FINCA Uganda Vacancies October 2012

FINCA International, Africa Regional Office

FINCA International, 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 Greater Middle East.

FINCA’s mission is to provide small loans of working capital to low-income families to help alleviate poverty. FINCA International is seeking to recruit dynamic, self motivated, result oriented professionals to fi ll the positions below to support the subsidiaries in Africa. 

1. Service Desk Analyst

The Service desk analyst will report to the Regional IS Manager. He / She will be part of the regional FINCA Services Africa team.

Key Result Areas:

• To effectively contribute to managing Call, Incident, and Order to ITIL standards in order to resolve technical queries.

• To be multi skilled in providing support for any customers raising issues with IS, demonstrating the ability to learn technical concepts quickly

• To deliver world class customer service to colleagues in all Business areas of the FINCA Africa as agreed to be supported by Information services.

• To accept new business in by demonstrating knowledge sharing, best practice and ensuring the high quality of handover into Live support

• To ensure the accessibility of the FINCA Services IS organisation

Knowledge and Education:

• Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science , or related fields

• ITIL Certification

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Access and Excel required.

• Knowledge of commercial or microfinance or other similar platform highly desired.

2. Regional Reporting Manager

The Regional Reporting Manager will be reporting to the Director of Regional Information Services.

He/She will be responsible for providing support with thorough data analysis and reporting to help meet business objectives. A good understanding of database, reporting tools, related core banking systems such as Flexcube, Orbit, Rubicon, Equinox , will be required in order for the Reporting Manager to provide quantitative data and assist internal and external customers in decision making. The Reporting Specialist will report into this position.

Key Result Areas:

• Facilitate in providing trainings to subsidiary reporting specialists devoted to database

architecture, deploying and maintaining operational reporting system, working with source control server, developing and localizing reports.

• Coordinate with a cross functional team in order to identify Data and Reporting needs of FINCA International related to application, including identification of data points to be collected by all affiliates at client account creation and client exit, as well as devising a strategy for storage and access of such information.

• Create, implement and maintain reporting requirements documentation to improve clarity and consistency

• Direct the process of creating the test plan and test case scenarios for testing the relevancy of existing technical infrastructure and operability.

• Review performance optimization reports, develop new reports, or make changes to existing reports following respective procedure.

• Test various upgrades, enhancements, and service packs to various modules.

• Perform ad-hoc reporting activities to address a range of data/information requests from a range of reporting related areas.

• Interact with internal report owners to establish/ clarify their requirements and develop report specifications. Provide careful analysis and enhance the report owner’s perspective by using

a combination of available information, tool functionality and business knowledge.

• Provide written reports and trends presentations that summarize key results. Ensure distributed results are consistent, reliable and accurate through testing and quality control efforts.

• Provide input in project reporting to provide regular reports about project progress, lessons learnt after the completion of the project, which will offer a global vision for future internal clients in particular and FINCA in general.

• Determine impact of policies and processes on IT systems and reporting processes.

• Participates in all other projects and other duties as assigned.

• Define and maintain standards for Reports development, in according with IT Managers for the region.

Knowledge and Education:

• Bachelors’ degree in Computer Engineering, or related fields.

• Typically requires 6-8 years of experience in a technical role, in a software or financial industry.

• Strong understanding of various database queries and generic report writing tools like Crystal Reports.

• Advanced proficiency with SQL/Server, scripting, SQL/Transact. Ideally a SQL Certification MCTS 70- 432.

• Strong knowledge in SQL/Reporting Services, SQL/ Analysis Services.

• Advanced proficiency with Oracle, scripting, PLSQL, Application Server Report, Oracle Reports Developer.

• Strong understanding of Oracle report writing tools (TOAD, Embarcadero, and Oracle Discover). Ideally an Oracle Reports Certification.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Access and Excel required.

• Knowledge of microfinance or other similar platform highly desired.

