Salesforce Operations Excellence Lead

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

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

We're looking for a Salesforce Operations Excellence Lead to transform how we run, govern and continuously improve our Salesforce Client Engagement Platform across Corporate & Investment Banking.

Job Description

The Opportunity

This is more than an operations role. You'll build a data-driven, AI-enabled capability that connects strategy, delivery, platform health, engineering, adoption and measurable business value.

Your mandate:

• AI-first: Embed approved AI capabilities into operations, decision-making and productivity.
• Data-first: Create trusted operational intelligence for faster, evidence-led decisions.
• Automation-first: Digitise manual processes, reporting, controls and repetitive activities.
• Native-first: Maximise standard Salesforce capabilities before customising.
• Value-led: Connect investment and delivery to adoption, client outcomes and business value.

What you'll lead:

• Establish a Salesforce Operations Brain Centre connecting strategy, programmes, engineering, releases, platform health, risk, adoption and ROI.
• Design and continuously improve the end-to-end Salesforce technology operating model.
• Connect strategy and CIO commitments to OKRs, roadmaps, delivery, adoption and outcomes.
• Drive excellence across DevSecOps, testing, security, releases and resilience.
• Replace fragmented, retrospective reporting with meaningful telemetry and executive insight.
• Improve Salesforce investment and licence utilisation while reducing unnecessary customisation and technical debt.
• Build organisational Salesforce capability through digital change, Trailhead learning and communities of practice.

What you'll bring:

• 10+ years of experience across enterprise technology, operations, programme leadership, capability management or digital transformation.
• Experience leading complex Salesforce or enterprise cloud transformation.
• Strong knowledge of technology operating models, Agile and modern DevSecOps.
• Experience using data, AI and automation to improve technology operations.
• Strong programme, portfolio, governance and value-realisation capability.
• The ability to turn complex technology information into clear executive insight.
• A passion for building high-performing teams and sustainable organisational capability.
• Experience in Corporate & Investment Banking, regulated financial services or complex Pan-African/global environments would be advantageous.

Why this role matters

Salesforce is evolving from a traditional CRM into a strategic Client Engagement Platform. This role will build the intelligent operating capability behind that transformation, connecting people, process, technology, data and AI to deliver better client and business outcomes.

Help us move from manual to automated. Reactive to predictive.
Data to intelligence. Delivery to measurable value.

Education

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Project Management, Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Strategic Management

About Us

At Absa, our story is not a single narrative. It’s thousands of individual journeys unfolding across Africa and beyond.

From colleagues serving customers in local communities to teams shaping financial solutions across borders, Absa is built on people who bring their lived experiences, ambitions and perspectives into the workplace every day. Whether you’re starting your career, a seasoned leader or somewhere in between, your contribution is seen, valued and connected to something bigger.

Our presence across Africa – which spans personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management, and insurance – exists because of the people who show up in their roles with purpose. Across Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, our colleagues are shaping what Absa becomes in each market.

Beyond the continent, teams in global offices and a technology hub support and extend the stories that prove that African talent can lead, influence and innovate on the global stage.

At Absa, your story matters because progress is driven by human experience, not hierarchy. When people are enabled to bring their whole selves to work, they don’t just build careers. They help shape the future of Africa’s financial services landscape.