Pricing and Profitability Manager (VAF)

Absa Bank is seeking a Pricing and Profitability Manager (VAF) to join its team in Johannesburg. This is a full-time hybrid opportunity focused on developing pricing strategies, strengthening profitability frameworks and improving portfolio returns while balancing risk, funding costs and operational considerations.

The successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining profitability models, analysing portfolio performance, supporting pricing decisions and ensuring strong pricing governance. The position also involves working closely with senior stakeholders across Risk, Finance, Treasury, Sales, Product, Technology and Executive forums.

About the Role

The Pricing and Profitability Manager will be responsible for developing, implementing and continuously improving pricing and profitability strategies across the VAF portfolio. The role combines financial analysis, pricing strategy, risk assessment, portfolio management and stakeholder leadership.

The position requires an analytical professional who can translate complex financial and portfolio data into practical recommendations. The successful candidate will also lead a team and support strategic initiatives such as new product development, product enhancements, acquisitions and credit strategy changes.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement pricing strategies that maximise portfolio profitability.

• Balance portfolio returns against risk, funding costs and operational considerations.

• Maintain and enhance portfolio profitability models.

• Ensure financial, funding and risk inputs within profitability models remain current.

• Ensure profitability models comply with applicable model risk governance requirements.

• Drive appropriate model parameter settings.

• Work with Finance, Treasury and Credit Risk teams to ensure the accuracy of profitability assessments.

• Monitor profitability across new business and the existing portfolio.

• Analyse expected returns and fair-value impacts.

• Assess risk, cost structures and funding costs affecting profitability.

• Prepare management information for portfolio quality reviews.

• Identify key drivers affecting portfolio profitability.

• Generate insights to support strategic business decisions.

• Identify opportunities to improve portfolio performance.

• Develop and refine pricing strategies based on market conditions and portfolio performance.

• Analyse market trends, competitor activity and customer behaviour.

• Assess risk-reward opportunities and price elasticity.

• Recommend appropriate pricing changes.

• Support pricing decisions for new products.

• Determine acceptable marginal pricing levels.

• Design, implement and monitor pricing champion/challenger tests.

• Optimise customer and portfolio outcomes through pricing experimentation.

• Manage both fixed-rate and variable-rate pricing strategies.

• Monitor pricing exceptions and assess pricing-control effectiveness.

• Identify weaknesses in pricing controls and drive corrective actions.

• Strengthen pricing governance and the overall risk-management environment.

• Support new product development and product-enhancement initiatives.

• Assess profitability implications of product changes and acquisitions.

• Provide analytical input into business cases and strategic decisions.

• Assess proposed credit-underwriting strategy changes.

• Support sustainable business growth and portfolio profitability.

• Prepare reports and presentations for governance forums.

• Present portfolio performance and profitability trends to senior stakeholders.

• Report on pricing strategy outcomes and recommendations.

• Participate in Portfolio Quality Review Forums, Revenue Forums, Executive Committees and Risk Committees.

• Lead and develop a high-performing team.

• Manage employee performance and provide coaching and development.

• Support succession planning and capability development.

• Participate in recruitment and talent-retention initiatives.

• Promote employee engagement and continuous improvement.

• Ensure team objectives remain aligned with business goals.

• Build effective relationships with Risk, Finance, Treasury, Sales, Product and Technology teams.

• Influence senior stakeholders and secure support for pricing initiatives.

• Ensure strategic pricing changes are effectively implemented.

Qualifications Required

• B.Com Honours degree or equivalent qualification.

• Relevant specialisations may include:

  • Actuarial Science

  • Accounting

  • Mathematical Statistics

  • Business Management

  • Informatics

  • Other closely related quantitative or financial disciplines.

• The advert specifically lists a Bachelor Honours Degree in Business Management and Informatics under the education requirements.

Experience Required

The advert specifies:

• Technical Credit Risk experience.

• At least 2 years of related managerial experience.

• Experience relevant to pricing, profitability, portfolio management, credit risk, financial analysis or related banking functions would be highly relevant to the role.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Pricing strategy and optimisation.

• Portfolio profitability analysis.

• Financial modelling.

• Credit-risk analysis.

• Quantitative and statistical analysis.

• Risk-reward assessment.

• Funding-cost analysis.

• Fair-value assessment.

• Pricing governance and controls.

• Portfolio performance monitoring.

• Business-case analysis.

• Management reporting.

• Strategic decision-making.

• Stakeholder management.

• Executive communication and presentation.

• Team leadership and development.

• Problem-solving and analytical thinking.

• Ability to interpret complex financial information and convert it into actionable recommendations.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a commercially minded banking professional with strong quantitative and analytical capabilities and experience in credit risk, pricing or portfolio profitability.

The role is particularly suited to someone who can understand the relationship between pricing, customer behaviour, credit risk, funding costs and portfolio returns. The successful candidate should also be comfortable presenting recommendations to senior governance forums and influencing stakeholders across multiple business functions.

Job Details

• Position: Pricing and Profitability Manager (VAF)

• Employer: Absa Bank

• Location: Johannesburg, South Africa

• Work arrangement: Hybrid

• Job type: Full-time

• Job reference: R-15990009

• Application deadline: 21 August 2026

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their applications through the official Absa careers platform.

Apply for Pricing and Profitability Manager (VAF)

Applicants should ensure their CV clearly demonstrates relevant credit-risk, pricing, profitability, financial modelling, portfolio-management and managerial experience.

Final Thought

This opportunity is suited to an experienced finance, credit-risk or banking professional with strong quantitative skills and an interest in pricing and portfolio profitability. The role combines analytical modelling with strategic decision-making, governance and team leadership, making it a significant opportunity for professionals seeking to contribute directly to portfolio performance and sustainable profitability.