Managing Executive - Small, Medium Enterprise

Absa Group; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1 500 000 - 2 000 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading African financial institution in Sandton is seeking a visionary Managing Executive to lead the SME Banking Cluster. You will drive growth, profitability, and value creation across sub-segments, enhancing access to finance for entrepreneurs. Ideal candidates should have extensive experience in banking and demonstrate strategic leadership and digital expertise. This high-impact role offers a unique opportunity to shape the SME landscape and deliver exceptional client value.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Opportunity for career growth

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• 15 – 20 years of experience in Banking/Financial Services.
• Proven track record in driving strategic growth and operational excellence.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to inspire high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the SME Banking Cluster and drive growth and profitability.
• Develop and execute an SME banking strategy across various sectors.
• Champion a customer-centric culture and ensure scalable operations.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Leadership

Digital Dexterity

Customer-Centric Innovation

Operational Excellence

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification (NQF 8) in Finance, Banking, Business Management

Tools

Data analytics tools

Digital banking tools

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

We are seeking a visionary Managing Executive to lead our SME Banking Cluster, driving growth, profitability, and value creation across micro, small, and medium sub‑segments. This is a high‑impact enterprise role critical to our ambition of achieving sector leadership across key markets.
The incumbent will report to the Chief Executive for Business Banking and will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing our sector‑specific strategy across Wholesale, Retail and Franchise banking – WRF (including the township economy), tourism, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture, positioning the bank as the partner of choice for entrepreneurs in these segments. By providing innovative financial and non‑financial solutions, leveraging digital‑first banking experiences, smarter funding, and data‑driven insights, the incumbent will enable businesses to scale while driving measurable growth for the bank.
Success in this role requires strategic leadership, entrepreneurial thinking, and digital dexterity. The Managing Executive will influence strategy, inspire high‑performing teams, and ensure the business unit delivers on our enterprise ambitions, strengthening our position as a sector‑leading banking partner for African entrepreneurs.

Job Description

Key Accountabilities

1. Segment Strategy, Growth and P&L Ownership

• Develop and execute a sector‑led Enterprise and SME banking strategy, targeting micro, small, and medium businesses across WRF, tourism, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture.
• Drive market share growth and profitability while enhancing client value across enterprise and SME segments.
• Leverage data‑driven insights, AI, and analytics to identify sector‑specific growth opportunities and optimise client outcomes.
• Foster an entrepreneurial, client‑centric culture, enabling teams to deliver innovative financial and non‑financial solutions.

2. Customer Value Proposition and Ecosystem Development

• Drive and influence value proposition design tailored to the diverse SME lifecycle (start‑up, grow, scale) and sector specific.
• Build strategic partnerships and ecosystems to strengthen SME access to finance, markets, and business support tools.

3. Customer Experience and Relationship Excellence

• Champion a customer‑centric culture across all SME touchpoints (digital, banker‑led and contact centre).
• Promote operational efficiency, digital onboarding, self‑service platforms, and process optimisation to support scalable enterprise operations.
• Measure and continuously improve NPA, engagement and retention metrics.

4. Risk, Governance & Portfolio Quality

• Set performance goals and metrics that measure impact on revenue, client base, product adoption, and market share.
• Ensure strong risk discipline across credit, operational, conduct, and reputational risks.
• Partner with credit and risk executive to maintain a healthy, diversified portfolio aligned to risk appetite.
• Drive proactive credit management, early warning systems, and turnaround strategies to protect portfolio health.
• Ensure full alignment with group architecture, compliance frameworks, and business continuity standards.

5. Leadership, People & Execution Excellence

• Lead a high‑performing, multidisciplinary team covering sales, relationship management, product, and enablement.
• Foster collaboration across digital, product, and operations teams to deliver integrated solutions for SMEs.
• See clear performance targets, drive accountability, and build future leadership capability within the segment.

Key Requirements

• Extensive experience (15 – 20 years) in Banking/Financial Services, with proven exposure to micro, small and medium enterprises across multiple sectors.
• Sector expertise in: WRF, tourism, manufacturing, transport, and agriculture.
• Proven track record in driving strategic growth, operational excellence, and value creation in enterprise or SME banking.
• Digital dexterity, with experience leveraging AI, data analytics, and digital banking tools to improve client outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire high‑performing teams, influence stakeholders, and execute strategic objectives across markets.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a history of delivering client‑centric, sector‑focused solutions.
• Solid understanding of financial products and services for enterprise and SME clients, including lending, trade finance, cash management, and advisory services.
• Relevant tertiary qualification (NQF 8) in Finance, Banking, Business Management, or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to drive operational improvements, process optimisation, and digital transformation within a banking environment.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Execution
• Leadership & People Development
• Sector Expertise & Entrepreneurial Mindset
• Digital Dexterity (AI, Data & Analytics)
• Customer-Centric Innovation
• Operational Excellence & Process Optimisation
• Analytical & Data-Driven Decision Making
• Ethical Leadership & Integrity

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-impact SME banking business across multiple markets. You will play a central role in achieving sector leadership, shaping the entrepreneurial landscape, driving measurable growth, and delivering exceptional value to clients and the bank. In this role, you will champion innovation, operational excellence, and sector‑focused solutions, empowering SMEs and enterprises to become the sector leader and transform the economy.

Education

Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Banking, Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Business, Commerce and Management Studies, Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Business Management.

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.