COMPANY INFO

Our company, one of the world's leading microfinance institutions, provides financial services to more than 725,000 clients through 21 wholly-owned and operated subsidiaries in Africa, Eurasia, Latin America and the Greater Middle East.

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are currently seeking a Savings Project Manager (SPM). The SPM will be accountable for overseeing the implementation of a major savings initiative for the company in Ecuador. As the team leader in Ecuador, the SPM will have direct responsibility for complying with budgets and work plans, and coordinating efforts with our International group and other participating affiliates. The SPM will provide direct technical assistance to the Ecuador group and will manage and coordinate activities across the range of departments involved in the diverse activities, particularly serving as a link between marketing, operations, IT, and human and business resources. The SPM will ensure that activities are properly sequenced through planning and implementation, monitor progress toward operational and strategic outcomes, working closely with all staff involved, and formulate corrective actions as needed to ensure completion of programmed milestones. The SPM will also be responsible for improving savings products and their delivery, as needed. The SPM will be responsible for ensuring the Ecuador group meets or exceeds its savings project outcomes. His or her responsibilities will include:

- Review the existing business strategy for savings of the participating affiliate, and either validate the strategy or recommend any changes that may be necessary to ensure achievement of the desired outcomes;
- Develop detailed implementation plans for the affiliate, in coordination with the Senior Savings Advisor, with concrete timelines and measurable indicators to guide monitoring efforts of the project;
- Work with the Senior Savings Advisor to provide strategic direction and oversight to the implementation of the multi-faceted savings initiative;
- Fulfill work plans, and meeting targets and budgets;
- Review progress against work plans, milestones, and targets;
- Assess the performance of all functions with respect to their role in the savings initiative, identify any factors that are hindering performance or that put the initiative at risk;
- Make proactive recommendations to the company on corrective action that may be necessary to ensure achievement of desired outcomes;
- Identify strategic opportunities to increase the company's success in the initiative by accelerating its progress, creating greater efficiencies, strengthening the market response, or otherwise enhancing the scale and impact of the company's savings activities;
- Provide monthly reviews of progress to date with recommendations for improvement;
- Devise and implement a performance management approach for savings within the company, in coordination with Global and Field HR Managers;
- Help create a strategy for scaling up the pilot activities throughout the company's network

QUALIFICATIONS

Ideal profile:

- Bachelors degree required, Masters in Economics, Finance or related field a plus;
- At least 5 years of relevant and high level experience;
- The candidate will have successfully served as a senior executive with direct responsibility for mobilizing deposits on a significant scale in a developing market; familiarity with market in East Africa and Ecuador specifically a plus
- Significant experience in a leadership position where he/she provided strategic direction on savings mobilization initiatives, and served as project manager;
- Experience in retail banking, marketing, and/or sales of financial products
- Familiarity with market research, new product development, innovative service delivery channels such as ATMs, Point of Sale software (POSs), and mobile phone banking, the complex linkages between new products/services and IT;
- Demonstrated project management abilities, preferably on an international level
- Excellent organizational and communications skills; and
- Excellent written and oral communications skills in English and Spanish required.