Manager: Collections Strategy Optimisation and Debt Sale - at Absa Bank Limited

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

This role is responsible for leading and optimizing the end to end debt sale debt sales strategy across the non-performing loans (NPL) lifecycle, maximizing recoveries through structured portfolio sales, data driven valuations and effective management with external debt buyers. The role is within Retail Credit Risk at Vice Principal level ensuring robust governance, pricing discipline and alignment to the Bank’s credit risk and capital management objectives. The roles also lead engagements with external debt buyers and debt collection agencies.

Job Description

Key Accountability Areas

Collections Strategy & Optimization

• Design and enhance collections and recoveries strategies through risk segmentation, SAS‑based data analytics, and strategy testing

• Optimize collections ROI through SAS‑driven delinquent account classification and treatment strategies

• Monitor and improve collections performance against STP and MTP budget targets using SAS‑enabled performance analytics

• Evaluate repayment arrangements, debt counselling processes, and impairment risk management using data‑driven and SAS‑supported insights

Debt Sale Strategy

• Develop and execute the annual debt sales strategy across unsecured portfolios (Card, PL and TxD)

• Drive innovative debt sale strategies (e.g. spot sale, forward flow, activate to buy etc)

• Align debt sale timing with macroeconomic conditions and portfolio performance

• Partner with Finance to assess and recommend SAS‑supported debt sale methodologies, pricing, and write‑off strategies

• Provide analytical and SAS‑based input into decisions on what debt to sell versus retain

Portfolio Selection and Segmentation

• Design segmentation strategies to identify optimal pools for sale

• Define eligibility criteria (eg Balance, legal status, payment behaviour/recency etc)

• Partner with analytical teams and collections strategy managers to assess recoverability vs sale value

• Ensure portfolio packaging enhances competitiveness and buyer appetite

Valuation and Pricing

• Lead portfolio valuation methodologies (NPV modelling, recovery curves, benchmarking)

• Set reserve prices and pricing strategies to maximize proceeds

• Analyze bid outcomes and continuously refine pricing models

• Drive initiatives to push sale prices above book value where possible

Market engagement and Management of Buyers

• Build and manage relationships with local and international debt buyers

• Drive competitive tension in auctions to maximize pricing

• Lead the RFP process, due diligence and bid evaluations

• Monitor buyer performance in forward flow arrangements

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Ensure all sales comply with legal, regulatory, and internal governance frameworks

• Establish clear approval processes for debt sale transactions

• Manage reputation risk, especially customer treatment post the sale

• Maintain audit ready documentation and controls

Operational Delivery

• Co-ordinate with Risk, Collections Ops, Finance, IT and Legal teams

• Oversee end to end execution: data extraction, legal checks and transfer

• Ensure accuracy and completeness of sale data

• Drive efficiency in execution timelines

• Maintain audit ready documentation and controls

Performance Management and Reporting

• Track and Report on Key KPI’s:

• Recovery uplift vs internal collections

• Sale proceeds vs book value

• ROI on debt sale strategy

• Buyer participation and bid spread

• Develop dashboards and heatmaps to identify opportunities

• Present strategy, performance, trends and insights to governance and risk committees

Innovation and continuous Improvement

• Introduce advanced strategies (eg data enrichment, behavioural scoring etc)

• Explore digital auction platforms and AI driven pricing models

• Benchmark against industry best practices

• Drive continuous improvement in recovery optimization

• Drive efficiency in execution timelines

• Maintain audit ready documentation and controls

• Develop and review SAS‑enabled MI frameworks to monitor strategy effectiveness and implementation adherence

People Management

• Lead and develop the Collections Strategy team through performance management, capability building, and analytics skills uplift, including succession planning

• Drive a strong performance culture aligned to the Bank’s objectives

Stakeholder Management

• Internal: Engage senior stakeholders across Collections Operations, Retail Credit Risk, Business, Finance, IT, HR, and Exco forums to support analytic driven strategy initiatives

• External: Debt buyers, legal firms / debt collection agencies, regulators and industry bodies

Required Experience & Skills

• Relevant B‑degree (NQF Level 7)

• 7+ years experience in Collections and/or Retail Credit Risk

• Minimum 3 years people‑management experience

• Strong financial modelling and valuation expertise

• Proven debt sale and experience

• Unsecured lending portfolios experience

• Strong exposure to credit risk models and big data analytics

• Experience developing data‑driven strategies

• Data analytics capability (SAS advantageous)

• Experience with dialler systems and strategy management tools (e.g. TRIAD)

• Strong communication and change‑implementation capability

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills

Education

Bachelor Honours Degree: BMI - Business Management and Informatics

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