Business Banking unit. Develop modernization strategies for legacy platforms. Drive platform rationalization and simplification initiatives. Adhere to Architecture principles in all solutions such as principles of reuse and target-state architecture aligned with Absa Group standards.
2. Architecture & Platform Ownership – Collaborate with Architecture teams to ensure optimal technology solutions in line with Absa Group Strategy. Ensure that we support a data driven strategy. Ensure teams support the leveraging of AI where appropriate and align with AI Responsible Use Standards.
3. Delivery Leadership – Lead multi-disciplinary technology squads, with a strong record of Technology delivery at every level and with a broad base of knowledge. Experience in execution of development on JAVA, #C etc., Solution Design, Architecture experience and Technology Team Leadership evidenced through success project delivery. Provide Impact Assessments and Quotes for projects and initiatives through team engagements providing as accurate as possible Govern business cases, BRDs, architecture, testing, and production deployments. Ensure delivery through SAFe and agile practices. Manage multiple external and internal dependencies across integration, business analysts, suppliers, stakeholders to support the resolution of blockers and risks to successful delivery. Technology Ownership of applicable Services from inception to decommissioning. Manage team/service budgets, suppliers and delivery partners. Provide executive-level reporting. Accountability to deliver technology solutions on time and in budget.
4. Operational Leadership – Accountable for: Service stability, Platform resilience, Disaster recovery compliance, Technical debt remediation, Incident management, Risk remediation, Cyber and security compliance. The LTP remains accountable as application owner for business-critical services. The role is identified in technology standards as responsible for risk management, uptime, and maintenance of applications.
5. Data & Analytics Leadership – Drive data and analytics capability enablement. Support optimization of business process through analytics. Enable MI and operational reporting. Champion AI and predictive opportunities. Improve visibility of customer journeys and key performance metrics.
6. Stakeholder Management – Manage senior relationships with: Heads of Business Units such as Collections and Recoveries; Product Owners; Business Operations Risk including Tech, Operations and Cyber Security Risk Compliance; Architecture Enterprise Integration; Vendors / Suppliers; Technology leadership forums.
7. People Leadership – Lead: Product Engineers, Salesforce Engineers, Solution Analysts, QA Teams, Data Engineers, Scrum Masters, Operations Support Teams, Business Analysts (Indirectly).

Critical Success Measures (KPIs)

• Delivery Alignment with Architecture principles and Strategy
• Budget adherence
• Successful program delivery within time and budget tolerance %
• Service Availability >99.9%
• Reduction in incidents and impact to business stakeholders
• DR and resilience compliance
• Modernization Legacy platform decommission milestones achieved
• API adoption targets met
• Reduction in technical debt
• Business Outcomes Achieved business objectives per initiatives
• Optimized system processes
• Faster customer turnaround times
• Reduced operational, Tech and Cyber risk
• People Employee Engagement Targets
• Succession Planning
• Talent Retention
• Mandatory Learning Compliance

Preferred Experience – Essential 10+ years technology leadership experience, Financial services experience, Technology delivery leadership experience, Large-scale transformation experience. Highly Desirable: Collections systems Recoveries platforms Salesforce Financial Services Cloud CustomerOne API-led architecture SAFe leadership Data and analytics platforms Cloud transformation programs.

Competencies – Strategic Leadership, Business Partnership, Commercial Acumen, Technology Architecture, Technical skills appropriate to team (Salesforce, Java etc.) Agile / SAFe Leadership, Financial Acumen, Proactive Risk Management, Change Leadership, Vendor Management, including Supplier contracting and negotiations, Executive Communication.

Recommended Addition for the Current Role – Based on the current Collections transformation focus, I would add a specific accountability: Education Bachelor's Degree: Information Technology.

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised.

At Absa, our story is not a single narrative. It’s thousands of individual journeys unfolding across Africa and beyond. From colleagues serving customers in local communities to teams shaping financial solutions across borders, Absa is built on people who bring their lived experiences, ambitions and perspectives into the workplace every day. Whether you’re starting your career, a seasoned leader or somewhere in between, your contribution is seen, valued and connected to something bigger. Our presence across Africa – which spans personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management, and insurance – exists because of the people who show up in their roles with purpose. Across Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, our colleagues are shaping what Absa becomes in each market. Beyond the continent, teams in global offices and a technology hub support and extend the stories that prove that African talent can lead, influence and innovate on the global stage. At Absa, your story matters because progress is driven by human experience, not hierarchy. When people are enabled to bring their whole selves to work, they don’t just build careers. They help shape the future of Africa’s financial services landscape.