Vacancies at the Centre for Research in Enterprise and Action in Management (CREM) Nigeria

Job Title: General Manager

REF: GM/LA
Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Description

• Reporting to the Managing Director, the successful candidate will support the MD and will have overall responsibility for the formulation and execution of the company’s strategy for the Microfinance Institution in line with the business objectives agreed by the Board.

Responsibilities
Strategic Management:

• Implements and communicates the company’s vision, mission, and overall strategy and direction.
• Responsible for all aspects of start-up and day-to-day operations of the company, including staffing, budgeting, branch development, outreach and business development.
• Develops an annual work plan to measure success against short and long term goals, with targeted Key Performance Indicators to be approved by the board of directors.
• Oversees a high-performing credit portfolio in line with the company’s growth-phase business plan and long-term sustainability.
• Maintains awareness of both the external and internal competitive landscape, opportunities for expansion, customers, markets, new industry developments and standards.
• Oversees risk management and full compliance with all legal requirements affecting the company’s business and operations.

Staff /Team Development:

• Recruits and mentors a strong team of self-starters that reflect the culture and values of the institution Provide strategic input and direction for the development of performance targets, including on-going monitoring to ensure achievement of set targets
• Motivates staff and maintains a positive, transparent, mission-oriented and results-driven environment.
• Cultivates a positive environment of learning and professional development for all staff members.
• Recognizes problems, seeks appropriate input, and develops solutions to resolve personnel problems in a positive manner.

Innovation:

• Identifies important areas for market innovations and develops solutions that address meaningful issues for customers.
• Creates a work environment that encourages feedback, creative thinking and innovation.

Board Relationship and Representation:

• Implements board policy and directives efficiently; reports company activities and financial position to the board in a timely manner.
• Oversees the relationships that the company maintains with regulators, investors, banks, lawyers, auditors, Government and any other external party.
• Develops networks and builds alliances externally that further the commitments and strategic vision.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Economics, Business Administration, Accountancy, etc. or related field.
• A post-graduate degree or its equivalent in any Finance discipline is required.
• Relevant professional qualifications/affiliations.
• A minimum of 8 – 10 years diverse experience (i.e. banking, insurance, microfinance, etc.) as well as experience in multi-functional roles within the industry.
• Minimum of 5 years senior management experience within the financial services industry.
• Prior board-level experience/ experience reporting to a board/ board committee.
• Strong communication skills.

Competency/ Skill Requirements:

• Knowledge and understanding of the Nigerian financial services market.
• Prior experience leading functions such as:
• Microfinance institutions Operations
• Marketing at the bottom of the pyramid
• Finance/Risk Management
• Human Resources management
• Information Technology utilization.
• Good product development and portfolio management capabilities.
• Excellent customer relationship development/management skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of microfinance products.
• Ability to think strategically and holistically and to appreciate the systemic impact of various policies, issues and solutions.
• Must have a high sense of responsibility, accountability, integrity and ethical standards.
• Must have strong business acumen, maturity and tact.

Job Title: Risk and Compliance Manager

REF: RC/LA
Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Responsibilities
Portfolio performance tracking and analysis:

• To monitor and evaluate performance indicators of the portfolio and study the trends for business growth, product acceptance, product cycle stage, and risk levels.
• To review the credit portfolio and propose appropriate corrective measures are initiated so as to ensure that overall business plan objectives are met and advise management through timely reports.
• Credit Cycle process reporting
• To Conduct on-going review and analysis of the credit portfolio to determine delinquency patterns and recommend appropriate action
• To visit periodically the branches to evaluate and update the Risk Maps. and Produce the necessary report.
• To review the various stages of credit administration processes at appropriate times to identify superfluous activities and recommend efficient options.
• Portfolio Growth, Account maintenance and Recovery strategies definition
• To participate in the generation of Management strategies, based on risk and profitability models, with the purpose of optimizing account growth, customer acquisition, and portfolio profitability.
• To support the business in the identification of Operational and Market related risks, generating the adequate documentation and control tools where applicable.
• To improve the effectiveness of the collections and recovery processes through proper segmentation and transactional analysis tools.
• Credit policy implementation
• To collaborate in the development of policy and process guidelines for new products.
• To review the compliance of the norms related to risk management that are issued by the banking regulators.
• To prepare the operational plan to grant the adequate execution of the methodology approved for integral risk management.
• IT Risk
• Identify potential risks and develop procedures that staff must follow to reduce or manage those risks.
• Play an active role in creating and implementing policies that are designed to demonstrate compliance with industry regulations.
• Audit and Compliance
• Ensure overall coordination of audit and compliance activities at the head office and branches.

Qualifications and Experiences

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, or a related field; Master’s degree in a finance-related field preferred
• Significant previous experience in the microfinance industry in the risk management function for a minimum of 5 years.
• Microfinance certification.
• Risk management certification
• Excellent computer skills; experience in financial software, Microsoft Office Suite
• Great analytical skills and attention to details.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.