Senior Specialist: Executive Recruitment

Job Summary

• Executive search strategy and delivery
• Leadership pipeline and succession alignment
• Stakeholder partnership at executive level
• Market intelligence and talent mapping
• Digital and data-enabled recruitment practices
• Integration across HC Business Partners, CoEs, and HC Services
• Executive candidate experience and onboarding

• Lead the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle for executive and senior leadership roles, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy, culture, and long-term workforce plans.
• Translate business strategy and talent priorities into proactive executive hiring plans across multiple geographies in a pan-African context.
• Apply direct search methodologies to identify, engage, and convert high-calibre passive candidates for critical roles.
• Ensure recruitment processes are consistent, compliant, and aligned to Group governance frameworks and risk requirements.
• Continuously evaluate and optimise executive recruitment practices to improve quality of hire, time-to-fill, and long-term leadership impact.

• Partner closely with Group Executives, Business Unit leaders, and HC Business Partners to deeply understand leadership hiring needs, preferences, and contextual dynamics.
• Provide thought leadership and advisory on executive hiring decisions, including talent availability, market trends, and candidate positioning.
• Facilitate alignment between stakeholders on role requirements, success profiles, and selection criteria.
• Act as a trusted advisor in navigating sensitive, high-impact executive hiring decisions, ensuring objectivity and fairness.

• Develop and maintain succession-ready executive talent pipelines for critical roles, aligned to succession planning and leadership continuity needs.
• Conduct ongoing market mapping and competitor analysis to identify emerging leadership talent across key markets and industries.
• Build and nurture long-term relationships with high-potential executive talent, ensuring readiness for both planned and unplanned leadership transitions.
• Integrate pipeline insights into broader Group talent and succession strategies in collaboration with Talent Management CoEs.

• Design and implement robust sourcing strategies leveraging industry networks, professional associations, executive search techniques, and digital platforms.
• Strengthen the organisation’s employer brand at executive level, positioning the Group as an employer of choice across Africa and globally.
• Engage with external partners (e.g., executive search firms, leadership networks) to complement internal sourcing strategies where required.
• Leverage digital channels (e.g., AI-enabled sourcing tools, talent platforms) to enhance reach and targeting of executive candidates.

• Track and report on executive hiring activity using dashboards, analytics, and leadership scorecards, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Analyse recruitment data to generate insights on hiring effectiveness, diversity outcomes, and pipeline health.
• Use predictive analytics to anticipate future leadership gaps and inform proactive talent strategies.
• Continuously improve reporting frameworks to align with Group talent metrics and business performance indicators.

• Collaborate with Reward and Performance CoEs to benchmark executive compensation structures against market data and internal frameworks.
• Develop competitive and equitable offer strategies that balance external competitiveness with internal parity and governance.
• Provide advisory input into total reward positioning, including long-term incentives and retention mechanisms.

• Design and implement tailored onboarding and assimilation frameworks for executive hires to accelerate impact and cultural integration.
• Partner with HC Business Partners and leadership teams to ensure structured onboarding plans are executed effectively.
• Monitor and support the early tenure success of executive hires, identifying risks and enabling timely interventions.

• Collaborate seamlessly with HC Business Partners, HC Services, and Group CoEs to ensure aligned and integrated talent acquisition delivery.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the shared services model, ensuring efficient and scalable recruitment processes.
• Align executive recruitment practices with broader HC strategies, including transformation, diversity and inclusion, and digitalisation.
• Ensure effective handoffs and collaboration across teams to deliver a cohesive employee and candidate experience.

• Leverage AI, automation, and advanced sourcing technologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in executive recruitment.
• Drive adoption of digital recruitment tools and platforms, ensuring best practice utilisation across the function.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends in executive talent acquisition, including skills-based hiring, gig leadership models, and remote executive work.
• Embed data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement into all aspects of executive hiring.

• Bachelor’s Degree, Advanced Diplomas, Post Graduate Certificate, or B Tech [NQF7].
• Field of Study: Human Resources and or Business Management

• 5 - 12 years experience in a specific capability of importance to the bank, including a track record of 3 years in a people management position.
• Exposure to process design, optimisation, quality management, customer centricity, technology and data-driven decision-making is preferred.
• Significant experience in executive recruitment or executive search, preferably within financial services or a complex, multi-geography organisation.
• Proven track record of successfully placing senior leadership and executive roles.
• Experience operating within a shared services and CoE-based HR model.
• Exposure to pan-African or emerging markets is highly advantageous.

• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Communication
• Influence
• Leadership
• Delivering Results
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Decision-Making

• Deep understanding of executive search methodologies and leadership hiring practices.
• Knowledge of pan-African labour markets, talent dynamics, and regulatory environments.
• Strong grounding in talent management, succession planning, and leadership development frameworks.
• Understanding of reward structures and executive compensation principles.
• Familiarity with digital HR technologies, AI sourcing tools, and recruitment analytics platforms.

• Strong strategic capability.
• Advanced stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at executive level.
• Exceptional research, market mapping, and talent identification capability.
• High level of analytical and data interpretation skills, with the ability to translate insights into action.
• Strong judgement and decision-making capability in complex, ambiguous situations.
• Excellent communication and executive presence, with the ability to build credibility quickly.
• Digital fluency, including the ability to leverage AI-enabled recruitment tools and platforms.
• Strong project management capability, managing multiple executive searches simultaneously.
  
  

Education

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised