Chief Operating Officer at Alan & Grant

Industry: Technology

Job Summary

• The COO has direct oversight responsibility for all the Company’s Agent operations and retention.
• This includes but is not limited to leading and directing the following functions: Agent Operations, Customer Experience, Human Resources & Administration, Business Intelligence & Program Management.
• S/he ensures full compliance with the existing policies and procedures of the Company, especially KYC compliance, HR, operational risk management policies and procedures, as well as applicable external regulations.
• S/he has management responsibility for the retention of acquired agent networks and operational staff at the Head Office.
• S/he works closely and efficiently with various departments at head office.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop, in collaboration with the CEO, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), and the Chief Financial Officer (the "CFO "), an annual operating plan that supports the Company’s long-term operations strategy
• Assist the CEO in developing and overseeing the long-term execution of the business strategies of the Company as well as oversee the Company’s achievement and maintenance of a satisfactory competitive position within the Super-Agent industry
• Keep the CEO fully informed in a timely and candid manner of the conduct of the day-to-day operations of the Company towards the achievement of its established goals and of all material deviations from the goals or objectives and policies established by the Board
• Build strong relationships with key external stakeholders, government, suppliers, etc. to ensure correct focus and direction for the Company
• Accountable for onboarding of new agents/ aggregators/ outlets and ensuring they are retained in the business
• In collaboration with the CEO, CRO & CFO, lead in implementing the strategy of the Company, with a key focus on maximizing market share, retaining agents, ensuring KYC compliance & completeness, and increasing profit by translating strategic objectives into practical plans and goals
• Ensure that the strategic planning process highlights existing business issues, making certain that these issues are thoughtfully addressed by the laid-out plans
• Support the MD/CEO in articulating and communicating the strategy in such a manner as to ensure cohesion across the Company
• Leverage the advantages of bringing together the operational expertise and drive through more efficient ways of working
• Review key strategic priorities and translating them into actionable and tangible tactical plans and support the strategic planning process to ensure that this process is timely, focused, and value-adding
• Develop mechanisms for key measurements in place to monitor progress and ensure that business change projects are delivered in line with directions from Executive Management level
• Coordinate the efforts of the different operational areas under management to ensure minimal duplication of efforts, maximum efficiency and to maximize value for money
• Re-balance resources between different areas e.g. reallocating budgets, but within overall approved resources for the year
• Contribute to the development of the business unit strategy for the next 2-3 years by providing a view on potential improvements for products or services and an assessment of the existing situation and anticipated changes in the external environment
• Analyse the effectiveness of processes and systems in use in general for Company and recommend corrective action or automation
• Review performance against balanced scorecard components as prescribed by the Executive Management, discuss gaps, and agree on action plans to close gaps
• Benchmark productivity of the department against industry standards and create measures to improve productivity
• As requested by the CEO, attend meetings of the Board and its Committees, and present the information necessary or relevant to the Board or such Committee for discharging its duties
• Foster a corporate culture that promotes ethical practices, customer focus and service and encourages individual integrity
• Maintain a positive and ethical work climate that is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating a diverse group of top-quality employees at all levels
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and peers on Executive Management
• Provide clear directions on strategic goals, translating and prioritizing them into business and performance measures
• Monitor the adherence to governance and set high standards of professionalism across the Company
• Lead, inspire and coach a team of high calibre professionals, create succession to key roles and enhance the Company’s management capability
• Ensure that there is an effective succession plan in place for the COO position and other key executives of the Company reporting to the COO
• Assist the CEO in establishing an appropriate organizational structure
• Evaluate the performance of senior executives of the Corporation reporting to the COO
• Perform other functions as may be requested by the CEO or the Board
• Developing and implementing strategies useful in improving customer relationship, dedication, and satisfaction
• Define and implement standards/procedures for ensuring optimal customer experience
• Supervise and oversee the strategy, planning and execution of the organization's overall customer experience goals
• Develop and manage the Customer Experience framework, strategizing the consumer process and journey
• Oversee Marketing programs that influence the Customer experience through various platforms
• Evaluate and analyze the departmental work process to spot opportunities to improve workflow and customer experience
• Develop groundbreaking initiatives to create a unique Customer Experience environment for the company's network
• Establish and Monitor KPIs related to Customer Experience based on industry standards and measurements
• Analyze and implement new programs, tools, and resources to better deliver exceptional customer service
• Head the development of both online and offline Customer Experience Projects and collaborate with business owners to create a smooth user experience.

Requirements

• Undergraduate Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, or Accounting. MSc / MBA is an added advantage.
• Minimum of  10+ years of broad and advanced executive experience in commercial bank operations or financial services sector, preferably as COO or Regional Head
• Proven record of growth, success building and leading an agile retail banking delivery model, and an inherent understanding of the evolution and disruptors in the financial services industry
• Must demonstrate superior practical and conceptual knowledge of emerging banking products and operations, especially in the agent banking segment
• Strong business acumen for understanding organizational needs and business strategies
• Strong operational knowledge including supporting a service business to be compliant across all areas of its business – financial, legal, HR etc
• Strong team leader with experience in co-ordinating a team’s day to day activity, managing multiple priorities and deadlines
• Demonstrated an uncanny ability to prioritize key objectives while managing daily tactical requirements
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends and incorporate them into the Company’s plan
• Excellent communication and leadership skills that foster a strong team environment and create a high-trust culture
• Inspire trust and confidence in the business’s leadership and management
• Proven track record on interacting with Senior Management in a highly sensitive and collaborative manner to agree to the Company’s strategic direction
• Proven ability to clearly convey information and instructions, which will determine the effectiveness with which strategies are executed across the Company
• Demonstrate the ability to perform standard analyses such as performance analyses, competitive analyses, market analyses, etc
• Extensive experience in the development and implementation of policy
• Creativity, and comfort with a “blank sheet of paper” assignments
• Track record of successfully delivering change
• Demonstrated ability to meet tight deadlines and flexible with enough adaptability to operate in a technical, fast-paced, changing environment
• Demonstrated organization skills. Must be comfortable multi-tasking and prioritizing within a high-volume, fast-paced environment
• Customer excellence focus and ability to guide and work with Senior Leaders in the company
• Highly motivated self-starter and innovative thinker who can adopt cutting edge talent acquisition best practices to meet the business objectives
• Capacity Building - ability to effectively build organization and staff capacity, developing a top-notch workforce and the processes that ensure the organization runs smoothly
• Exceptionally good analytical skills, and the ability to translate raw information into actionable strategies and initiatives
• Take responsibility for own learning and continuous improvement and managing excellent performance results
• Drive results through others and achieve hyper-aggressive goals with a sense of urgency
• Demonstrated track record as a relationship builder, team player, collaborator, coach and facilitator.