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

Accountable for the end-to-end design, delivery, and optimisation of executive hiring solutions across the organisation. The role integrates strategic intent with operational execution by partnering with relevant stakeholders to build future-ready executive leadership pipelines. This role ensures executive talent acquisition aligns with organisational strategy, transformation priorities, and pan-African market dynamics. The incumbent will leverage data, digital tools, and market intelligence to proactively shape leadership pipelines and ensure resilience in critical roles.

Job Description

Key Focus Areas:

Executive search strategy and delivery
Leadership pipeline and succession alignment
Stakeholder partnership at executive level
Market intelligence and talent mapping
Digital and data-enabled recruitment practices
Integration across HC Business Partners, CoEs, and HC Services
Executive candidate experience and onboarding

Key Accountabilities:

1. Executive Recruitment Strategy & Delivery:

Lead the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle for executive and senior leadership roles, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy, culture, and long-term workforce plans.
Translate business strategy and talent priorities intoproactive executive hiring plans across multiple geographies in a pan-African context.
Applydirect search methodologies to identify, engage, and convert high-calibre passive candidates for critical roles.
Ensure recruitment processes areconsistent, compliant, and aligned to Group governance frameworks and risk requirements.
Continuously evaluate and optimise executive recruitment practices to improve quality of hire, time-to-fill, and long-term leadership impact.

2. Strategic Stakeholder Engagement:

Partner closely with Group Executives, Business Unit leaders, and HC Business Partners to deeply understand leadership hiring needs, preferences, and contextual dynamics.
Providethought leadership and advisory on executive hiring decisions, including talent availability, market trends, and candidate positioning.
Facilitate alignment between stakeholders on role requirements, success profiles, and selection criteria.
Act as a trusted advisor in navigatingsensitive, high-impact executive hiring decisions, ensuring objectivity and fairness.

3. Executive Talent Mapping & Pipeline Development:

Develop and maintainsuccession-ready executive talent pipelines for critical roles, aligned to succession planning and leadership continuity needs.
Conduct ongoingmarket mapping and competitor analysis to identify emerging leadership talent across key markets and industries.
Build and nurture long-term relationships withhigh-potential executive talent, ensuring readiness for both planned and unplanned leadership transitions.
Integrate pipeline insights into broaderGroup talent and succession strategies in collaboration with Talent Management CoEs.

4. Sourcing Strategy & External Market Positioning:

Design and implementrobust sourcing strategies leveraging industry networks, professional associations, executive search techniques, and digital platforms.
Strengthen the organisation’semployer brand at executive level, positioning the Group as an employer of choice across Africa and globally.
Engage with external partners (e.g., executive search firms, leadership networks) to complement internal sourcing strategies where required.
Leverage digital channels (e.g., AI-enabled sourcing tools, talent platforms) to enhance reach and targeting of executive candidates.

5. Data, Analytics & Reporting:

Track and report on executive hiring activity usingdashboards, analytics, and leadership scorecards, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Analyse recruitment data to generateinsights on hiring effectiveness, diversity outcomes, and pipeline health.
Use predictive analytics to anticipate future leadership gaps and inform proactive talent strategies.
Continuously improve reporting frameworks to align with Group talent metrics and business performance indicators.

6. Reward Alignment & Offer Strategy:

Collaborate with Reward and Performance CoEs tobenchmark executive compensation structures against market data and internal frameworks.
Develop competitive and equitable offer strategies that balanceexternal competitiveness with internal parity and governance.
Provide advisory input into total reward positioning, including long-term incentives and retention mechanisms.

7. Executive Onboarding & Assimilation:

Design and implementtailored onboarding and assimilation frameworks for executive hires to accelerate impact and cultural integration.
Partner with HC Business Partners and leadership teams to ensure structured onboarding plans are executed effectively.
Monitor and support theearly tenure success of executive hires, identifying risks and enabling timely interventions.

8. Integration Across HC Operating Model:

Collaborate seamlessly withHC Business Partners, HC Services, and Group CoEs to ensure aligned and integrated talent acquisition delivery.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of theshared services model, ensuring efficient and scalable recruitment processes.
Align executive recruitment practices with broader HC strategies, includingtransformation, diversity and inclusion, and digitalisation.
Ensure effective handoffs and collaboration across teams to deliver a cohesive employee and candidate experience.

9. Digital & Future-Fit Talent Acquisition Practices:

LeverageAI, automation, and advanced sourcing technologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in executive recruitment.
Drive adoption ofdigital recruitment tools and platforms, ensuring best practice utilisation across the function.
Stay abreast of emerging trends in executive talent acquisition, includingskills-based hiring, gig leadership models, and remote executive work.
Embeddata-driven decision-making and continuous improvement into all aspects of executive hiring.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education/Qualification:

Bachelor’s Degree, Advanced Diplomas, Post Graduate Certificate, or B Tech [NQF7].
Field of Study: Human Resources and or Business Management

Work Experience:

5 - 12 years experience in a specific capability of importance to the bank, including a track record of 3 years in a people management position.
Exposure to process design, optimisation, quality management, customer centricity, technology and data-driven decision-making is preferred.
Significant experience in executive recruitment or executive search, preferably within financial services or a complex, multi-geography organisation.
Proven track record of successfully placing senior leadership and executive roles.
Experience operating within a shared services and CoE-based HR model.
Exposure to pan-African or emerging markets is highly advantageous.

COMPETENCIES:

Leadership Competencies:

Strategic Thinking
Business Acumen
Communication
Influence
Leadership
Delivering Results
Adaptability
Collaboration
Decision-Making

Knowledge and Skills:

Knowledge:

Deep understanding of executive search methodologies and leadership hiring practices.
Knowledge of pan-African labour markets, talent dynamics, and regulatory environments.
Strong grounding in talent management, succession planning, and leadership development frameworks.
Understanding of reward structures and executive compensation principles.
Familiarity with digital HR technologies, AI sourcing tools, and recruitment analytics platforms.

Skills:

Strong strategic capability.
Advanced stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at executive level.
Exceptional research, market mapping, and talent identification capability.
High level of analytical and data interpretation skills, with the ability to translate insights into action.
Strong judgement and decision-making capability in complex, ambiguous situations.
Excellent communication and executive presence, with the ability to build credibility quickly.
Digital fluency, including the ability to leverage AI-enabled recruitment tools and platforms.
Strong project management capability, managing multiple executive searches simultaneously.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Human and Social Studies (Required)

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

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