Senior Forensic Manager: Investigations

Old Mutual · Pinelands

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Job Description

Role Overview:

The Senior Forensic Manager for Investigations is responsible for leading, transforming, and continuously enhancing the Group's investigations capability across Old Mutual.

The role provides strategic, operational and technical leadership over complex forensic investigations involving fraud, corruption, financial crime, misconduct, regulatory breaches, procurement irregularities, cyber-enabled financial crime and other matters that may expose the Group to financial, legal, regulatory, operational and reputational risk.

Beyond the delivery of investigative outcomes, the role is accountable for transforming the investigations function into a modern, intelligence-led, data-enabled and technology-driven capability that proactively identifies, investigates and mitigates financial crime risks.

Purpose of the Role:

While maintaining the highest standards of investigative excellence, the role is responsible for transforming the investigations function from a predominantly reactive, case-driven environment into a proactive financial crime investigations capability that is intelligence-led, insight-driven, and technology-enabled.

The incumbent will leverage advanced investigative methodologies, data analytics, digital investigation techniques, fraud intelligence, forensic technology and emerging market practices to improve investigative effectiveness, generate actionable business insights and drive meaningful risk reduction across the Group.

As a member of the GFS leadership team, the role contributes to the strategic direction of Group Forensic Services and supports the development of a world-class forensic function aligned to Old Mutual's risk, governance, integrity and customer trust objectives.

Strategic Objectives of the Role:

The incumbent will be expected to:

• Drive the evolution of investigations from a reactive case-management function to a proactive intelligence-led investigative capability.
• Improve the identification of emerging fraud and financial crime risks through the use of analytics, intelligence and technology.
• Enhance the speed, quality and consistency of investigative outcomes.
• Strengthen organisational resilience against financial crime.
• Generate actionable insights that influence business decisions and risk management strategies.
• Build and lead a high-performing investigations team with deep technical expertise and future-ready capabilities.
• Promote innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence across the investigations practice.

Key Result Areas / Outputs

1. Investigations Leadership and Operational Excellence

Provide leadership and strategic direction to the investigations function.

Accountabilities

• Lead and oversee all significant forensic investigations across the Group.
• Establish and maintain world-class investigation methodologies, frameworks and standards.
• Ensure investigative processes remain independent, objective, legally defensible and aligned to regulatory expectations.
• Direct the investigation of high-profile, complex and sensitive matters.
• Act as escalation point for significant investigation decisions and outcomes.
• Allocate investigative resources in line with enterprise risk priorities.
• Ensure timely delivery of investigations within agreed service standards.
• Monitor investigative performance through appropriate metrics and reporting.
• Drive investigative consistency across geographically dispersed teams.

2. Financial Crime Investigations

Provide specialist oversight and leadership over complex investigations involving:

Areas of Investigation

• Internal fraud
• External fraud
• Corruption and bribery
• Procurement fraud
• Financial crime
• Employee misconduct
• Regulatory breaches
• Conflicts of interest
• Whistleblower disclosures
• Third-party misconduct
• Cyber-enabled fraud
• Digital misconduct
• Organised financial crime
• Insider threats
• Reputational risk incidents

Accountabilities

• Direct complex investigations from allegation assessment through to final reporting.
• Ensure proper collection, preservation and management of evidence.
• Oversee investigation strategies and execution plans.
• Support disciplinary, civil, criminal and regulatory action where appropriate.
• Engage external specialists when required.
• Provide expert investigative guidance for litigation and regulatory matters.
• Testify, where necessary, at disciplinary hearings, regulatory proceedings and legal forums.

3. Financial Crime Intelligence and Investigative Analytics

Build and mature an intelligence-led investigations capability.

Accountabilities

• Integrate fraud intelligence and investigative analytics into investigative processes.
• Use data-driven insights to identify patterns, linkages and emerging threats.
• Develop strategic intelligence products that support investigations and decision-making.
• Collaborate with proactive forensic teams to identify and assess emerging risks.
• Promote the use of predictive analytics and data visualisation techniques.
• Support enterprise-wide financial crime detection initiatives.
• Develop meaningful management information and key financial crime indicators.

4. Transformation, Innovation and Technology Enablement

Lead the modernisation of the investigation's capability.

Accountabilities

• Drive adoption of advanced investigative technologies.
• Promote the use of automation and AI-enabled investigative solutions where appropriate.
• Enhance digital evidence management practices.
• Improve investigative efficiency through technology-driven solutions.
• Identify opportunities to automate routine investigative activities.
• Evaluate emerging financial crime risks, methodologies and technologies.
• Ensure the investigations function remains aligned with global best practice.

5. Governance, Quality Assurance and Risk Management

Ensure excellence in investigative governance and quality assurance.

Accountabilities

• Establish investigation quality assurance frameworks.
• Review investigation reports for quality, accuracy and legal defensibility.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and internal requirements.
• Monitor root causes, recurring incidents and control failures.
• Ensure investigation outcomes are translated into effective remediation actions.
• Strengthen governance oversight across investigative activities.
• Maintain investigation-related policies, standards and procedures.

6. Strategic Stakeholder Management

Develop and maintain trusted relationships across the Group and externally.

Accountabilities

• Serve as a trusted adviser to Executive Management and business leadership.
• Build strong relationships with Risk, Compliance, Legal, Human Capital and Internal Audit.
• Engage effectively with regulators, law enforcement agencies and industry bodies.
• Influence senior stakeholders to implement corrective actions and control improvements.
• Represent Group Forensic Services at governance committees and risk forums.
• Present investigation outcomes, financial crime trends and strategic insights to executive stakeholders.

7. Risk Insight and Business Improvement

Ensure investigations deliver value beyond case closure.

