Senior Manager Technology Insights & Engagement

The Senior Manager: Insights & Engagement is responsible for the Insights, Benchmarking & Engagement function within the PPB Technology. The role ensures that PPB Technology leadership makes decisions informed by external context, communicates with clarity and credibility, and is positioned as a trusted, strategically relevant function across the enterprise. The role transforms data, industry signals, and internal performance information into compelling narratives, actionable insights, and strategic communications.

• Establish and maintain a systematic process for the collection, synthesis, and distribution of technology intelligence to PPB Technology leadership.
• Monitor global technology trends across key domains: AI, cloud, data, cyber, platforms, and financial services technology.
• Synthesise analyst content from Gartner, Forrester, IDC, McKinsey, and other relevant sources into PPB-relevant briefs.
• Produce and distribute a monthly Technology Insights Digest for the CIO and technology leadership community.
• Maintain a PPB Technology Radar (Adopt / Trial / Assess / Hold) aligned to PPB's strategic technology priorities.
• Connect external technology signals to internal strategy implications, feeding directly into the strategy development process.
• Design and manage a structured benchmarking programme comparing PPB Technology performance against peer banks and industry standards.
• Benchmark technology investment ratios (% of revenue, run vs change), maturity levels, and productivity metrics.
• Track PPB Technology's position against top-quartile peers quarterly, identifying gaps and opportunities.
• Produce the annual PPB Technology Benchmarking Report for Exco, providing a clear external performance perspective.
• Participate in BFSI industry benchmarking programmes and manage relationships with benchmarking providers.
• Feed benchmarking insights into strategy refresh cycles, investment cases, and performance target-setting.
• Develop and maintain the PPB Technology communications strategy, defining channels, audiences, cadence, and key messages.
• Manage CIO internal communications: all-hands, newsletters, leadership updates ensuring consistent tone and quality.
• Build and execute a PPB Technology brand narrative within the enterprise, strengthening strategic positioning.
• Build and maintain a PPB Technology stakeholder map, identifying key audiences, engagement frequency, and relationship owners.
• Develop and execute structured stakeholder engagement plans across PPB Business, Group Technology, and the broader Absa Group.

• 5 - 7+ years of experience in strategy, management consulting, technology research, communications, or stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesise complex industry information into clear, audience-appropriate briefs and narratives.
• Experience in strategic communications or executive engagement in a large organisation.
• Familiarity with technology analyst content (Gartner, Forrester, IDC) and the ability to contextualise findings.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality written content: briefings, reports, presentations etc. at executive level.
• Experience in financial services technology or within a complex, federated technology function.
• Exposure to technology benchmarking, maturity assessments, or peer comparison programmes.
• Experience building or managing a technology communications.
• Familiarity with stakeholder engagement frameworks and executive relationship management.