Ongoing Recruitment at MicroEnsure

Country Manager
The Country Manager role is a role for a high potential leader interested in moving MicroEnsure into a leadership position in the Nigerian market.  Responsibilities include:

Partner Relationship Management

•     Establish and maintain excellent communication with existing front office partners and insurers
•     Capitalize on opportunities and address operational weaknesses with urgency and focus
•     Ensure an excellent reputation for MicroEnsure both within and beyond partner networks
•     With underwriting partners, design products in collaboration and negotiate terms based on the unique needs of underserved (low income) markets

Business Development

•     Identify and capitalize on new opportunities for new partnerships with banks, mobile, NGOs, and other aggregators in the low-income sector
•     Maximize opportunities to up-sell and cross-sell to existing partners, to drive revenue
•     Develop and execute country-level strategy and plan for business revenue growth

Financial Management

•     Develop a profitable micro insurance business, governed by outreach, revenue and profit targets agreed between Senior Management and the Country Manager
•     Provide updated reports, forecasts and projections relating to the development of the business as per a defined schedule
•     Develop business plans for long term growth and profitability of the MicroEnsure Nigeria business

Operational Delivery

•     Work with the operations teams, locally and globally, to maintain effective, efficient operations to handle processing of business and reporting of results
•     Ensure that service at all levels, including claims, enrolment and reporting, is of the highest quality

Market Awareness

•     Ensure a deep understanding of the insurance needs of the low-income market within MicroEnsure Nigeria
•     Anticipate opportunities in the marketplace by organizing market research efforts among current and potential clients
•     Use research insights to deliver value in current products, identify new products, and make critical changes in operations and communication

Public Relations

•     Promote visibility to the market which evokes the image of compassion, ethics and integrity, projecting the values and image of the organisation
•     Organise press events around MicroEnsure achievements, new partnerships and product launches
•     Compile and distribute client impact stories for publication within partner networks

Team Leadership

•     Provide strong leadership, mentoring and guidance to all of the MicroEnsure Nigeria team
•     Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
•     Ensure the team is motivated to perform effectively
•     Work closely with the team to learn the business, gain employee trust and make an impact on the daily operations of the business

Senior Leadership (Head Office) Participation

•     Ensure that Senior Management are informed as required of progress, risks and issues relating to operational and service delivery
•     Lead interface with Senior Management including financial, operational and strategic review
•     Develop key relationships across technical global leaders at MicroEnsure to bring top products, services and best practices to Nigeria

Qualifications

•     4-year degree qualification required, Master’s degree preferred
•     10+ years’ work experience, preferably in financial services, telecoms or insurance, with a demonstrated track record of achievement and increasing responsibility
•     Strong leadership, management and business development ability and experience
•     Appreciation and concern for the plight of low-income Nigerians
•     Ability to effectively present and sell concepts to senior managers in partner organizations who are often unfamiliar with insurance
•     Ability to train staff members and low-income individuals in unfamiliar insurance concepts
•     Demonstrated ability to develop business, sell concepts and close deals in Nigeria
•     Experience in developing new products and demonstrated understanding of market research techniques and competitor analysis
•     Experience in working with low-income persons in professional or informal settings
•     Knowledge of Nigerian financial services sector essential, knowledge of insurance preferred
•     Facility with statistical analytics and an understanding of the importance of data-driven decision-making in the business
•     Ability to utilize contacts for new business opportunities
•     Ability to perform business analysis by utilizing operational, financial and other data
•     Willingness to work as a team member with people across geographies and cultures
•     Strong self-starter able to perform tasks with minimal input
•     Commitment to model and articulate MicroEnsure’s social mission and values
•     Fluency in spoken and written English essential; local language functionality a plus
•     Strong knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, including using these tools to present materials orally and in written form

Desired Skills and Experience
The Country Manager is responsible for overseeing the business development, general operations and country performance.  Micro insurance is an emerging industry in Nigeria so MicroEnsure must continue to set the standard for product innovation, business process acumen and service excellence. The Country Manager should develop the capacity and skills of the existing team and new hires to ensure effective delivery of services for new and existing business.

Success for the Country Manager will be defined by 1) quickly forming a deep understanding of micro insurance and interfacing with existing and new customers to grow and sustain the business, 2) developing a strong team of Nigerian professionals who can provide high quality, efficient service to partners and clients and 3) taking full ownership for the operations budget and company administration