Job Title: Director, Digital Business and Channels
Organisation: FINCA Uganda
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About Organisation:
FINCA Uganda Limited was the first licensed micro-finance deposit taking institution in Uganda, and part of a global network which serves over 1,000,000 clients in 22 countries. FINCA Uganda currently offers loans, savings and money transfer services in Uganda, one of the most competitive and dynamic microfinance markets in the world.
Job Summary: The Director, Digital Business and Channels is responsible for developing and overseeing FINCA Impact Finance’s digital business and channel portfolio across the network. The role will ensure that digital products, services, channels and partnerships respond to clear customer needs, have sound commercial and risk fundamentals, and deliver measurable business value.
The Director will provide group-level leadership for digital lending, digital savings and deposits, payments, transfers, agency banking, mobile and internet banking, digital onboarding, self-service channels and other partner-enabled financial services. The role will act as the business owner and principal relationship lead for fintechs, mobile network operators, payment providers, aggregators and other strategic digital vendors.
The Director, Digital Business and Channels reports to the COO and will work closely with subsidiary management and the global Operations, Sales, Marketing, Credit Risk, Data, Finance, Legal, Risk and Technology teams. S/he will collaborate with FINCA International’s Lab, the 361 Team and other innovation teams, while representing FIF’s commercial and operational interests and ensuring that approved concepts and technology capabilities translate into sustainable, well-managed business services.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- In collaboration with the COO and core business leadership, develop and maintain FIF’s digital business and channels strategy and a prioritized roadmap aligned with the company’s strategic objectives and subsidiary business plans,
- Provide group-level leadership and portfolio oversight for digital lending, digital savings and deposits, payments, transfers, agency banking, mobile and internet banking, digital onboarding, self-service channels and other partner-enabled financial services,
- Lead the business design and lifecycle management of digital products and services, from customer need and business case through pilot, rollout, performance review, improvement and, where necessary, discontinuation,
- Serve as the primary group contact to review and approve, within delegated authority, subsidiary proposals to introduce or materially change digital products, services, channels or partnerships before launch. Where formal approval rests with GLT, a subsidiary Board of Directors or a regulator, provide the required group-level recommendation,
- Ensure that each proposed digital product, service, channel or partnership has a clear target customer, value proposition, business case, pricing and product economics, risk assessment, operating model, technology approach, implementation plan and accountable local owner,
- Serve as FIF’s business relationship owner for strategic fintechs, mobile network operators, payment providers, aggregators and other digital vendors operating across or materially affecting FIF subsidiaries,
- Lead or support commercial negotiations, contract renewals and partner performance reviews in collaboration with Legal, Procurement, Finance, Risk, Technology and subsidiary management. Ensure that pricing, revenue-sharing arrangements, customer ownership, data rights, service levels, partner responsibilities, renewal terms and exit provisions protect FIF’s interests,
- Maintain a consolidated inventory of material digital products, services, channels and partnerships, including their cost, contractual obligations, commercial performance, service quality, renewal dates, dependencies and risks, and initiate corrective action, renegotiation or replacement where required,
- Establish and maintain a digital business performance scorecard covering customer adoption and active usage, transaction and sales volumes, revenue, customer acquisition and retention, cost-to-serve, service quality, portfolio quality and customer experience, and recommend whether propositions should be scaled, improved, renegotiated, suspended or discontinued.
- Support Accountabilities
- Support Finance and subsidiary management in preparing business cases for digital products, services, channels and partnerships, ensuring that customer value, product economics, operational impacts, strategic alignment, risk mitigation and expected financial results are clearly articulated,
- Coordinate with Technology, Data, Credit Risk, Operations, Marketing, Finance and other relevant functions to ensure business readiness before launch, including customer journeys, product rules, pricing, controls, reporting, training, customer support and post-implementation ownership,
- Act as the business and product counterpart for customer-facing capabilities enabled through 361, NCOM and other technology initiatives, ensuring that development priorities are driven by clear customer propositions, commercial value and subsidiary needs, without duplicating established project-management responsibilities,
- Work with subsidiary and global Sales, Marketing and Operations teams to improve customer acquisition, activation, usage, retention and cross-sell through agency banking and other digital and alternative channels,
- Collaborate with FINCA International’s Lab and other innovation teams. The Lab may lead innovation, experimentation and early-stage concept development, while this role owns FIF portfolio governance, subsidiary adoption, partner performance and the transition of approved concepts into sustainable business services.
- Learning and Thought Leadership
- Research and analyze emerging digital financial-service trends, channel models, tools and technologies, proactively recommending scalable opportunities that enhance customer value, commercial performance and subsidiary efficiency,
- Research and evaluate emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and intelligent automation, and recommend practical applications that improve customer experience, decision-making, productivity and cost efficiency across the network,
- Collaborate with FI research and innovation teams and FIF data and analytics teams to use customer and performance insights in product, channel and partnership decisions,
- Build the capabilities of subsidiary teams responsible for digital business and channels, facilitate the sharing of lessons across the network, and support appropriate training and ongoing learning.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Computer Sciences or a related field.
Experience
- Minimum 12 years’ relevant experience, including at least 5 years at senior management level in digital financial services, digital banking, product management, alternative channels, fintech partnerships or related areas,
- Proven experience managing digital products and channels, commercial partnerships and cross-functional delivery within complex, multi-country organizational structures.
- Knowledge And Skills
- Strong knowledge of digital financial services, product and channel management, agency banking, payments, mobile money and technology-enabled lending or deposit services relevant to emerging markets,
- Working knowledge of artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation and data-driven product development, including their potential applications, limitations and risks within financial services,
- Strong commercial judgment, including experience with business cases, pricing, revenue-sharing models, contract negotiation and vendor performance management,
- Understanding of credit risk, operational risk, consumer protection, data, technology integration and regulatory considerations relevant to digital financial services,
- Demonstrated ability to influence and coordinate diverse stakeholders across functions, subsidiaries and external partner organizations,
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration skills.
Language Skills
- Fluency in English required,
- Knowledge of Russian, Spanish or French desired.
Travel Requirements
- Availability to travel up to 25 % of the time.
- Position will be based in USA, Georgia, Uganda or Kosovo.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and Interested applicants should apply online at the link below.
Opens the employer’s application pageApply Now →
NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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Level of Education: postgraduate degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: 144