Manager, Digital Transformation, Accion MfB at ACCION Microfinance Bank

Summary/Objective

• Providing and having access to financial services can be a challenging and costly activity. That is why we believe it is essential to leverage innovative technologies so businesses can efficiently and effectively provide their services and increase reach to those that remain excluded.
• Accion Microfinance Bank Limited is a team of experienced professionals that, through the smart use of innovative customer engagement approaches, effective product design, digital technologies and distribution channels, help increase the efficiency of small businesses, financial services providers and key actors to help achieve financial inclusion at scale.
• Reporting to the CIO, the Manager, Digital Transformation, will contribute to the development of the businesses’ digital strategy and the delivery of multiple technology solutions across all programmes and teams within the business, by ensuring consistency in delivery approach.
• The role will work closely with the CIO to overhaul the business’s digital services and channels while growing a team and meeting the company's objectives through digital transformation, improved digital customer experience and a more effective digital product range.

Key Responsibilities
Digital Strategy Development (20%):

• Define the direction of the overall digital strategy, in conjunction with the Chief Information Officer coordinate and manage the annual digital team's delivery calendar and digital roadmap to help drive business growth and planning. This will include:
• Technology infrastructure: Provide infrastructure services vision that will enable innovation which leverage IT trends to create business value
• Supplement innovations in current product service – use digital tools to improve Customer Journey and experience
• Launch new digital products and services – help plan for and design the bank’s new digital product offering
• Assessing internal services suitability for digital transformation and rigorously prioritizing involvement by customer or cost saving benefit.
• Promote partnerships that further digital agenda
• Providing advice to management on innovations that could best support customer needs.

Project delivery and change management for digital readiness technology implementations (40%):

• Managing the implementation of technology projects for core infrastructure to ensure the business has an effective technology platform to delivery its growth initiatives; prioritizing and driving changes to internal software and systems
• IT Capacity Assessments: Oversee business assessments of IT staff, policies and procedures to ensure they are equipped to support the business operations from an IT perspective.
• Business resilience: While developing strategies to grow and scale efficiently using technology, ensure the business is resilient through the implementation of comprehensive disaster recovery architecture, protection against security threats such as malware, and cyber-attacks, have risk monitoring and management, and business continuity architectures.
• Ensure best practices and processes across the digital team for the consistent delivery of digital projects

Project delivery, change management and technology implementations for new and existing digital product (30%):

• Managing the implementation of technology projects to supplement the current product offering as well as new digital financial products in order to:
  • Promote remote customer application and account usage
  • Improve the customer journey and allow for a improve, more intuitive customer experience
  • Drive the offering of new, more innovative and personalized financial products
  • Allow the business to drive growth metrics such as (but not limited to) customer numbers, ARPU, loan book size, operational efficiency. Across all IT projects, the candidate will be responsible for:
• Types of projects: the types of projects will include agency banking, mobile banking, channels implementation, implementation of data platforms to drive business intelligence, enterprise mobility, data analytics, payment systems, distributed ledger systems, technology infrastructure improvements.
• Pre-implementations: Oversee pre-implementation plans, which include development of business requirements, detailed functional requirements, review of change management business impact, human resources and risks.
• Project Management: Ensure all projects are effectively managed, and that all teams in the business are properly staffed and that adequate reporting and oversight controls are in place.
• Maintain full awareness of the performance of individual programmes, including the identification and resolution of risks, critical issues, and opportunities.
• Change Management: Ensure that projects deliver change through the business, and are ‘owned’ by the business, not seen as something ‘done’ by IT – ensuring that the business has the appropriate resources in place will be key.
• Selection & contract negotiations: Oversee and/or assist in the due diligence and software selection process for new software and tools; negotiate pricing and contracts. Manage relationships with third party digital delivery partners, focusing on performance management against agreed SLA's and KPI's
• Consultants: Source and manage external consultants and manage related budgets.
• Implementation: Oversee the implementation of all major bank systems and participate in issue-resolution decisions, vendor management, and regular update communication to all stakeholders.
• 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 management team on systems budgets and funding, ensuring that the budget the costs of technology projects and support adequately
• Approach/stakeholder management: Ensure alignment with management teams and Boards with implementation approaches and plans.
• Governance: Advise on the establishment and maintenance of robust governance mechanisms that have the confidence of all stakeholders. Assist management to make good quality decisions through timely, accurate and informative reporting and forecasting

Communications, Knowledge sharing and Capacity building (10%):

• Driving cultural change and helping build digital capability and technical knowledge within the business: advocating user focussed design, agile project methodologies, use of low cost cloud based technology, open source software and the use of more diverse suppliers.
• Helping put in place new guidance and training for service owners and project managers; advising on the structures needed for future digital transform
• Share knowledge: Document and share project results (activities, findings, outputs, impact) in the form of sharing knowledge, disseminating useful information & tools, and organizing and delivering learning and exchange opportunities, blogging, articles and/or case studies completed for internal learning and external sector-wide knowledge sharing purposes.
• Be a thought leader on new digital trends and opportunities that the business can incorporate into its digital strategy to drive strategic growth ambitions

Qualification and Experience

• Must have consulting/advisory services experience.
• 10 years’ experience of consulting or working within a financial services institution, with working exposure to financial services, strategy, and hands-on operating experience in challenging contexts.
• Must have excellent knowledge of and expertise in digital financial services as well as hands-on knowledge of four or more of the following: mobile money, digital payments, mobile banking, POS/cards, agent banking, data and business intelligence platforms, core banking systems, digital field applications.
• 5 years of experience in banking system and/or 3 year of experience as Merchant Acquiring Officer.
• Strong experience managing transformation projects from start to finish, gathering user requirements through prototypes to actual delivery and iteration. Valuable experience will include project managing a financial services product launch from inception and product design to pilot and commercial launch, working across multiple teams in the business to deliver project KPIs
• Experience of data driven design and the production of effective management information.
• Experience delivering change activities and working effectively with senior management.
• Strong business analysis skills and an understanding of open source and open standards.
• Experience in supplier and contract management.
• Experience of Agile and an understanding of Prince 2 a distinct advantage.
• The candidate must also meet the minimum standard of the competencies listed below.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in IT, Business, Accounting, Finance, Economics or related careers. Masters or MBA is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of work experience in IT consultancy, financial sector or microfinance bank.
• At least 3 years in management positions.
• Technical knowledge and experience in Product Management and product design and development.
• Excellent project and people/team management skills, especially in multi-cultural environments.
• Develop high levels of credibility and accountability and lead with transparency.
• Measure products, services and team performance against agreed standards.
• Have superb interpersonal skills, experience leading an innovative team and have a passion for forward thinking digital transformation.
• Excellent multi-tasking skills with a positive, can-do attitude.
• Ability to negotiate consensus among diverse groups and influence and impact the activities of others not in own reporting structure.
• Use different styles to influence individuals and groups and cause impact.
• Take a persuasive stand on difficult issues and on behalf of projects’ stakeholders.
• Demonstrably strong business negotiation skills.
• Willingness to travel nationally
• Willingness to embody our values of excellence, respect and passion for social change.
• Exceptional written, communication and presentation skills for a variety of audiences; comfort moving seamlessly between executive teams and the field.
• Inspire trust within (project teams and business groups) and outside (vendors and consultants) the organization and demonstrates personal integrity and trustworthiness.
• Fluency in English and [local language] required.