Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Purpose Of Position:
This role is an integral part of the Africa Regional Team. The role will be in charge of developing the operational and technical frameworks of the VisionFund (VF) Africa network, to deliver on its communicated strategy of impacting rural communities and families. Challenging current work and support practices and solutions, providing direction and leadership, championing the implementation of change both in terms of tech deployment and operational excellence.
Progress of strategy and implementation is evaluated weekly with the Regional Africa Team and with the VFI Operations and Technology team. On a monthly basis, progress and implementation plans are published for regional and global management The Regional IT manager – Africa will drive operational excellence in the region’s MicroFinance Institutions (MFIs) through the adoption of and integration with digital solutions to improve the delivery of financial services.
He/She will work closely with the Global Operations & Technology team to ensure MFIs are in alignment with VFI strategy and global standards and champion regional needs and priorities in respect to global strategic approach and ensure implementation of such in the individual MFIs in their region.

Key Responsibilities:
Strategy:
• Work together with local and global management to ensure an effective regional digitisation strategy is in place that supports the realization of the VisionFund Strategy, focusing on the technology and digital solutions for business processes and impact on clients.
Roll-out Plan:
• Develop a manage a detailed plan of how the Technology & Digital strategy will be rolled out including core systems, mobile & digital applications, infrastructure, support and ‘other technologies'.
Resources:
• Support the hiring, budgeting and management of resources that will support the roll out of this strategy.
• Working with Regional and MFI management to document a digitization plan for each MFI, outlining the Digital / Change solution roadmap. Championing / escalating priorities to Regional / Global management.
• Evaluating each MFI’s OCR reality and determining areas of opportunity to make necessary changes to drive down OCR. These can be initial manual changes or as part of an overall Change Programme.
• Working with Operations & Technology team to document / track deployment plan. Escalating priorities and funding / resource needs. Recommend MFIs for strategic systems initiative and present prioritization plan.
• Hiring of key personnel with required experience and background.
Project Management:
• Ensure all projects are effectively managed.
Functional Specs:
• Oversee the project manager’s work on the gathering of business requirements and functional specification.
Selection:
• Oversee and/or assist in the due diligence and software selection process for MFI systems. May involve brining in subject matter expertise from Operations and Technology and/or other functions.
Pre-implementations:
• Oversee pre-implementation plans and support MFI in making its plans which include data clean-up, review of change management business impact, human resources and risks.
Implementation:
• Oversee the implementation and support MFIs during implementation of all regional systems and participate in issue-resolution decisions and regular update communication to all stakeholders.
On-going Support:
• Ensure that adequate support is in place, both internally at the MFI level as well as externally at the vendor level, for the on-going maintenance, issue-resolution and future customizations.
Post-Implementation Reviews:
• Oversee the assessment of a post-implementation review and lead on any findings / recommendations of the same.
Budget / Funding:
• Work together with Region / Operations & Technology on proposals and plans for regional technology and digital budgets and funding.
• Ongoing / daily management of RTB / CTB environments, including the management of CoB processes etc.
• Work with OpTech team to complete PIRs following implementation to ensure project completeness and to document / champion lessons learnt.
• Annual MFI budget plans for “RTB” and “CTB” (Digitisation / Operational) agreed with MFI, Regional, Global management.
Develop Others:
• As a Christian VFI leader, develop others encouraging excitement and growth both in their careers but also in spiritual growth.
Other Assignments as needed:
• Carry out additional responsibilities and projects as assigned, including administrative and planning functions.
Participate in Devotional Meetings:
• Attend and participate in weekly chapel services and daily devotional meetings whenever possible.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Individual with strong hands-on experience in managing and successfully implementing systems in banks and or microfinance institutions around the world. The person is required to have a solid problem-solving and technical skills as well as a ’can do’ attitude towards work and challenges. In addition, the following specific knowledge, skills and abilities are required, and may have been acquired through a combination of formal schooling, self education, prior experience or on the job training.
• Educated to degree level, ideally in a science or technology related discipline.
• Experience of leading a number of successful microfinance/banking systems implementations, in Africa.
• 5+ years of project management experience working to recognized PM methodologies. Qualification in a recognized PM discipline preferred.
• Understanding of microfinance/retail banking operations, from a credit, financial, risk or systems perspective.
• Project management and office tools experience (e.g. Microsoft Project, Office tools).
• Service orientation with ability to lead teams, organize, prioritize, and delegate tasks while transferring knowledge and expertise.
• Ability to work under pressure and on multiple tasks and projects concurrently.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills and be able to work effectively with and manage a diverse and geographically remote team of IT professionals.
• Good organizational skills to be able to analyze, judge risk, recommend solutions.
• Cross-culturally sensitive and be able to work with staff from across the world and in a virtual environment.
• Proficiency (both speaking and writing) in English is a must; Other languages (particularly French) is a preference.
• Demonstrated ability to write reports (e.g. business cases, risk management plans, project close out reports, etc.).
• Requires flexibility on working hours to contact people within wide time-zone differences.
• Must be able to travel internationally (minimum 50% of time).
• Ability to balance Christian values with commercial practices.
• Degree level accreditation in technology / finance or related field
• Project Management certification including one of AGILE, PRINCE 2, LEAN / SIX SIGMA, PMI etc.
• Effective in written and verbal communication in English. French is an added advantage.

Preferred:
• Extensive project experience within a Financial Services context, including elements of people, processes and platforms.
• Extensive Digital Finance / Innovation experience including one of: credit, savings, data, accounting.
• Mobile Money / Technology experience, working with a project that has developed / implemented mobile money and automated financial service solutions.
• Operational experience in MicroFinance.
• Experience of implementing Digital solution environments, including Mobile Money and Digital Applications.
• Experience in Data management and reporting.
• Information Security management.

Work Environment/Travel:
• The position requires ability and willingness to travel internationally up to 25 % of the time.

Work Hours: 8 60 Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
Apply Here https://careers.wvi.org/apply-job/18157 

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