Senior Specialist Research and Insights at Absa Bank Limited

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.

Job Summary

Drives strategic insights of market research within the defined portfolio within Marketing and Corporate Affairs, enabling evidence-based decision-making through robust research methodologies, governance and analytics.

Job Description

Key Focus Areas

• Research Governance & Quality Assurance: Maintaining methodological rigour, governance practices, and driving of strategic research insights across the portfolio.
• Insight Synthesis & Decision Support: Translating complex analytical outputs into clear insights and recommendations that support senior stakeholder decision-making across the portfolio.
• Advanced Analytics & Modelling: Applying advanced analytical techniques, modelling, and simulation to enhance insights and enable evidence-based decision making.
• Multi-Stakeholder Engagement and Influence: Engaging senior stakeholders, shaping research agendas, communicating insights, and ensuring alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• External Research Partnering: Managing third-party research providers to ensure methodological robustness, quality delivery, and alignment with portfolio needs.
• Budget and Resource Optimisation: Ensuring research initiatives are aligned to approved budgets and in agreement with the portfolio’s requirements.
• Complex Programme and Project Leadership: Leading and coordinating multiple research programmes simultaneously, ensuring execution, integration, and delivery of actionable outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

Research Strategy & Governance

• Define and translates portfolio-level research strategy aligned to Absa objectives.
• Embed research standards, methodologies, and processes to ensure consistency, quality, and rigour.
• Ensures research prioritisation to deliver actionable insights for the portfolio.

Research Management & Delivery

• Leads the research activities of third parties within the portfolio, ensuring robust design, sampling, weighting, and analysis.
• Maintain and enhance research frameworks, trackers, and measurement tools.
• Translate complex outputs into clear, concise insights and recommendations for senior leadership.
• Present research findings and implications to senior executives and governance forums.
• Provide advanced analytical outputs, including modelling and simulation, to support portfolio decision-making.

Budget & Resource Management

• Support optimisation of research initiatives while adhering to approved budgets.
• Ensure adequate resourcing to meet portfolio priorities.

Project & Stakeholder Management

• Lead multiple complex research programmes within the portfolio.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to shape research agendas and deliver actionable insights.
• Manage external research partners to ensure quality, value, and alignment with portfolio objectives.

Education/Qualification:
Bachelor’s Degree, Advanced Diplomas, Post Graduate Certificate, or B Tech [NQF7].

Field of Study:

• Degree in Business,
• Economics,
• Data Analysis,
• Statistics,
• Market Research.

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.
• Proven ability to present insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesise complex research into succinct, decision-ready outputs.
• Experience operating in multi-stakeholder environments within a portfolio.

COMPETENCIES

Leadership Competencies:

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

Knowledge and Skills:

· Strategic insight generation within a specific portfolio

· Advanced research methodologies and analytical capability

· Senior stakeholder level communication and insight storytelling

· Ability to synthesise and summarise complex information clearly

· Project management discipline

· Operational planning and execution

· Process optimisation and service design

· Stakeholder experience management

· Performance measurement and reporting

· Governance and compliance

· Digital tools and platforms

· Data analysis and insight generation

· Team leadership and development

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Marketing (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