Senior Business Analyst : Job Grade 12 / 13 : Sls : Finance : Services : Bellville

Sanlam; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 850 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Cape Town is seeking a Senior Business Analyst to lead a team that optimizes finance systems solutions. Your responsibilities will include ensuring compliance and quality in deliverables while engaging with stakeholders across multiple business units. Candidates should have a strong background in business analysis, leadership capabilities, and proficiency in finance solutions like SAP S/4HANA. This role offers opportunities for professional development and contributions to a transformative organization.

Qualifications

• At least six years of experience in a business analysis role.
• Minimum three years in a senior or leadership capacity.
• Experience with finance solutions in a large organization.
• Proficiency in business analysis tools and methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of business analysts for operations in finance systems.
• Engage with business stakeholders to gather requirements.
• Manage and coordinate resolution of finance systems incidents.
• Ensure quality and compliance in analysis deliverables.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in commerce, accounting, finance, or related field

Professional certification in Business Analysis (e.g., CBAP)

Tools

SAP S/4HANA

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Visio)

Job description

Senior Business Analyst – Job Grade – SLS Finance Services – Bellville

Who are we?

Sanlam Life and Savings (SLS) is focused on serving our retail and corporate clients in South Africa and on further developing our strategic advantages in the South African market.

SLS consists of the following business units: Retail Mass, Corporate, Risk and Savings, Glacier and various business enabling functions.

The Sanlam Life and Savings Office provides strategic direction, coordination and support to the clusters, while performing governance oversight that includes assurance from second line of defense functions.

Responsibilities – Finance Services Function

Execute shared financial transactions through the Finance Shared Services (FSS) team.

Drive operational excellence and efficiency through finance process and technology optimisation by the Finance Systems & Processes (FSP) team.

Deliver an efficient financial control and compliance environment for SAP S / 4HANA and related finance systems through the Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) team.

What will you do?

Lead a team of six business analysts as the operational BA lead for the Finance Systems & Processes team.

Serve as 'head of operations', ensuring the SAP Finance solution (SAP S / 4HANA ERP, SAP Insurance Analyzer, and related systems) meets evolving business requirements.

Coordinate all business analysis activities, drive delivery on key operational issues, goals, and strategic initiatives, and align system capabilities with the needs of over 2, end users.

What will make you successful in this role?

Lead, mentor and develop a high-performance team of business analysts.

Allocate and coordinate BA resources to ensure timely and quality delivery across multiple projects and initiatives.

Act as the 'head of operations' for the Finance Systems & Processes team, managing day-to-day operations and driving continuous improvement.

SAP Finance Solution Delivery

Oversee the business analysis function for SAP S / 4HANA ERP, SAP Insurance Analyzer and related finance systems.

Plan for and test SAP system upgrades and other technical changes.

Serve as the primary bridge between business clients and the SAP Centre of Expertise, translating business needs into clear system requirements and functional specifications.

Drive delivery on key system enhancements, change initiatives and process improvements.

Stakeholder Engagement and Management

Engage with business stakeholders across all SLS clusters to gather requirements, demonstrate new solutions and obtain feedback.

Build and maintain strong relationships with finance process owners, system users and IT partners.

Facilitate workshops, training sessions and communications to ensure alignment and adoption.

Incident and Change Request Management

Manage and coordinate the resolution of incidents, service requests and change initiatives related to finance systems.

Ensure timely escalation, tracking and closure of issues, maintaining high service levels for business clients.

Collaborate with the SAP CoE, system accountant, process analyst and support analyst to address and resolve system and process issues.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

Ensure quality and compliance in business analysis deliverables, including requirements documentation, test cases and training materials.

Support user acceptance testing and deployment activities for system changes and new releases.

Contribute to maintaining a robust control environment and adherence to finance governance standards.

Qualification And Experience

Bachelor's degree in commerce, accounting, finance, information systems or a related field (preferred).

Professional certification in Business Analysis (e.g., CBAP from IIBA or equivalent) preferred.

Minimum six years' experience in a business analysis role, with at least three years in a senior or team leadership capacity.

Experience with finance solutions such as SAP S / 4HANA ERP or similar in a large, complex organization advantageous.

Experience in the financial services industry, preferably with exposure to insurance or life and savings sectors advantageous.

Proficiency in business analysis tools and methodologies; advanced skills in MS Office (Excel, Word, Visio) required.

Knowledge And Skills

Proven leadership and team management skills.

Expertise delivering system change via Agile software enhancement lifecycles.

Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all organisational levels.

Ability to manage complexity, drive results and deliver under pressure.

Customer-focused, innovative, and resilient approach.

Quick to understand business operations and technology landscapes.

Personal Attributes

Manages Complexity

Collaborates

Drives Results

Customer Focus

Ensures Accountability

Communicates Effectively

Being Resilient

Cultivates Innovation

Builds Effective Teams

Business Insight

Build a successful career with us

We're all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees.

Through our five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, MiWay and the Group Office – we provide many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Being resilient – Contributing through others

Collaborates – Contributing through others

Cultivates innovation – Contributing through others

Customer focus – Contributing through others

Drives results – Contributing through others

Closing Date

The closing date is 29 December.

Shortlisting Process

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.

Transformation Commitment

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity.

This commitment drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace, 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.