Health – Vitality Health Insurance Africa

Business Solutions Consultant - VHIA

About Discovery

Discovery’s core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We seek out and invest in exceptional individuals who understand and support our core purpose, and whose own values align with those of Discovery. Our fast-paced and dynamic environment enables smart, self-driven people to be their best. As global thought leaders, Discovery is passionate about innovating in order to not only achieve financial success, but to ignite positive and meaningful change within our society.

Key Purpose

The Business Solutions Consultant at VHI Africa will play a pivotal role in driving the company’s strategic vision, growth, and market relevance across the African continent. This leadership role will focus on shaping and executing business strategies that promote innovation, operational excellence, and the achievement of Discovery’s shared-value model within the African healthcare market. The role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams, senior executives, and external partners to guide key strategic initiatives and improve operational efficiency. 

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to:

1. Strategic Leadership and Execution:

• Alongside the CSCO and VHI Executive team, drive the development and execution of the overall business strategy for VHI Africa, aligning it with Discovery’s global goals while addressing the unique challenges and opportunities in the African healthcare market.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer (CSCO) and executive team, ensuring that key strategic initiatives are tracked, communicated, executed and reviewed successfully.
• Assist the CSCO with managing the strategic planning process, including quarterly and annual strategy sessions, executive reviews, and board presentations.
• Monitor and report on the progress of key business metrics, ensuring that strategic initiatives deliver measurable outcomes.

2. Strategic Planning and Governance:

• Develop and/or help maintain oversight of strategic frameworks, KPIs, and tracking of governance processes that ensure VHI Africa's strategic priorities are met with operational discipline and aligned with the broader Discovery Group strategy.
• Ensure effective communication of business strategies and objectives across the organization, helping teams to align and execute on the strategic vision.
• Oversee the preparation of strategic reports and presentations for executive forums, boards, and external stakeholders.

3. Business Optimization and Innovation:

• Identify opportunities for business process optimization, ensuring continuous improvement in operational efficiencies, profitability, and service quality.
• Spearhead initiatives that leverage technology, innovation, and digital transformation to position VHI Africa as a market leader in healthcare.
• Work alongside and/or guide cross-functional teams to implement strategic projects that address gaps in healthcare delivery, customer needs, and operational inefficiencies within the African context.
• Help Africa Exco to foster a culture of innovation and performance improvement, ensuring the team consistently finds solutions to drive both commercial and communal value.
• Working with the Health R&D lab and other key teams such as Strategic Risk Management, MSOI or Operations to extract value from the existing Discovery group ecosystem, and identify IP that could be transferred to VHIA Africa to add value and operational efficiency in Africa.

4. Research & Development, Analysis, and Market Intelligence:

• Conduct in-depth research and competitive analysis to inform the strategic direction of VHI Africa.
• Continuously monitor market trends, competitive dynamics, and regulatory changes, ensuring VHI Africa remains agile and responsive to external factors.
• Develop frameworks for effective product positioning, differentiation, and thought leadership in the African healthcare space.
• Support the exploration of new business models, products, and services that can disrupt the healthcare ecosystem in Africa. Identify and support on projects that can position VHI Africa as a relevant player in the African health space in these select markets by solving for existing inefficiencies in African healthcare and in the process creating commercial and communal value. Key to find ways to place communities at the core of VHI Africa’s success.
• Contribute to new product design thinking.

5. Stakeholder Management and Collaboration:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external, including senior executives, business partners, regulatory bodies, and industry influencers.
• Collaborate with various internal teams such as Operations, Risk Management, Health R&D, and the Strategic Projects Office to align on strategic goals and extract value from cross-functional expertise.

• Represent VHI Africa in key forums, industry conferences, and public engagements, advocating for the company’s strategic interests.

6. Business Development and Growth:

• Actively contribute to business development activities, identifying new opportunities for growth within existing markets and exploring potential entry points for new markets.
• Leverage insights from research, competitor analysis, and stakeholder feedback to guide product distribution strategies and go-to-market strategies.
• Identify partnerships and collaborations that enhance VHI Africa’s positioning and reputation in the market.

Personal Attributes and Skills

Exposure to the following business functions: 

• Finance and legal;  

• Servicing and operations; 

• Project office; 

• Customer experience management; 

• Digital/Systems/IT; 

• Commercial – including partnerships; 

• Business development including sales, distribution and marketing;  

• Stakeholder management across private, public sectors; 

• Strategy/R&D; 

• Human capital management; 

• Evidence of good people leadership;
• Aligned to Discovery values, culture, and leadership charter.  

Attributes: 

• Excellent communication skills  

• Hard working 

• Flexible and adaptable 

• Reliable 

• Entrepreneurial mindset 

• Cosmopolitan (Pan African focus) 

Education and Experience

Education

Required

• Honours degree with a focus on Business, Innovation, Entrepreneurship 

Advantageous

• Master’s degree with a focus on Business, Innovation, Entrepreneurship 

Experience

• 2-3 years’ experience in a business role (with key focus on Strategy, Business Optimisation and Innovation), consulting roles advantageous 

• 2-3 years' project management experience 

• Exposure to key business functions  

• Supporting senior managers and executives with strategic admin (board packs, reporting etc. 

• Strong research and analysis skills, 

• Strong stakeholder management skills 

• Broad experience operating on the African continent or working with companies that do. 

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY   
                             
The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.