Head of Commercial Services leads commercial strategy, revenue growth, and corporate client portfolio management, requires a Business/Finance Master’s and 10+ years executive banking experience. Full-time role in Nairobi.
Job Summary
To
provide strategic leadership and end-to-end oversight of Commercial Services,
ensuring that the Bank’s external spend, supplier ecosystem, property
portfolio, workplace services and safety obligations deliver measurable
business value, operational resilience and an excellent colleague and customer
environment.
Lead an
integrated, data-led Commercial Services operating model aligned to CODO and
enterprise priorities.
Optimise
bank-wide third-party spend, total cost of ownership and demand while
protecting service quality, control and continuity.
Direct
the property and workplace portfolio, including leases, projects, facilities,
utilities, occupancy and asset lifecycle management.
Strengthen
supplier governance, third-party risk, contract performance and resilience
across critical services.
Accelerate
digitisation, automation and analytics across source-to-pay, supplier
management, facilities and service operations.
Embed
sustainability, safety, accessibility and responsible sourcing into commercial
and workplace decisions.
Build a
high-performing, future-ready team and trusted partnerships with businesses,
Finance, Risk, Legal, Technology and Group functions
Responsibilities
Accountability: Commercial Strategy,
Value and Financial Stewardship – 20%
Define
and execute the Commercial Services strategy, operating model, scorecard and
multi-year roadmap in alignment with CODO and the Bank’s strategic priorities.
Own the
function’s budget, benefits plan and productivity agenda, with transparent
tracking of cost, value, service, risk and sustainability outcomes.
Lead
enterprise spend and demand analytics, should-cost and total-cost-of-ownership
assessments, and market benchmarking to identify structural value
opportunities.
Partner
with business and Finance leaders to challenge demand, shape investment choices
and translate business requirements into commercially sound solutions.
Provide
executive insight on market movements, supplier concentration, property
economics and emerging commercial risks and opportunities.
Accountability: Strategic Sourcing,
Contracting and Supplier Performance – 20%
Lead
category strategies, competitive sourcing, negotiation and contracting for
goods and services within the function’s mandate, ensuring value, fairness and
policy compliance.
Establish
disciplined contract lifecycle management, including obligation tracking,
renewals, variations, claims, disputes and benefits realisation.
Segment
and govern the supplier portfolio, with clear performance standards,
service-level agreements, relationship plans and executive escalation for
strategic and critical suppliers.
Drive
supplier innovation, local and diverse supplier participation, responsible
sourcing and commercially sustainable partnerships.
Oversee
source-to-pay effectiveness, including requisitioning, purchase order
discipline, invoice resolution and timely, accurate supplier payment.
Accountability: Property, Workplace,
Facilities and Sustainability – 20%
Develop
and execute the property and workplace strategy across owned and leased
premises, aligned to business demand, customer needs, hybrid work and portfolio
economics.
Lead
lease negotiations, renewals, exits, acquisitions, disposals, valuations and
landlord performance, supported by reliable portfolio and market data.
Oversee
capital projects, refurbishments and relocations to agreed scope, quality,
cost, safety and schedule, with robust governance and benefits tracking.
Ensure
effective facilities, utilities, maintenance, workplace, mail, transport,
reception, archives and related administrative services through fit-for-purpose
service models.
Embed
energy efficiency, resource optimisation, waste reduction, climate resilience
and accessibility into premises, projects and supplier standards.
Maintain
property, asset, occupancy and maintenance data to support lifecycle planning,
preventive maintenance and informed investment decisions.
Accountability: Digital Enablement,
Service Excellence and Innovation – 15%
Sponsor
digitisation and automation across procurement, contract management, supplier
governance, facilities, payments and service request journeys.
Establish
reliable management information, dashboards and predictive insights for spend,
savings, supplier performance, property, safety, service and risk.
Design
simple, customer-centred services with clear service catalogues, ownership,
turnaround standards and escalation routes.
Measure
stakeholder experience and use feedback, process mining, root-cause analysis
and continuous improvement to raise service quality and productivity.
Assess
emerging technologies, including AI-enabled analytics and workflow automation,
with appropriate human oversight, data governance, security and control.
Accountability: Risk, Control, Resilience
and Regulatory Compliance – 15%
Own the
Commercial Services risk and control environment, ensuring compliance with
applicable laws, regulations, Group standards and Bank policies.
Lead
third-party risk governance across due diligence, financial viability,
information security, data privacy, business continuity, subcontracting,
concentration and exit planning.
Ensure
critical supplier and workplace services have tested continuity, incident
response, crisis management and recovery arrangements.
Oversee
occupational safety, health, environmental and building compliance, including
risk assessments, statutory inspections, incident management and remediation.
Ensure
accurate approvals, segregation of duties, records, invoice controls and
assurance across sourcing, contracting, property and payments.
Act as
the accountable escalation point for material incidents, control gaps, audit
findings and regulatory matters, ensuring timely and sustainable closure.
Accountability: People Leadership and
Enterprise Partnership – 10%
Build an
inclusive, high-performing team with clear accountabilities, succession
coverage and capability plans across commercial, property, digital, analytics,
risk and sustainability disciplines.
Coach
leaders and colleagues, set stretching objectives, provide regular feedback and
manage performance and recognition fairly.
Create
cross-functional ways of working with CODO, business units, Finance, Risk,
Legal, Compliance, Technology, Security, Human Capital and Group functions.
Influence
senior stakeholders through evidence-based recommendations, effective
governance forums and transparent communication of trade-offs and decisions.
Promote
ethical conduct, a strong control culture, customer obsession, innovation and
continuous learning.
Risk and Control objective
To lead,
drive and provide strategic oversight of Commercial Services for Absa Bank
Kenya, ensuring that commercial, supplier, property, workplace and payment
activities are efficient, resilient, responsible and conducted within approved
risk appetite, policy and regulatory requirements.
Role/person specification
Qualification
Bachelor’s
degree from a recognised university in Supply Chain Management, Procurement,
Commerce, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, Property/Facilities
Management or a related discipline.
Postgraduate
qualification or MBA is advantageous.
Relevant
professional certification is strongly preferred, for example CIPS or an
equivalent procurement qualification; facilities, property, project management,
sustainability or risk certification is advantageous.
Experience
At least
10 years’ relevant experience across procurement/commercial management,
supplier management, property/facilities or enterprise services, including
substantial senior leadership experience.
Demonstrated
accountability for significant budgets, complex negotiations, strategic
suppliers, outsourced services and/or a multi-site property portfolio.
Experience
in a regulated financial services or similarly complex environment is strongly
preferred.
Proven
delivery of measurable cost, service, risk, digital transformation,
sustainability and stakeholder outcomes.
Knowledge and Skills
Banking
operating models, regulatory expectations and operational resilience
requirements.
Strategic
sourcing, category management, competitive tendering, negotiation and contract
lifecycle management.
Third-party
risk management, supplier due diligence, concentration risk, business
continuity and exit planning.
Spend
analytics, demand management, should-cost modelling, total cost of ownership
and benefits realisation.
Property
portfolio strategy, leasing, valuation, workplace planning, facilities
operations and capital project governance.
Occupational
safety, health, environmental and building compliance requirements.
Source-to-pay
controls, accounts payable interfaces, financial governance and management
reporting.
Digital
procurement, workflow automation, data visualisation and responsible use of
AI-enabled analytics.
Sustainability,
climate resilience, energy efficiency, responsible sourcing and inclusive
supplier development.
