Head of Finance: Banking

Position Overview

This role will be responsible for comprehensive oversight and execution of financial reporting (including management, risk, regulatory and statutory) strategies and processes specific to transactional banking. This role is critical to ensuring the financial success and sustainability of Sanlam's banking proposition, a core growth lever for the Group.

Reporting to the Head of Banking with a dotted line to the Chief Financial Officer (Sanlam Fintech), the Head of Finance will partner closely with banking operations, product, marketing and distribution teams. You will be responsible for enabling the Head of Banking to deliver on banking P&L ownership and commercial outcomes whilst ensuring rigorous financial controls, expert data analytics, accurate reporting and operational excellence across the banking portfolio.The Head of Finance will provide sound financial advice tailored to the unique economics of transactional banking, ensure stringent accounting processes and controls and drive financial performance in alignment with the Group's integrated financial services strategy.

What will you do?

Banking P&L Ownership and Commercial Performance

• Partner with the Head of Banking to translate commercial strategy into financial plans and P&L targets
• Formulate annual budgets and forecasts aligned to banking customer acquisition, usage, cross-sell, retention and contribution margin targets
• Develop detailed unit economics models for banking products transaction banking, credit, deposits to inform pricing, product profitability and investment decisions
• Establish comprehensive financial performance dashboards tracking acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, funding costs, cost to serve and return on capital
• Provide monthly, quarterly and annual financial forecasting with transparent scenario modelling to support strategic decision-making
  
  

Financial Strategy and Enterprise Alignment

• Develop and implement a banking specific finance strategy that supports the transactional banking ambitions whilst optimising Group-wide capital and funding efficiency
• Ensure banking financial metrics and performance are clearly articulated within broader Sanlam Group reporting frameworks hyperion, board pack, investor communications
• Facilitate alignment between banking finance delivery, SFT finance and Group finance strategy, ensuring consistent application of financial policies and standards
  
  

Control Environment, Reporting, Risk and Compliance

• Collaborate with Sanlam Group Risk and Actuarial to establish and manage banking's financial control environment adapted to the unique risks of transactional banking such as regulatory, liquidity, credit and operational
• Ensure accurate and timely financial reporting to the Head of Banking, SFT Exco, Group Finance and relevant regulators (FSCA, SARB)
• Work closely with Group Risk and Actuarial to ensure compliance with banking regulatory requirements including capital adequacy frameworks, liquidity requirements, consumer protection regulations, FICA or AML and POPIA
• Work with Risk and Compliance to ensure banking operations meet King IV governance principles and maintain robust risk frameworks appropriate to banking operations 
  
  

Data-Driven Decision Making and Commercial Analytics

• Establish data and analytics capabilities to support commercial decision making which is pricing, product mix and  customer segmentation
• Translate customer insights, behavioural data and performance signals into financial analysis that informs product and engagement improvements
• Utilise financial software and analytics tools such SAP, PowerBI, Hyperion to deliver dashboarding and visualisations that enable agile decision making
• Develop cost benefit analysis and financial models to evaluate new banking products, partnerships, distribution channels and technology investments
  
  

Partnership and Stakeholder Management

• Manage the internal and external audit relationship for banking, ensuring compliance with accounting standards and Group audit protocols 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders including banking partner-Tyme, product teams, regulatory bodies, external auditors and SFT or Group Finance leadership
• Facilitate collaboration across relevant Group clusters such as SGT, SLS, Santam, Sanlam Investments to optimise banking finance delivery and support integrated value creation
• Support governance and commercial oversight of banking partnerships and JVs, TymeBank, Sanlam or Tyme Credit JV through financial reporting and analysis

Qualification and Experience

• CA (SA) Qualification
• Minimum 8–10 years senior management experience in Financial Services, with at least 3–5 years in banking, fintech, or transactional financial services
• Demonstrated experience managing P&L for retail banking at scale with clear understanding of banking unit economics and customer economics
• Track record of establishing or managing finance functions in high growth, digital-first or innovative banking environments
• Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills with ability to influence across functions and hierarchies
• Strategic thinker with ability to translate complex banking data and regulatory requirements into actionable financial insights
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in fast-paced, high-ambiguity environments
• Detail-oriented with commitment to accuracy, compliance, and control

What will make you successful in this role?

• Proficiency in financial software and data analytics tools (e.g., SAP, PowerBI, Tableau, etc.) with strong visualisation and dashboarding capability
• Strong knowledge of banking and fintech financial reporting standards,
• General understanding of regulatory requirements, and capital adequacy frameworks
• Good technical accounting knowledge with specific exposure to banking accounting (interest income recognition, loan loss provisioning)
• Working knowledge of transactional banking economics (including behavioural drivers, profit levers) across various customer segments (deposits, payments, lending, cross-sell) and fintech business models
• Familiarity with banking funding strategies, balance sheet optimisation, and capital allocation frameworks
• Knowledge of Sanlam's financial reporting systems (Hyperion Financial Management, Walker, Essbase) is an advantage, but not essential
• Experience with integrated digital banking platforms
• Exposure to banking joint ventures or partnership structures
• Knowledge of emerging technologies and their application to banking (data analytics, automation, APIs)
• Understanding of ESG principles and sustainable finance practices in a banking context is an advantage
• Experience working with banking regulators (FSCA, SARB) or in a regulated banking environment would be advantageous

Knowledge and Skills

Personal Attributes

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping  our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. 

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