Executive Head: Strategic Projects

Let's Write Africa's Story Together!

Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Job Description

Leads the design, preparation, and coordination of strategic projects within OML.

Responsibilities

Functional Strategy Formation

Lead the development and implementation of strategy for a significant area of responsibility, anticipating complex issues, challenges, and opportunities and ensuring integration with wider corporate strategy.

Strategy Formation and Implementation

Develop the strategy for a business area of significant function, anticipating megatrends and complex challenges and opportunities. Ensure the strategy is successfully implemented and meets long-term business needs.

Portfolio Management

Lead the creation, governance, and delivery of a substantial program or portfolio of programs within the business area or function, using an appropriate program and project management methodology to give assurance that intended outcomes are identified and achieved.

Project Planning

Lead the production and approval of program and project plans to ensure integration of activities across the portfolio and the wider organization, compliance with the organization's project and program management framework, and compliance with the organization's wider governance structure and processes.

Project Framework Design

Lead the development of project- and program-management frameworks and tools to ensure that they meet the needs of key internal and external stakeholders.

Project Governance

Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined within the project-delivery and program-management office teams, and ensure program and project compliance with the organization's wider governance structures and processes.

Leadership and Direction

Communicate the function's strategy and its relationship to the organization's mission, vision, and values; clarify the actions needed to implement this strategy within the area of responsibility; motivate people to commit to the mission, vision, and values and do extraordinary things to achieve the organization's business goals.

Business Planning

Develop and gain agreement to annual business plans for a function or substantial business area, ensuring alignment with strategy; quantify business outcomes, i.e., revenues or other key performance indicators (KPIs); detail expense and headcount budgets; and develop business cases for key projects, ensuring cross-functional integration.

Stakeholder Engagement

Identify and manage stakeholders up to and including top management level, finding out their needs, issues, and concerns and reacting to them by leading and coordinating the development of stakeholder engagement plans to support the communication of business information and decisions.

Budgeting

Take responsibility for setting and managing area budgets so they align with organizational strategy.

Performance Management

Manage and report on the performance of the function/business area; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports and hold individuals accountable for achieving them; take appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of annual business objectives.

Organization Structure

Define the detailed organization structure for a business area to align with corporate principles, define the relationship between elements of the organization, and define the responsibilities of senior managers, to enable the organization to achieve its business objectives.

Organizational Capability Building

Identify the capabilities needed to meet the current and emerging business needs of a significant business area. Evaluate current capabilities, identify gaps, and prioritize development activities. Motivate others to develop their capabilities and fulfill their personal potential. Build capabilities elsewhere in the organization through mentoring and other informal methods.

Personal Capability Building

Act as subject matter expert in an area of technology, policy, regulation, or operational management for the function. Maintain external accreditations and in-depth understanding of current and emerging technologies, external regulation, and industry best practices through continuing professional development, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.

 

Skills

Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Agile Project Management, Budget Management, Business Requirements Analysis, Executing Plans, Oral Communications, Organizational Design, Policies & Procedures, Policy Development, Portfolio Management, Presenting Solutions, Project Organization, Strategic Planning

Competencies

Balances Stakeholders

Builds Effective Teams

Business Insight

Collaborates

Communicates Effectively

Directs Work

Drives Vision and Purpose

Ensures Accountability

Education

Bachelors Degree (B)

Closing Date

20 October 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

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