3. Finance/Office Manager

The Finance & Office Manager will manage financial reporting, accounts payable, billing of services to subsidiaries and managing accounts receivable, cash management, tax management and budgeting.

The position requires strong accounting knowledge, analytical skills, a high level of attention to detail and capability to make decisions and act independently.

Communication and coordination with different units, including Shared Service Center (SCC) management, subsidiaries, HQ Information Services and HQ Finance, will be required.

The additional role as the office manager will be to handle all administrative, logistical and secretarial tasks for the regional FINCA Services - Africa office with primary focus on tasks supporting the Director of Regional Information Technology – Africa.

Knowledge and Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or business, MBA a plus

• CPA or equivalent required (active license)

• Minimum 10 years experience as a controller (International)

• Worked with at least one accounting computer system

• Experience using IFRS as well as SSC country local accounting standards

• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. - Availability to travel (10-20% of the time)

4. Regional Flexcube Administrator

The Regional FLEXCUBE Administrator (RFA) will be an integral part of one of the regional core banking application supporting teams, participates in process of integration of FLEXCUBE core banking application within the regional network of FINCA affiliates.

Being a member of the FLEXCUBE Regional Support Team, the RFA will be responsible for providing daily support to the core banking application implementation and post-implementation phases.

Key Result Areas:

- Participate in core banking application implementation process; provide support to FLEXCUBE environments related to implementation activities

- Participate in preparation of technical infrastructure for pre-production and production phases; provide needed assistance in process of installation and configuration of environmental software in the Data- Centre location, as well as for installation and configuration of FLEXCUBE pre-production environments

- Responsible for providing support and operability of FLEXCUBE software used during implementation (Day-0, UAT, Support, Migration, Training, etc.)

- Configure security settings in FLEXCUBE Security Management Module and environmental software levels in Data Center and affiliate in accordance with security and information protection procedures.

- Categorize the problems escalated by affiliate Support team as appropriate into related groups; determine the category, impact, urgency and priority

Knowledge and Education:

• Knowledge of relational databases, normalization of entities and processes;

• Strong expertise in Oracle PL/SQL;

• Should be aware of various OS like WIN 2003 and UNIX and how to operate in these environments;

• Experience with FLEXCUBE Core Baking Application

• Experience with IBM WAS and IBM WAS MQ is a plus

• Experience with Oracle Database administration is a plus

Experience:

Minimum 3+ years of experience in supporting the mission-critical core-banking applications within a consulting environment, financial services, microfinance or banking industry.

Minimum 3+ years of experience in Oracle PL/SQL, proven ability to create and analyze complex scripts.

5. Regional Flexcube Support Engineer

Being a member of the FLEXCUBE Regional Support Team, the Regional FLEXCUBE Support

Engineer (RFSO) will be responsible for providing daily support to the core banking application implementation and post-implementation phases.

Key Result Areas:

- Participation in core banking application implementation process, providing support to FLEXCUBE environments related to implementation activities

- Provide support and ensuring operability of production and testing environments of the regional affiliates. Coordinate with affiliate’s FLEXCUBE support team

- Responsible for first level analysis and troubleshooting of all issues due to period closure process, as well as escalation of the critical issues to vendor’s support team; Responsible for retesting and implementation of issue resolution recommendations, ensuring documentation of the incidents in accordance with existing corporate procedures.

- Provide assistance to Regional FLEXCUBE Administrator in resolution to the issues and requests escalated on regional level; categorize the escalated incidents as appropriate into related groups, determine the impact, urgency and priority.

- Maintain the special register for updates and patches related to production environment in line with established instructions and guidelines.

Knowledge and Education:

• Knowledge of relational databases, normalization of entities and processes;

• Knowledge of Oracle PL/SQL

Experience:

Minimum 3+ years of experience in Oracle PL/SQL, proven ability to create and analyze complex scripts;

6. Senior Regional Flexcube Administrator

The Senior Regional FLEXCUBE Administrator (SRFA) is an integral part of one of the regional core banking application supporting teams, participates in process of integration of FLEXCUBE core banking application within the regional network of FINCA affiliates.

