Program Management Office Lead (Nigeria / South Africa) at MFS Africa

The Role

• A key part of MFS Africa’s growth ambitions has and will come through inorganic growth – investing in and, in some cases, acquiring top-notch players in the fintech space who can accelerate MFS Africa’s growth and help us build an integrated network of services for users on the African continent. Once an acquisition is made, the Business Integration team then comes in to ensure the successful integration of that company into the MFS Africa group and deliver the expected value of the acquisition.
• We are recruiting a Program Management Office (PMO) Lead to join the Business Integration team and be responsible for identifying, planning and driving key integration work streams across MFS Africa and the acquired company(ies). The role will help drive functional, product, systems, and knowledge integration of the organizations.
• This role will be responsible for multiple cross-functional work streams, identification and resolution of workstream- and program-level issues, and the mitigation of risks where they pose a significant threat to success, always with a focus on delivering value to the business. Additionally, this role will work with the rest of the Business Integration team to develop a repeatable integration playbook for future acquisitions and integrations
• The PMO Lead will be required to work cross-functionally alongside various teams within and across hypergrowth organisations, interfacing with leaders across the organisation to deliver various workstreams. The ideal candidate for this role will have experience in project management and execution, and, ideally, previous post-merger integrations / mergers and acquisitions experience.
• The first project this role will help drive is the integration of Capricorn Digital Limited (market-facing name: Baxi), a fast-paced and dynamic company based in Nigeria, into the MFS Africa group. Baxi is one of Nigeria’s largest independent SME-focused electronic payment networks, providing a cash-in/cash-out offering as well as value-added services — account opening, money transfer, bill payment and more — to the last mile.
• We are seeking candidates with at least 5 years of experience in fast-paced dynamic organisations within the financial services, technology, fintech, or management consulting industries. The successful candidate should possess exceptional communication skills, high EQ, strong organization skills, and be comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• This role reports to the Chief of Staff to the CEO, who leads the Business Integration team, and serves as an integral member of the Business Integration team within the CEO’s office.
• Ideally, the position can be based in either Lagos, Nigeria or Johannesburg, South Africa. Travel will be required as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Partner with the Chief of Staff and broader Business Integration team to build, own, and execute the integration plan, ensuring key milestones are met and dependencies are managed
• Actively manage workstream-level project plans to ensure successful achievement of objectives and timelines, and take appropriate action to mitigate risks
• Apply knowledge and expertise in real-time to ensure momentum of workstreams and the overall integration plan is optimised; highlight and resolve interdependencies across workstreams
• Facilitate stakeholder meetings, escalate roadblocks, and ensure proper task prioritization
• Ensure realistic expectations are maintained through effective stakeholder engagement and management
• Manage relationships with senior business leads to ensure ongoing awareness, buy-in and shared ownership, including updates to company leadership, Integration Steering Committee, and Board
• Coordinate and drive cross-organisational communication
• Partner with the Chief of Staff and broader Business Integration team to develop a repeatable integration playbook for future acquisitions and integrations, including creation of content such as documentation of key integration activities and learning

Requirements
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, Business Management, Engineering, or any other related field with high academic achievement
• At least 5 years of experience within fast-paced dynamic organisations within the management consulting, fintech, technology, or financial services industries
• Previous experience with financial modelling and corporate finance topics
• Previous experience in post-merger integrations would be an added advantage
• Experience living or working in Nigeria and/or Pan African experience and exposure is highly desirabl

You will be a good fit if you have / are:

• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage complex, cross-functional workstreams with an in-depth understanding of project issues in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• Ability to synthesize complex information and understand/drive clear next steps without deep subject matter expertise, ensuring on-time delivery
• Good business sense and judgment – can prioritise, resolve, and escalate issues
• Proactive approach with an ability to anticipate future direction and take action quickly as needed
• Professional presence and maturity to work across all levels of the organization
• Confidence to speak up to share ideas and recommendations for improvement, and flag potential issues before they become risks
• Ability to build key relationships, motivate, and collaborate to achieve success; strong skills in meeting facilitation, conflict resolution, and change management
• Critical thinker who can solve complex problems and identify innovative solutions – adaptive and creative mindset; strong business intuition; solutions-oriented; and a data-driven approach to decision-making
• Flexibility and ability to multitask in an environment with shifting priorities; thrive with change & ambiguity
• Proven ability to work autonomously and independently in a highly demanding environment
• Eager and consistent learner, receptive to feedback and interested in continuous improvement
• Actively listens, requests clarification when needed
• Comfort with corporate finance topics
• Expertise with Excel and financial modelling
• Strong oral and written communication skills.

Benefits

• We are the cutting edge of fintech in Africa
• Ranked by Fast Company as Second Most Innovative Company in Africa
• Attractive package including flexible benefits and competitive remuneration
• Diverse, inclusive, gender-balanced company culture representing >28 nationalities and speaking >20 languages
• Massive growth potential
• We operate a flexible remote working and unlimited leave policy
• We solve relevant problems for Africa and the world to create access for the millions of users who also believe in what we do.