Accountabilities

• Identify systemic control weaknesses and emerging risks.
• Translate investigation findings into strategic recommendations.
• Support fraud prevention and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Provide thematic reporting on financial crime trends.
• Drive remediation and control enhancement programmes.
• Support enterprise risk management through forensic insights.

8. People Leadership and Capability Building

Build a highly capable and future-ready investigations team.

Accountabilities

• Lead, coach and develop a nationally based investigations team.
• Develop specialist capability in financial crime investigations.
• Build skills in advanced interviewing, analytics, intelligence analysis and digital investigations.
• Promote continuous professional development and certification.
• Drive succession planning and talent management.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability and high performance.
• Create an environment that encourages collaboration, learning and professional excellence.

9. Strategic Contribution

• Contribute to the development and execution of the Group Financial Crime and Anti-Fraud Strategy.
• Provide investigation insights and intelligence to support fraud prevention and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Partner with the Head of Group Forensic Services to enhance the overall effectiveness of the function.
• Support the development of a future-fit financial crime capability aligned with emerging risks and industry best practice.
• Partner with other senior forensic managers to provide quarterly business reports to the business
• Delivery of quarterly business reports that provide meaningful insights into investigations, financial crime trends, emerging risks, and remediation outcomes.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality reporting and presentation of investigation outcomes and key financial crime metrics to executive stakeholders.

Leadership Expectations

The incumbent is expected to:

• Demonstrate visible and values-based leadership.
• Lead with courage, integrity and independence.
• Influence at Executive and Senior Management level.
• Build strategic partnerships across the Group.
• Champion innovation and transformation.
• Foster a performance-driven culture.
• Lead through ambiguity and complexity.
• Promote ethical conduct and organisational integrity.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Forensic Investigation, Forensic Accounting, Accounting, Law, Risk Management, Finance, Commerce, or related discipline.
• Professional forensic qualification such as: Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Commercial Forensic Practitioner (FA)SA, CA(SA), or Admitted Attorney, or equivalent recognised professional qualification.

Preferred Requirements

• Master's Degree in Forensics, Finance, Law, Accounting, Business Leadership, or related discipline.
  • Additional qualifications in: Financial Crime Compliance, Digital Forensics, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, Cybercrime Investigation or Risk Management.

Experience:

Minimum

• 12–15 years’ experience in forensic investigations, fraud risk management, or financial crime management.
• At least 5–10 years in a senior leadership role in a forensic, audit, risk, or financial crime environment, leading complex investigations.
• Proven experience managing complex investigations, analytics-driven detection, and multi-disciplinary teams.

Preferred

• Experience in a Big Four or leading financial Services environment.
• 7–10 years in financial services, with exposure to insurance, banking, or credit.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with regulators and providing expert testimony.
• Evidence of having grown or transformed a forensic or investigative function.

Technical Skills

• Advanced forensic investigation expertise, including fraud, corruption, misconduct, financial crime, and regulatory investigations.
• Strong understanding of financial crime typologies, fraud risk indicators, forensic methodologies, and investigative best practices.
• Knowledge of intelligence-led investigations, fraud detection techniques, root-cause analysis, and control weakness identification.
• Working knowledge of digital forensics, data analytics, e-discovery tools, case management systems, and digital evidence handling.
• Strong understanding of relevant legislation, including criminal law, labour law, data privacy legislation, financial services regulations, anti-corruption legislation, and evidentiary requirements.
• Experience applying data-driven insights and emerging technologies to enhance investigative effectiveness.
• Ability to oversee complex investigations from planning through to reporting, disciplinary processes, civil recovery, and criminal referrals.

Key behavioural skills and attributes that would make a candidate successful in this role

Leadership & Behavioural Competencies

Strategic Leadership

• Ability to develop and execute an investigations strategy aligned to the broader Group Forensic Services vision.
• Forward-thinking approach to building a proactive, intelligence-led, and technology-enabled investigations capability.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align investigative outcomes with organisational risk priorities.

People Leadership

• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing investigative teams.
• Creates an environment of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Drives capability building in modern investigative techniques, financial crime intelligence, and emerging technologies.
• Succession planning and talent development for critical investigative roles.

Communication & Influence

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex investigative matters clearly and credibly to executives, regulators, legal stakeholders, and governance committees.
• Skilled at presenting investigation findings, emerging threats, and key risk insights to senior management and Board-level forums.
• Strong influencing skills to drive the implementation of corrective actions and control improvements.

Stakeholder Management

• Builds trusted relationships across business, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Internal Audit, regulators, and law enforcement agencies.
• Effectively manages stakeholder expectations in sensitive and high-profile matters.
• Demonstrates strong collaboration and partnership-building skills across diverse environments.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Champions the use of analytics, fraud intelligence, automation, and emerging technologies within the investigations function.
• Continuously seeks opportunities to improve investigative methodologies, processes, and reporting.
• Maintains awareness of emerging financial crime trends, cyber-enabled threats, and industry best practices.

Adaptability & Resilience

• Ability to lead and make sound decisions in high-pressure and ambiguous environments.
• Demonstrates agility in responding to evolving risks and changing business requirements.
• Maintains composure and objectivity during high-profile and sensitive investigations.

Ethics & Integrity

• Demonstrates the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, independence, and confidentiality.
• Exercises sound judgement and objectivity in decision-making.
• Promotes a strong culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct.

Results Orientation

• Delivers high-quality investigative outcomes within agreed timelines.
• Ensures effective prioritisation and management of investigative resources.
• Focuses on outcomes that reduce financial crime risk and strengthen organisational controls.

Skills

Competencies

Education

Closing Date

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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