Preferred location: Tanzania. Other locations to be determined by home country of successful candidate within Africa and Europe where VFI is registered to operate.

Organisational Background:

VisionFund (VF) is the world’s largest Christian microfinance network. For more than a decade we have been improving the lives of children across the developing world, as we provide small loans and other financial services to families struggling in poverty. Our clients are able to build successful businesses, which enable them to ensure their children grow up healthy and educated.

As the microfinance subsidiary of World Vision, the world’s largest Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation, our microfinance institutions (MFIs) are found across the globe in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe and have an outstanding loan portfolio of nearly US$535 million. Serving over 1.2 million active borrowers, over four million children are impacted each year when parents receive small loans, improve their businesses and increase family incomes

Sharing the same vision as World Vision, VisionFund aims to provide ‘life in all its fullness’ to children throughout the world, as their parents receive small loans, improve their businesses and increase in ability to care for their children as family incomes multiply.

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

VisionFund is seeking a Deputy Regional Director (“DRD”) to support and manage the execution of VisionFund’s strategy in the region. The Deputy Regional Director working for the Regional Director is responsible for ensuring the delivery of the ‘double bottom line’ of financial and social performance in the region.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Building Capacity in the Micro Finance Institution (MFI):

• Support under the guidance of the regional director the delivery of business plans of individual MFIs. This includes monitoring, analysis, problem identification and recommendations that will ensure improved quality of delivery of financial services, improved control environment and increased alignment of strategy.
• Support under the guidance of the regional director the regional roll out of global centre initiatives including how central services and regional banking software can be deployed to improve service to the MFI’s and their clients and to reduce costs and improve sustainability.
• Provide timely, and responsive but prioritized consulting services for MFI issues and concerns, based upon an agreed terms of reference.
• Provide clear and thorough analysis and subsequent reccomendations for both the MFI management and VFI regional teams.
• Work with the WV regional teams to ensure integration and alignment of VFI, MFI and WVNO strategies at the regional and national levels.
• Ensure effectictive communication with the regional director and with relevent CEO’s when undertaking technical reviews and assessments.
• Ensure that effective controls and the focus on the “double bottom line” are always assessed (even when not part of a particular terms of reference) and that issues are immediately raised.

Governance and Management:

• As Deputy Regional Director the position may require to take on a board role within an MFI.
• The person is expected in their duties as a board member of an MFI to reflect the best interests of VFI and to make, where needed, decisions that support such a position.

Acting in a Management Capacity within an MFI during Staffing Gaps:

• If gaps are identified in the CEO, COO or CFO position that are likely to significantly impact the performance of the MFI and in particular put the MFI at risk then the Deputy Regional Director will be required under the direction of the Regional Director to take on a management role in the MFI.
• This can be up to 3 or 6 months while a suitable replacement is being recruited. During this period the DRD will take on the roles of the required position and will continue to report to the regional director, but may have an added reporting line into the MFI depending on the position.

Personal and Staff Development:

• As a VisionFund leader, facilitate the spiritual and professional development of MFI CEOs and direct reports.
• Develop clear individual goals, manageable and measurable targets and ongoing feedback and support to achieve them.
• Provide bi- annual staff performance evaluations as well as an annual review of performance and career.
• Attend weekly virtual operations meetings and other meetings as required by the regional director.

In some cases, the DRD will be the Security Focal Point for the region.

DRD will carry out additional responsibilities and projects as assigned, including administrative and planning functions both within and outside the region.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

The key ability VisionFund is seeking is leadership. In addition to experience with microfinance and banking operations (lending, deposit taking), you will have experience developing and nurturing a talented team, and spotting improvement opportunities and making those happen in a complex and dynamic environment.

In addition, the following specific knowledge, skills and abilities are required, and may have been acquired through a combination of formal schooling, self education, prior experience or on the job training:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business or Economics, or equivalent level of knowledge gained through work experience.
• Thorough knowledge and extensive experience in governance and compliance, microfinance and banking operations.
• Although central treasury expertise will be provided by VisionFund Global Centre you should have an understanding of balance sheet risk management including interest rate risk, liquidity risk and foreign exchange risk as well as bank funding processes and contracting.
• Solid understanding of financial reporting and performance measurements and planning/forecasting.
• Strong Operational Skills in microfinance ideally gained in the relevant region through managing MFIs .
• Experience working in a multinational and multicultural environment with proven cross-cultural effectiveness. You must be cross culturally sensitive and flexible as you will work with associates from different cultural contexts and timezones. Flexibility on hours to contact people within wide time zone differences is required.
• Extensive leadership experience, largely in a financial services, banking or microfinance environment. You should be experienced leader of people, committed to developing and encouraging staff. Effective coach and able to train people in VisionFund policies and procedures.
• Given the need to control financial risk within the MFI’s, it is imperative that you will have good financial analysis, risk management and accounting skills, and strong internal control and project management skills including familiarity with internal audit processes.
• Communication skills, problem solving, diplomacy skills, negotiation and conflict management skills are all required in this senior management role working with multiple MFIs. Excellence in communication and influencing skills in both oral and written forms, with a variety of stakeholders.
• Good organizational skills, and highly developed consulting skills, with ability to analyze, recommend solutions, mentor and direct people. You must be able to simultaneously manage multiple priorities and projects.
• Balanced and respectful approach to groups’ differing responsibilities and priorities. Sensitive to complexity of World Vision direction, MFI board independence and shareholder requirements.
• You must be experienced in managing effective support of accounting and loan tracking systems.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively and to be based in a MFI for periods of up to six months.

Work Environment:

• Either based from home (with travel to the region) or based in a regional office (with travel to other entities nearby) this role typically requires travel between 50% and 60% of the time.