AB
AbsaHead of Finance – Technology & Digital
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Before you apply
LocationSandton
Work modehybrid
Typefull-time
SeniorityDirector
Company size10,000+ people
PostedOct 29, 2026 · 5d ago
Verified live14h ago
At a glanceSummarised by Seekless from the posting.
Provide strategic financial leadership and commercial challenge to the Business Banking Technology & Digital function
Own financial planning, forecasting and performance management for the Technology portfolio
Develop transparency of technology costs across applications, platforms, infrastructure, vendors and business services
Establish clear views of Run vs Change expenditure and key cost drivers
Understand and challenge technology allocations and consumption-based charges
Develop Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and unit-cost perspectives for major technology services
Identify structural cost optimisation opportunities
Partner Technology executives on investment prioritisation and portfolio decisions
Build and challenge business cases across cloud migration, application modernisation, automation, digital platforms and technology transformation
Evaluate NPV, IRR, payback, P&L, cash-flow and balance-sheet implications of investments
Monitor benefits realisation against approved investment cases
Provide financial challenge on build vs buy, migrate vs retain and invest vs decommission decisions
Build sufficient understanding of Azure/AWS economics to challenge cloud consumption and optimisation opportunities
Understand consumption-based pricing, tagging and allocation methodologies
Partner Technology teams to improve transparency of cloud spend and accountability
Identify opportunities to optimise cloud utilisation and reduce inefficient consumption
Understand the financial implications of cloud migration and architecture decisions
Develop financial views at application/platform/service level
Integrate application run costs, infrastructure, licences, vendor expenditure and change investment
Identify duplicate, underutilised or high-cost applications and platforms
Support application rationalisation and decommissioning decisions
Translate technology architecture choices into understandable financial consequences
Provide financial challenge on technology contracts, software licensing, SaaS, outsourcing and professional services
Analyse vendor cost trends and commercial commitments
Support contract renewal and commercial negotiation decisions
Challenge licence utilisation, demand and unit pricing
Assess the long-term TCO implications of major vendor and platform choices
Develop decision-quality reporting through Power BI and advanced Excel
Analyse large datasets to identify technology cost drivers and optimisation opportunities
Create executive dashboards linking financial and technology KPIs
Perform scenario, sensitivity and driver-based modelling
Translate complex technology financial information into concise Exco-level insights
Use data to move Finance from retrospective reporting toward forward-looking commercial insight
Act as a credible financial adviser to BB CIO and Technology leadership
Constructively challenge technology investment, architecture and sourcing decisions
Translate technical discussions into financial and commercial implications
Influence decisions through fact-based analysis
Connect Technology priorities to BB strategy, customer outcomes, productivity and financial objectives
Technology financial management
FP&A, budgeting and forecasting
Business-case development
Investment appraisal
TCO modelling
Cost allocation and driver-based costing
Benefits realisation
Capex/Opex and capitalisation understanding
Commercial/vendor analysis
Advanced financial modelling
Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Financial Sciences
Technology Business Management (TBM) concepts
FinOps / cloud economics
Application economics
Technology cost-allocation methodologies
Software and licensing economics
Technology vendor management
Understanding of infrastructure and cloud services
Technology change/investment lifecycle
Working knowledge of APIs and integration
Working knowledge of SaaS
Working knowledge of Databases and compute
Working knowledge of Cloud vs on-premise architecture
Working knowledge of Cybersecurity and resilience
Working knowledge of Digital platforms
Working knowledge of AI and automation economics
Working knowledge of Application rationalisation and technical debt
Suitably qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds
Preference may be given to candidates from underrepresented designated groups, including persons with disabilities
Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process
Skills
Power BI
Azure
AWS
APIs
SaaS
Databases
AI
Automation
Excel
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.
Belonging at Absa
Absa is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from suitably qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds. In support of our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) commitments and Employment Equity objectives, preference may be given to candidates from underrepresented designated groups, including persons with disabilities. We encourage applicants who may require reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process to let us know so that appropriate support can be provided.
Job Summary
To provide strategic financial leadership and commercial challenge to the Business Banking Technology & Digital function, ensuring technology expenditure, investments and architecture decisions deliver measurable business value.
