Let's Write Africa's Story Together!

Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Job Description

At OM Bank, we strive to attract great people who are passionate about coming together for a higher purpose- building something unique and aspirational, always aiming to be the best they can be. We are rooted in our purpose of inspiring and enabling our customers to grow and sustain their prosperity

ROLE OVERVIEW

 

The Lead of Credit Innovation and Change Management (“Lead”) is responsible for leading and overseeing all aspects of innovation and change initiatives within the credit risk domain. This role involves driving strategic changes, process enhancements, and technology implementations to optimize credit risk management practices.

The Lead will report into the Head of Financial Risks (or the Head of Credit).

 

KEY RESULT AREAS

 

Change Strategy and Planning:

Develop a comprehensive change management strategy aligned with the credit risk function’s goals.Develop a comprehensive credit innovation strategy aligned with the credit risk function’s goals.Identify key stakeholders, assess their readiness for change, and create tailored communication plans.Collaborate with senior leadership to prioritize change initiatives.

Process Optimization and Transformation:

Evaluate existing credit risk processes and identify areas for improvement.Lead process reengineering efforts to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and risk mitigation.Implement best practices and industry standards.

Technology Adoption and Integration:

Work closely with supporting chapters (engineers, solution architects, etc.) to introduce new credit risk management systems or enhance existing ones.Ensure smooth adoption of technology solutions by credit risk teams.Provide training and support.

Risk Culture and Communication:

Foster a positive risk-aware culture within the organization.Communicate the rationale behind changes, emphasizing risk management benefits.Address any resistance to change and promote buy-in from stakeholders.

Project Management:

Define project scopes, objectives, and deliverables related to credit risk change initiatives.Develop detailed project plans, allocate resources, and monitor progress.Mitigate risks and address issues promptly.

Performance Metrics and Evaluation:

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of change efforts.Regularly evaluate the impact of changes on credit risk processes and outcomes.Adjust strategies based on performance data.

Collaboration and Leadership:

Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including credit analysts, data scientists, and compliance officers.Lead change management teams, providing guidance and mentorship.Influence decision-making at the executive level.Provide support and input into the customer facing teams on how to improve customer experience.Provide input and technical support into the E2E Credit Risk lifecycle processes and support the Head of Credit Decisioning and the Head of Credit Analytics.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

 

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Risk Management, Business, or a related field.A Master’s degree or professional certification (e.g., CFA, FRM, Lean Six Sigma) is an advantage.

Experience:

8+ years of experience in credit risk, lending, or financial services, with a focus on innovation and transformation.Proven track record in leading credit transformation projects, including digital credit solutions and process automation.Strong understanding of banking regulations, credit policies, and emerging trends in lending.Experience in change management, including stakeholder engagement and business readiness strategies.

Accountable for a programme or group of interdependent projects of moderate complexity. Focuses on the creation of the programme vision and planning documents and manage the integration, implementation, reporting, and performance of the overall programme with the expectation of delivering on time, within budget, and to scope.

ResponsibilitiesPortfolio Management

Initiate and lead the governance and delivery of programs within a significant area of responsibility, using an appropriate program and project management methodology to give assurance that intended outcomes are identified and achieved.

Project Scope Definition

Lead the planning and delivery of complex, wide-ranging information gathering, analysis, and stakeholder consultation activities and specify, negotiate, and agree on program and project deliverables, ensuring integration across the program and with the wider portfolio, where present.

Leadership and Direction

Identify and communicate the actions needed to implement the function's strategy and business plan within the business area or department; explain the relationship to the broader organization's mission, vision, and values; motivate people to commit to these tenets and do extraordinary things to achieve local business goals.

Stakeholder Management

Develop and implement stakeholder engagement strategies and plans across the program to identify relevant stakeholders, to create mutually supportive working relationships, and to ensure that each stakeholder has an appropriate share of voice at both project and program levels.

Project Risk and Issue Management

Ensure that risks, issues, dependencies, and constraints are managed appropriately at project level. Where risks or issues threaten delivery of the project, develop and agree on recovery plans.

Project Team Management

Lead large project and program teams (or multiple small- to medium-sized teams); define the project/program vision, communicate the necessary outcomes, and provide guidance to achieve these outcomes; manage resources across projects/programs; negotiate the flow of additional team members on and off the team, as needed; and build the capability of the team through training, coaching, and mentoring.

Project Resource Management

Lead the negotiation and deployment of annual and longer-term program and project resource budgets, providing forecasts and presenting variances with narrative at appropriate review points to ensure effective utilization.

Project Assurance

Lead the design and delivery of project assurance reviews, enable the delivery of assurance reviews by independent third parties, and ensure that appropriate actions are taken to resolve any issues identified, to give senior stakeholders confidence that the project can deliver according to time, budget, and quality.

Enterprise Business Analysis

Interpret the business need and identify solution recommendations to business problems at a business unit level. Lead the improvement efforts that are within span of control at this level.

Culture of Innovation

Define the execution plan to disseminate innovative capabilities across the businesses, helping people develop these competencies and enabling them to innovate through solutions such as idea generation platforms, jam sessions, and hackathons.

Transformational Change Management

Lead the detailed design of projects within a transformational change program and manage their delivery, ensuring integration with related projects; use structured change management methodologies to drive acceptance of change and to embed desired culture and behaviors.

Project Governance

Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined within the project-delivery and project-management office teams, and ensure project compliance with the organization's wider program and/or portfolio management decision-making structures and processes.

Project Benefit Realization

Lead the development and implementation of a strategy to ensure that intended business benefits are realized across a program.

Personal Capability Building

Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the team and beyond in the function. Maintain external accreditations and in-depth understanding of current and emerging technologies, external regulation, and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

Skills

Agile Project Management, Change Management, Entrepreneurial Thinking, Managing Stakeholder Expectations, Prioritization, Project Communications Management, Project Estimations, Project Life Cycle Management, Project Management Governance, Project Organization, Project Quality Assurance, Project Quality Management, Project Risk Management, Project Scope Management, Strategic Program Management

Competencies

Balances Stakeholders

Builds Effective Teams

Collaborates

Communicates Effectively

Courage

Decision Quality

Develops Talent

Drives Vision and Purpose

Education

NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

11 February 2025 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

Old Mutual Limited is pro-vaccination and encourages its workforce to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

All prospective employees are required to disclose their vaccination status as part of the recruitment process.

Please refer to the Old Mutual’s Covid-19 vaccination policy for further detail. Kindly note that Old Mutual reserves the right to reinstate the requirement to vaccinate at any point if it is of the view that it is imperative to do so.

The Old Mutual Story!