Digital Financial Services Manager

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­Role: Digital Financial Services Manager
Employer: BRAC Microfinance Sierra Leone.
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer
Application Deadline:
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone. Open to all nationalities.

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Application Instructions:
Submit CV and Cover Letter to info@afriqia-solutions.com with “Digital Financial Services Manager” in Subject Line.

 

Overview

BRAC International is a leading non-profit organisation with a mission to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and social injustice. Founded in 1972, by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, BRAC is the largest non-governmental development organisation in the world, and is present in 15 countries across Asia and Africa today. BRAC designs proven, scalable solutions that equip people with the support and confidence they need to achieve their potential. BRAC’s institutional expertise in various programmes, including health, agriculture, microfinance, education, and youth empowerment, is touching the lives of over 100 million people in the Global South.

BRAC International Holdings B.V. (BIHBV) was set up in 2010 as a private limited liability company under the laws of the Netherlands and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stichting BRAC International (SBI). BIHBV is a socially responsible for-profit organisation, engaging people in sustainable economic and income-generating activities. The core focus of BIHBV is to provide microfinance services to people, particularly women, living in poverty in rural and hard-to-reach areas to build their financial resilience and improve the quality of life for them and their families.

BRAC has been one of the pioneers of microfinance since it first started in 1974. BRAC first expanded its microfinance operations internationally in 2002 and now operates in six countries outside of Bangladesh – Myanmar, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Together, these six entities serve more than 750,000 clients, 96% of whom are women.

BRAC International Microfinance’s mission is to provide a range of financial services responsibly to people at the bottom of the pyramid. It particularly focuses on women living in poverty in rural and hard-to-reach areas, to create self-employment opportunities, build financial resilience, and harness women’s entrepreneurial spirit by empowering them economically.

BRAC Microfinance Sierra Leone Limited (BMSLL)

BRAC Microfinance Sierra Leone Limited was launched in 2008. It is the largest microfinance institution of the country with 42 branches in 12 districts. It provides inclusive financial services to people living in poverty, with a strong focus on women living in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

 

Key Purpose

The Digital Financial Services Manager is responsible to drive the implementation of BRAC Microfinance Sierra Leone Limited’s (BMSLL) digital strategies that aim to increase outreach, deliver a superior customer experience, increase organizational efficiency, and find the right balance between tech and touch for BMSLL customers.

They will champion the innovation and coordination of the digitalisation of the BMSLL’s field operations, the implementation of digital delivery channels and the development and delivery of innovative DFS appropriate for BMSLL customers.

The DFS Manager will think creatively to innovate new uses for technology to address access, usage, literacy, security, and other barriers limiting the use of DFS by BRAC’s existing and target customers, especially women and youth.

 

Major Responsibilities:

Strategy and Innovation

  • Implement BMSLL digital strategies and action plans to increase outreach, deliver a superior customer experience, increase organisational efficiency, and find the right balance between the and touch for BMSLL customers.
  • Work closely with BMSLL management to provide strategic input and thought leadership on the use of DFS to better meet the needs and improve the livelihoods of BMSLL’s existing and target customers, especially women and youth.
  • Conduct periodic analysis and review of BMSLL implementation of existing DFS strategies and its alignment to BMSLL’s overall strategic business plan to ensure the use of DFS and technology is well aligned and is contributing to the achievement of BMSLL’s overall business strategy.
  • Conduct market assessments to inform the refinement of DFS strategy and development of market-led and innovative technology-enabled financial solutions that meet the needs of BMSLL’s existing and target customers will also be your responsibility.

 

Digital Processes, Channels and Products:

  • Design, test, refine and implement DFS projects at BMSLL.
  • Develop and implement DFS project-specific pilot and scale-up plans and activities including customer needs analysis, business requirements analysis, detailed project implementation planning, reporting, and change management to maximize the impact of DFS projects on business and customers.
  • Develop detailed functional requirements for DFS tools and applications, coordinate the different functions/departments to implement DFS and work with the teams to adapt their processes and products accordingly.
  • In order to ensure project activities are achieved in an effective, efficient and timely manner you are expected to monitor and track the progress of DFS projects including designing, implementing and monitoring surveys to analyse findings to refine and improve BRAC’s processes and products and enhance the customer experience in using DFS.
  • Continuous training and handholding of BMSLL’s staff will be managed by you in defining and implementing business case and value proposition for DFS channels and products, piloting and scaling of DFS which also includes documenting and sharing of lessons learned from the implementation of DFS projects.
  • Disseminate and share knowledge and lessons learned among the different BI MF countries to support the implementation of organizational best practices for designing and implementing different digital projects in BI MF.
  • Design and implement client and staff digital training programs in collaboration with relevant BMSLL departments/functions. This includes designing digital training content, training plans and training delivery.
  • Collaborate with industry stakeholders to design, develop, test, and refine digital solutions under a structured environment and with ready-to-use tools and work with marketing and communication teams to design effective marketing campaigns and communication to enhance adoption and active usage of DFS.
  • Support BMSLL to develop/refine and implement digital-related policies, procedures and standards in alignment with BMSLL digital strategies.
  • Cooperate with BI MF digital transformation, IT, operations and other relevant teams in the implementation of BMSLL’s DFS strategies and action plans and you must ensure you develop and manage relationships with third parties such as digital solutions suppliers, FinTech’s, developers etc.

 

Market and Ecosystem Intelligence

  • Maintain an active watch on digital technologies available in the market that may improve the quality and efficiency of BMSLL field operations, and product and service delivery and work with other enabling stakeholders, such as regulators, universities, governments, think tanks, BRAC’s fundraising teams, and others to innovate and maximize DFS for impact.

 

Safeguarding:

  • Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation to achieve the programme goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance, and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
  • Ensure to practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
  • Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, and encourage others to do so.

 

Education and Knowledge

  • Bachelor’s degree in either ICT/Engineering/Business Administration/Finance/Economics related field/ Economics/Development Studies.
  • 5+ years of related experience working in financial inclusion, product development, digital finance, microfinance/micro-lending, technology for development, and/or payments platforms.
  • Experience in digital project management, including technological aspects that enabled you to develop skills in understanding business needs and transcribing them into functional specifications for digital tools.
  • Possess substantial exposure to DFS strategy management, with direct exposure to top management strategy formulation and decision-making. Exposure to a wide range of strategic decision-making processes and as a result have become comfortable assessing business processes and requirements to inform the design and implementation of DFS projects.
  • It is essential that you have substantial exposure in conducting customer-centric research for DFS and using customer insights to drive DFS adoption, usage, and impact.
  • Insight into the way that digital transformation is affecting industry and knowledge of best practices.
  • In-depth understanding of the key drivers in a digital product/emerging technology business.
  • Possess substantial exposure in implementing digital field applications, mobile payments agent banking, and/or other DFS projects.
  • Familiarity and experience with microfinance preferred.
  • Experience in project management and working with MNOs, FinTech, financial institutions, and regulators is an added advantage.

 

Skills and Competencies

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to translate complex implementation language to people.
  • Able to demonstrate effective analytical skills, and an ability to translate raw information into actionable strategies and initiatives.
  • Excellent attention to detail.
  • Drive, flexibility, resilience and the ability to work under pressure.
  • Fluency in English required (spoken, reading and written).