Organization(s): FINCA International

Country/Region: Uganda

Contract Length: Full-time staff position

Apply by: 31 January 2010

Description FINCA International, one of the world's leading microfinance institutions, provides financial services to more than 700,000 clients through 21 wholly-owned and operated subsidiaries in Africa, Eurasia, Latin America and the Greater Middle East. FINCA International is currently looking for a Regional Savings Manager, Africa. The Regional Savings Manager (RSM) will lead a savings initiative and concentrate his or her work on the field, providing direct technical assistance to two FINCA affiliates: FINCA Uganda and FINCA DRC.  (S)he will be based out of Kampala, Uganda and travel to the DRC regularly to conduct on-site assessments of all project activities.  The RSM will monitor progress toward operational and strategic outcomes, working closely with all staff involved with the project in order to gain detailed knowledge of its workings, and to formulate corrective actions as needed to ensure completion of programmed milestones.  Based on these assessments, the RSM will provide advice and guidance to FINCA International on means to improve the delivery of savings products both in the two project countries in Africa and to the rest of the FINCA network.   

The RSM will serve as a strategic advisor on the implementation of the savings initiatives in both countries, playing roles in consultation and analysis.  (S)he will also be charged with providing some specific deliverables and will share in the responsibility for project outcomes, including fulfillment of work plans and targets.  His/her responsibilities will include:

- Assisting in the selection and performance assessment of local Project Managers for Uganda and DRC;
- Reviewing and validating the existing business strategy for savings of each participating affiliate, or recommending any changes that are necessary to ensure achievement of desired outcomes;
- Developing detailed implementation plans for each of the affiliates, in coordination with local managers, with concrete timelines and measurable indicators to guide monitoring efforts of the project;
- Working with the affiliates to provide strategic direction and oversight to the implementation of the multi-faceted savings initiative
- Conducting regular visits to each affiliate to review progress against work plans, milestones, and targets;
- Assessing the performance of all functions with respect to their role in the savings initiative, identifying any factors that are hindering performance or that put it at risk.  Such factors may include market response, product design, project execution, organizational issues or overall strategies;
- Making proactive recommendations to FINCA on corrective action that may be necessary to ensure achievement of desired outcomes;
- Identifying strategic opportunities to increase FINCA's success in the initiative by accelerating its progress, creating greater efficiencies, strengthening the market response (for example, through improvements in product design or new marketing channels), or otherwise enhancing the scale and impact of FINCA's savings activities;
- Providing quarterly reviews of progress to date and recommendations for improvement;
- Devising and implementing a performance management approach for savings within FINCA, at both the affiliate and network levels, in coordination with Global and Field HR Managers. 
- Creating in collaboration with FINCA management, a strategy for scaling up the pilot activities throughout the FINCA network.

Ideal profile:
- Bachelors degree required, Masters in Economics, Finance or related field a plus;
- At least 10 years of relevant and high level experience;
- The candidate will have successfully served as a senior executive with direct responsibility for mobilizing deposits on a significant scale in a developing market;
- Significant experience in a leadership position where he/she provided strategic direction on savings mobilization initiatives, and served as project manager, preferably on an international level;
- Familiarity with market research, new product development, innovative service delivery channels such as ATMs, Point of Sale software (POS), and mobile phone banking, the complex linkages between new products/services and IT;
- Demonstrated project management abilities, preferably on an international level
- Excellent organizational and communications skills; 
- Excellent written and oral communications skills in English required;
- Fluency in French a plus;
- Willingness to travel.

Please apply online at http://www.villagebanking.org/ (careers section).

FINCA International Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.