The role will provide end-to-end financial oversight across technology run costs, infrastructure, cloud, applications, software and licensing, technology vendors and strategic change. It will translate complex technology decisions into clear financial and commercial insights that enable informed investment, prioritisation and cost optimisation.
Job Description
Key accountabilities
1. Technology financial management
•
Own financial planning, forecasting and performance management for the Technology portfolio.
•
Develop transparency of technology costs across applications, platforms, infrastructure, vendors and business services.
•
Establish clear views of Run vs Change expenditure and key cost drivers.
•
Understand and challenge technology allocations and consumption-based charges.
•
Develop Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and unit-cost perspectives for major technology services.
•
Identify structural cost optimisation opportunities rather than relying only on tactical budget reductions.
2. Strategic technology investment and business cases
•
Partner Technology executives on investment prioritisation and portfolio decisions.
•
Build and challenge business cases across cloud migration, application modernisation, automation, digital platforms and technology transformation.
•
Evaluate NPV, IRR, payback, P&L, cash-flow and balance-sheet implications of investments.
•
Monitor benefits realisation against approved investment cases.
•
Provide financial challenge on build vs buy, migrate vs retain and invest vs decommission decisions.
3. Cloud economics and FinOps
•
Build sufficient understanding of Azure/AWS economics to challenge cloud consumption and optimisation opportunities.
•
Understand consumption-based pricing, tagging and allocation methodologies.
•
Partner Technology teams to improve transparency of cloud spend and accountability.
•
Identify opportunities to optimise cloud utilisation and reduce inefficient consumption.
•
Understand the financial implications of cloud migration and architecture decisions.
4. Application and technology portfolio economics
•
Develop financial views at application/platform/service level, not only cost-centre level.
•
Integrate application run costs, infrastructure, licences, vendor expenditure and change investment to determine full economic cost.
•
Identify duplicate, underutilised or high-cost applications and platforms.
•
Support application rationalisation and decommissioning decisions.
•
Translate technology architecture choices into understandable financial consequences.
5. Technology commercial and vendor management
•
Provide financial challenge on technology contracts, software licensing, SaaS, outsourcing and professional services.
•
Analyse vendor cost trends and commercial commitments.
•
Support contract renewal and commercial negotiation decisions.
•
Challenge licence utilisation, demand and unit pricing.
•
Assess the long-term TCO implications of major vendor and platform choices.
6. Technology performance and value management
Establish a stronger connection between:
Technology spend → technology performance → customer/business outcome → financial value
7. Data, analytics and management insight
•
Develop decision-quality reporting through Power BI and advanced Excel.
•
Analyse large datasets to identify technology cost drivers and optimisation opportunities.
•
Create executive dashboards linking financial and technology KPIs.
•
Perform scenario, sensitivity and driver-based modelling.
•
Translate complex technology financial information into concise Exco-level insights.
•
Use data to move Finance from retrospective reporting toward forward-looking commercial insight.
8. Strategic business partnering
•
Act as a credible financial adviser to BB CIO and Technology leadership.
•
Constructively challenge technology investment, architecture and sourcing decisions.
•
Translate technical discussions into financial and commercial implications.
•
Influence decisions through fact-based analysis rather than financial control alone.
•
Connect Technology priorities to BB strategy, customer outcomes, productivity and financial objectives.
Critical skills and experience
Finance and commercial
Essential
•
Technology financial management
•
FP&A, budgeting and forecasting
•
Business-case development
•
Investment appraisal
•
TCO modelling
•
Cost allocation and driver-based costing
•
Benefits realisation
•
Capex/Opex and capitalisation understanding
•
Commercial/vendor analysis
•
Advanced financial modelling
Technology
Essential / strongly preferred
•
Technology Business Management (TBM) concepts
•
FinOps / cloud economics
•
Application economics
•
Technology cost-allocation methodologies
•
Software and licensing economics
•
Technology vendor management
•
Understanding of infrastructure and cloud services
•
Technology change/investment lifecycle
Working knowledge
Nice to have
•
APIs and integration
•
SaaS
•
Databases and compute
•
Cloud vs on-premise architecture
•
Cybersecurity and resilience
•
Digital platforms
•
AI and automation economics
•
Application rationalisation and technical debt
Education
Postgraduate Degrees and Professional Qualifications: Financial Sciences (Required)