Technical Director, Access to Finance Rwanda

Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR), was launched in March 2010 at the request of the Government of Rwanda (GoR) and with support from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank. The core element of AFR is to remove systemic barriers to financial services by putting the poor at the center of its interventions. Improving financial access by the rural poor will be of a particular focus using specific investment criteria as well as rigorous impact assessment for each activity. It is expected that the program investment will be split between the delivery of three interventions which will support and complement each other. They are as follows:

• Micro level: more than 60% of resources will be spent at micro level with an aim to enable financial institutions (mainly MFIs and funders of MSMEs) to strengthen their capacity to provide innovative products/financial services for the poor.
• Meso level: 20% of resources will mainly focus on capacity building, human resources, systems, and technology development including mobile phone banking
• Macro level: 10% of resources will be spent on activities to strengthen appropriate legal and regulatory structure of the financial sector in Rwanda in order to improve delivery of financial services to the poor.

About the Job: 
AFR is looking for a Technical Director to play a steering role in achieving all the three objectives of the organization. S/he will have overall responsibility for leading AFR to achieve its vision of expanding financial inclusion and access by the poor in Rwanda. S/he will be expected to work with existing initiatives and bring in innovative approaches that will help AFR to build the capacity of financial service providers, facilitate skills, knowledge and technology transfers, and increase coordination between markets.

Tasks and Responsibilities: 

• Strategy and ideas generation:
  • Leading the development of AFR’s strategy as well as the annual business planning process;
  • Identifying relevant new thinking across the field;
  • Identify “quick wins” early in the tenure;
  • Creating new opportunities for the program.
• Team leadership and delivery:
  • Managing against plan to deliver targets;
  • Identifying and solving performance bottlenecks;
  • Establishing, building, leading, and assessing performance of a core technical team to deliver results;
  • Leading effective team working;
  • Mentoring senior staff;
  • Overseeing efficient and robust business processes.
• Stakeholder relations and accountability:
  • Accounting for results to the AFRIC (AFR Investment Committee);
  • Supporting policymakers and implementers;
  • Networking with/influencing key industry players;
  • Harmonizing with other key development players both at the national and regional/international levels;
  • Positioning AFR in the market.
• Technical and advisory:
  • Policy analysis;
  • Project design, review and analysis;
  • Implementation support and trouble-shooting;
  • Guide project monitoring and evaluation;
  • Technical advice to AFR team and key partners.

Qualifications: 

• Minimum of a Masters’ degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject is required;
• Experience in managing financial sector development programs in developing economies, with a particular focus on micro and rural finance;
• Experience in implementing successful transactions and track record of experience in supporting actual investments in MSMEs that have catalytic effects on rural economies and job creation;
• At least 3 years of experience in successfully running financial sector development initiatives including working in financial inclusion in sub Saharan Africa. Experience in East Africa in particular Rwanda economy will be an added advantage;
• Successful track record in management of projects/organizations;
• Track record of technical expertise in financial sector development policies and regulations, financial market integration, financial cooperatives development, management and development interventions in microcredit to individuals and MSMEs, and financial services provision to the poor, including financial literacy and products development in the Sub Saharan region;
• Expertise in the use of the making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach in the design, appraisal and implementation of pro-poor financial services in Sub Saharan Africa;
• Experience in capacity building and effective transfers of skills, particularly within public and private institutions involved in the provision and facilitation of financial sector development and at micro/retail level in sub Saharan Africa;
• Fluency in English and working knowledge of French;
• Very good written and oral communication skills.

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Closing Date: 18 Jan 2013
How to Apply:
Interested candidates can send their resume and cover letter to esd@kpmg.co.ug