Head of Finance: Technology and Digital at Absa, Sandton
Absa · Sandton, Gauteng
Overview
Absa is looking for a strategic finance leader to partner with its Business Banking Technology and Digital team in Sandton. You will oversee technology spend, challenge investment decisions, and turn complex tech costs into clear commercial insights. This is a senior role for a qualified finance professional with strong technology financial management and business partnering skills.
About the role
Absa is seeking a Head of Finance to provide strategic financial leadership and commercial challenge to the Business Banking Technology and Digital function. Based in Sandton, you will ensure that technology expenditure, investments, and architecture decisions deliver measurable business value.
You will provide end to end financial oversight across technology run costs, infrastructure, cloud, applications, software and licensing, technology vendors, and strategic change. The role requires translating complex technology decisions into clear financial and commercial insights that enable informed investment, prioritisation, and cost optimisation.
Application note: Applications must be submitted through Absa's official careers portal. Visit the apply link to complete your application on the bank's own system.
Requirements
- Postgraduate degree and professional qualification in Financial Sciences is required
- Strong experience in technology financial management, FP&A, budgeting, and forecasting
- Proven ability in business case development and investment appraisal
- Experience with Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) modelling, cost allocation, and driver based costing
- Understanding of capex and opex, capitalisation, and benefits realisation
- Commercial and vendor analysis experience, including contract and licensing reviews
- Knowledge of Technology Business Management (TBM) concepts is strongly preferred
- FinOps and cloud economics experience, particularly Azure or AWS
- Understanding of application economics, technology cost allocation methodologies, and software licensing economics
- Familiarity with infrastructure and cloud services, APIs, SaaS, databases, cybersecurity, digital platforms, and AI and automation economics
- Advanced financial modelling and Power BI reporting skills
Responsibilities
- 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 versus change expenditure and key cost drivers
- Build total cost of ownership and unit cost perspectives for major technology services
- Identify structural cost optimisation opportunities rather than relying only on tactical budget reductions
- Partner with 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 versus buy, migrate versus retain, and invest versus decommission decisions
- Challenge cloud consumption and optimisation opportunities using Azure or AWS economics knowledge
- Develop financial views at application, platform, and service level rather than only cost centre level
- Support application rationalisation and decommissioning decisions
- Provide financial challenge on technology contracts, software licensing, SaaS, outsourcing, and professional services
- Analyse vendor cost trends and commercial commitments to support renewal and negotiation decisions
- Develop decision quality reporting using Power BI and advanced Excel
- Create executive dashboards linking financial and technology KPIs
- Perform scenario, sensitivity, and driver based modelling
- Act as a credible financial adviser to the Business Banking CIO and Technology leadership
Job details
- Organisation
- Absa
- Location
- Sandton, Gauteng
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Executive
- Education
- Postgraduate diploma
- Category
- Accounting & Finance
- Posted
- 29 October 2026 (1 week ago)
- Application Method
- Apply online
Success Guide
This is a senior finance role that sits right at the intersection of banking and technology, so your application should show that you understand both worlds. Highlight any experience you have with technology cost management, cloud economics, or building business cases for tech investments.
Absa will likely be looking for someone who can confidently challenge technology leaders while still being a collaborative partner. In interviews, be ready to discuss real examples of how you have optimised costs, improved financial transparency, or influenced investment decisions. Familiarity with tools like Power BI and a solid grasp of FinOps will set you apart. Also make sure your postgraduate qualification and professional registration documents are ready, as they are explicitly required for this role.
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