Being a leader for the FLEXCUBE Regional Support Team, the SRFA will be responsible for organization and management of regional work related to FLEXCUBE maintenance and support, as well as the personnel responsible for this work.

The SRFA will work closely with Operational and Finance Departments of regional FINCA affiliates, as well as with regional and corporate business and IT professionals, with an aim to improve the efficiency of the FLEXCUBE deployment and utilization processes.

Key Result Areas:

- In coordination with Project Manager and affiliate management team, assess the risks related to the correct definition and alignment of migration requirements from legacy system into the new core banking application.

- Provide the regional support stuff personnel with appropriate orientation and ongoing training to maintain their knowledge, skills, abilities, internal controls and security awareness at the level required to achieve organizational goals.

- Conduct a regular performance evaluation to Regional Support Team on a basis of individual objectives derived from the organization’s goals, established standards and specific job responsibilities.

- Focus quality management on determining the requirements by affiliates and aligning them to the IT standards and practices.

- Coordinate the preparation of technical infrastructure for pre-production and production phases

- Coordinate in core banking application implementation process, lead the affiliate’s

Application Support Team and manage the data migration preparation and execution phases. SRFA is responsible for

- In coordination with vendor’s team manage the process of providing support and operability of

FLEXCUBE software used during implementation (Day-0, UAT, Support, Migration, Training, etc.).

- In coordination with vendor’s team manage the activities performed by FLEXCUBE support team after the implementation

- Ensure timely resolution of issues and requests escalated on regional level in coordination with vendor’s team; Manage regional support and helpdesk (level 2) personnel.

- Manage the initial level support provided by Regional Support Team to the questions and issues related to Corporate Data Warehouse, reported by the regional and affiliate level personnel. Ensure the timely and transparent communication to the issue source, in terms of current status and resolution timeframes of all issues reported.

- Ensure that all problems escalated by affiliate Support team are respectively categorized into related groups; determine the category, impact, urgency and priority.

- Being a leader of the core banking application supporting team, SRFA is responsible to continue the collaboration with affiliates’ and Vendor’s support teams:

- Ensure that FLEXCUBE installation and maintenance procedures are updated and describe installation and configuration instructions for:

- Review the performance of Regional Support Team, analyze the cause of any deviations from standard issue resolution process and initiate remedial action to address the underlying causes.

- Monitor the processes coordinated by Affiliate’s Support Team related to organization of sufficient testing of all modification and additions to FLEXCUBE parameterization before the changes are released on production environment.

- Work with program team and vendor consultants to define a set of performance targets for FLEXCUBE application. Monitor the post-implementation performance of FLEXCUBE Retail application. Ensure the application adequately responds the functional needs of the affiliate.

Knowledge and Education:

• Knowledge of relational databases, normalization of entities and processes;

• Strong expertise in Oracle PL/SQL;

• Should be aware of various OS like WIN 2003 and UNIX and how to operate in these environments;

• Experience with FLEXCUBE Core Baking Application is a plus

• Experience with IBM WAS and IBM WAS MQ is a plus

• Experience with Oracle Database administration is a plus

Experience:

Over 5 years of experience within a technical or consulting environment, financial services,

microfi nance or banking; ideally with 2+ years of management experience in supporting the missioncritical core-banking applications; 

Over 2 years of experience in Oracle PL/SQL, proven ability to create and analyze complex scripts;

Must have experience in production releases and backup procedures relating to the production release i.e. releases management and process.

Detailed job descripts can be accessed from the FINCA website www.fi nca.org . Applicants can submit online applications or deliver their documents which should include; an application letter and CV to

FINCA International, Africa Regional Offices, Plot 11

Portal , Adam House Block B OR send by email to

Africa.hub@fi nca.org by close of Business day 20th

October 2012. -

FINCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.