Chief Operating Officer

Job Announcement

FINCA’s network of 20 community-based microfinance institutions and banks use fintech to expand financial inclusion, offering innovative, responsible and impactful financial services to low-income clients.

FINCA Tajikistan was founded in 2003 as a non-profit organization devoted to expanding financial inclusion to low-income entrepreneurs. Operated by a team of dedicated employees, FINCA Tajikistan first specialized in providing agricultural loans to rural borrowers. Since then, the microfinance institution has continued to develop innovative financial products and services while delivering a double bottom line of profitability and positive social impact. The institution now serves Dushanbe as well as the northern and southern regions of the country.

FINCA Tajikistan currently provides responsible finance to more than 30,000 clients through a network of 22 branches and sub-branches located throughout the country and via expanding digital channels. FINCA Tajikistan uses its diverse delivery channels to expand financial inclusion to individuals, families and communities that need it most. More than two-thirds of FINCA Tajikistan clients live in rural areas. The institution employs Digital Field Automation (DFA), a tablet-based tool that allows client relationship officers to visit clients and process loan applications in the field.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for the management of core business operations, including lending, savings and deposits, product development, policy development, and application of internal controls. S/he will ensure that the FINCA Tajikistan is competitive, and that outreach and profitability performance targets are met. The COO is responsible for ensuring that core business personnel are adequately trained and operate at a high standard of technical competency. The COO also ensures that the FINCA implements responsible financial services. As a member of the Management Team, s/he shares responsibility for the overall performance and activities of the FINCA Tajikistan, and participates in making decisions on strategic issues.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Accountable for ensuring delivery of high quality financial services to the clientele; achieve sustainability, growth, and customer service objectives through the development of various innovative banking services and products, including but not limited to lending products, deposits, fee-based services, mobile banking and other delivery channels.

• Leads the efforts of the bank to create an institution of exceptional customer experience, ensuring that brand attributes and values are key guiding principles for the entire subordinated team and are consistently transcended to all key stakeholders.

• Sets up and manages the Customer Support Department (i.e. Call Center) and builds its internal capacity aligned with the strategy, to support the external and internal customers.

• Creates procedures and standards to ensure positive customer experience in the resolution, handling and escalation of queries, complaints and other information received by the Customer Support Department.

• Develops and maintains a Service Catalog, associated SLA’s and manages reporting for the overall services provided by the assigned team to its internal customers, as well as external customers, as relevant.

• Guides and directs the team in the development, production, promotion, and financial aspects of the organization’s products and services. Ensures efficient operating model maintenance;

• Develops and proposes recommendations for operations business model, ensures development of tools for business efficiency assessment;

• Manages the Centralized Loan Underwriting Unit in the organization;

• Ensures superior quality of loan underwriting, with adequate level of staff capacity and in line with established expectations from the business; sets up respective KPIs and SLA for the team;

• Explores and introduces innovations to increase efficiency of underwriting process and support competitiveness of the organization;

• Develops and facilitates planning across the COO environment. Develops annual sales plan together with subordinated staff, ensures targets achievement. Directs the preparation of short-term and long-range plans and budgets based on broad organizational goals and growth objectives.

• Reviews and evaluates regular reports of Branches activities, including staffing, loans, deposits, write-offs, and audits to meet sustainability and performance objectives.

• Implements programs that meet organizational goals and objectives.

• Creates the structure and processes necessary to manage the organization’s current activities and its projected growth.

• Maintains a sound plan of corporate organization, establishing policies to ensure adequate management development and to provide for capable management succession.

• Develops and installs procedures and controls to promote communication and adequate information flow within the organization.

• Ensures competent and highly responsive methodology function in the bank;

• Consistently analyzes, develops and maintains full list of policies and procedures, in line with business needs and local regulations

• Strongly advocates and promotes discipline and culture of policy obedience, using innovative and user-friendly tools;

• Deploys innovative and simplified methods to ensure that the team internalizes policies and procedures, such as process maps;

• Ensures that risk is effectively addressed in all aspects of the business

• Establishes operating policies consistent with the Chief Executive Officer’s broad policies and objectives and ensures their execution.

• Evaluates the results of overall operations regularly and systematically and reports these results to the Chief Executive Officer.

• Ensures that the responsibilities, authorities, and accountability of all direct subordinates are defined and understood.

• Ensures that all organization activities and operations are carried out in compliance with regulations and laws governing business operations.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, training and development of employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty.
• Proven successful track record in developing and implementing strategic/operational plans for financial institutions.
• Proven successful track record in managing and motivating a large staff.

Education and/or Experience

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Finance, Economics or related field, or equivalent work experience is required.
• Minimum 5-year experience in comparable positions in terms of responsibility in banking or microfinance sectors in an operations senior management role.
• Experience in credit origination and credit risk assessment, business experience in (a) micro lending, (b) small enterprise lending, (c) rural & agriculture lending. Experience in deposit mobilization and delivery channel development.
• Experience to deliver presentations, maintain negotiations at high level, making public speeches
• Experience in technical report writing, designing and development new processes.

Language Skills

Fluency in English and local language(s) required, good knowledge of Russian

Computer literacy

Very good knowledge of MS Office programs. Very good knowledge of banking software, ideally experience in banking software implementation.

Key Deliverables

• Fulfilment of operating plans and budgets.
• Continuous gaining of market share in all respective products/services
• Branch network development Products diversification
• Customer service culture development; high customer satisfaction index
• Successful implementation of projects within scope of responsibility

Key relationships

• Internal – Management Board, Department Heads, Branch Managers, Banking Service Center Managers, Hub and FINCA International staff
• External – other third parties

Travel Requirements

Availability for domestic travel (up to 30%), international travel (10%) or as required

How to apply

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the FINCA’s global applicant tracking system found under https://www.fincaimpact.com. Only online applications will be considered.