Job Summary

The Head of Product: Corporate Acquiring is a senior leadership role within Relationship Banking, accountable for defining and executing the product strategy for Absa’s corporate acquiring portfolio. This includes oversight of the product’s end-to-end commercial, operational, and strategic performance. The role reports directly to the Executive: Payments Acceptance and is based at Absa’s flagship offices in Alice Lane, Sandton.

As a key driver of growth and innovation, the incumbent will own the delivery of a compelling, insights-led product proposition that serves the complex needs of enterprise and public sector clients, while enabling Absa’s ambition to lead in the evolving payments ecosystem. The role encompasses full accountability for the product’s commercial performance, operational infrastructure, and people capabilities, ensuring alignment with the bank’s strategic objectives, financial ambitions, and the desired client and colleague experience.

Job Description

1. Commercial Management

• Full ownership of the P&L for Corporate Acquiring, ensuring the product contributes meaningfully to Relationship Banking’s financial performance and aligns to Absa’s targeted balance sheet shape.
• Monitor key commercial levers such as pricing, volume growth, cost-to-serve, and net interest income, with accountability for driving margin expansion and profitable client engagement.
• Develop and maintain commercial models, pricing strategies, and performance analytics that support evidence-based decision-making and sustainable growth.

2. Product Management

• Define a differentiated product strategy and value proposition grounded in customer insights, data analytics, and market intelligence.
• Lead the product lifecycle across ideation, design, go-to-market, enhancement, and decommissioning, ensuring continuous alignment to evolving client needs and industry trends.
• Act as the product owner in steering agile delivery squads and cross-functional working groups to bring new solutions to market rapidly and effectively.

3. Product Infrastructure

• Assume end-to-end accountability for the people, process, systems, and risk frameworks underpinning the acquiring product suite.
• Ensure that the infrastructure supports both operational resilience and a seamless client experience across all acceptance channels—POS, eCommerce, APIs, and emerging platforms.
• Collaborate closely with Technology, Risk, Legal, and Operations to ensure infrastructure scalability, compliance, and security in line with regulatory and scheme requirements.

4. People and Culture

• Lead and inspire a team of product professionals, fostering a culture of high performance, innovation, and accountability.
• Build organisational capability through coaching, talent development, and succession planning, aligned to Absa’s values and future-fit skills strategy.
• Role model the Absa colleague experience and champion a diverse and inclusive environment that supports team wellbeing and collaboration.

5. Strategic & Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent the product portfolio in executive governance forums, strategy reviews, and external engagements with schemes, regulators, and industry bodies.
• Partner with internal stakeholders including Relationship Executives, Sector Heads, Treasury, Finance, and Marketing to co-create integrated and client-led solutions.
• Contribute to broader Absa initiatives around digital transformation, ESG, and financial inclusion through the lens of acquiring.

Experience & Qualifications Required

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in payments, product management, or financial services, with at least 5 years in a senior or executive role.
• Strong commercial track record in managing acquiring or payment acceptance portfolios.
• In-depth understanding of the acquiring value chain, merchant ecosystems, card schemes, interchange models, POS/eCommerce infrastructure, and related regulatory frameworks.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, or equivalent. Postgraduate qualifications (e.g. MBA, MCom) preferred.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)