Senior Project Manager, VisionFund International
VisionFund’s work seeks to end intergenerational poverty through financial products and services. We’re about the long-term change that ensures children can break free of the poverty cycle, for good.
By supporting people and communities living in poverty to develop and grow their livelihoods, VisionFund is catalysing sustainable economic growth to break the cycle of poverty, so that children can reach their potential as communities thrive.
Learn more about us: visionfund.org
Location: Applications are welcome from any country where WVI is registered to operate.
Application Language: All applications should be submitted in English
Overview
VisionFund is World Vision’s microfinance provider serving vulnerable clients through loans, savings, and insurance. We enable families to grow their livelihoods in hard to reach, rural locations in 28 countries so that caregivers can create secure futures for their children. We believe in brighter futures for children; empowering families to create incomes and jobs; unlocking economic potential for communities to thrive. Join VisionFund as we seek to end intergenerational poverty through microfinance.
The Senior Project Manager (SPM) role is to provide Project Management support to the Business Optimization Unit (BOU), support strategy alignment with VFI standards, lead and manage BOU project management programs, and ensure solutions are fit-for-purpose to equip and enable the MFIs/BL to realize their strategy in line with VisionFund Strategy. The Project Manager oversees the planning and execution of entire projects conducted by the BOU and other teams.
This role works together with the Global Manager of the PMO (GPMO) and MFIs/BLs to ensure effective project management standards and principles are in place in managing the projects focusing on the growth and impact on clients.
Role Responsibilities
Development of Project Plans:
- Creates comprehensive project plans that identify resources and budgetary needs.
- Develops and manages a detailed plan of how the Institutional Strengthening Plans (ISP) and project plans will be rolled out in the MFIs and Business Lines and other departments respectively.
Development of pre-implementation plans:
- Oversee pre-implementation plans (IA, ISP), business line project pipeline and support MFI in making its plans which include review of change management business impact, human resources and risks.
- Identifies project dependencies prior to the start of the project
Lead on the design and development of GC-led project management initiatives
Identifying the specific needs of GC functions and building tools to manage their projects and initiatives effectively.
Project Management execution:
- Oversees the implementation of projects and ensure all projects are effectively managed;
- Develops, work breakdown structures and continually updates detailed project management plans and schedules;
- Supports MFIs/BLs during implementation of all projects and participate in issue-resolution decisions and capacity building.
Risk Management:
- Identifies the elements of risk in a project.
- Analyzes, prioritizes and consolidates project risks and assesses its potential impact to the client.
- Develops and maintains risk plans, processes and systems in order to mitigate risk.
- Creates action plan for risks that occur and follows through on plan.
- Maintains issue list, proactively escalating issues to project and departmental leadership to mitigate risk.
- Recommends and takes action to direct analysis and solution of problems.
Relationship management and provision of on-going support:
- Ensure that adequate support is in place internally at the MFI level for the Project Managers;
- Negotiates conflicts and resolves issues that arise;
- Resolves any issues and solves problems throughout the project life cycle;
- Ensures scope, goals, milestones, budget, risk, status, change requests and critical issues are effectively communicated to the client and project team with accordance to the governance structure;
- Conducts regular communication to all stakeholders.
Change Management:
- Articulates change in the projects in the ISP and other project plans for BLs and other departments;
- Actively and visibly supports and/or leads the change process;
- Provides frequent, communication to department/organization and clients about the change (i.e., rationale, expected outcomes, the “big” picture) and the impact of the change (individual and business);
- Supports and provides guidance the development and execution of the change management strategy at the field/local level.
- Identifies and removes obstacles to change
Conduction of the monitoring, evaluation, reporting and documentation of the project:
- Reviews and aid drafting of project creation, development and execution;
- Plans, monitors and evaluates how the projects are progressing and inform stakeholders of issues, blockages in alignment with the governance structure. Tracking what is happening in MFIs assigned on a regular basis.
- Facilitates regular check-ups with team members and managers to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide updates.
- Assists in developing and enhancing the reporting framework to monitor progress for management and stakeholders;
- Monitors approved scope, timelines, budgets and progress to make sure projects are on track on the assigned projects;
- Manages and plan for risks in the project and communicate timely with relevant stakeholders.
- Oversees the assessment of a post-implementation review and lead on any findings / recommendations of the same.
Capacity Building:
- Ensures that MFIs follow proper PM standards, methodologies and tools as defined by the PMO and is trained to do so;
- Ensures that the Project Managers in the MFIs have the skills and competencies both within the project management and business functions to use their skills to support the plans;
- Identifies knowledge gaps that need to be addressed, and support field/local teams in skills training and capacity building so that they become more capable in managing projects;
- Provides technical advice, feedback, coaching and encouragement to the team involved throughout the project lifecycle.
- Train and coach the PMO’s Project Managers as well as MFI’s, Business Lines’ and other department’s Project Managers and VFI GC PMs.
Required Professional Experience
- Degree or equivalent ideally in information technology or related discipline
- Certification in Project Management methodology, including one of PMP, AGILE, PRINCE 2, LEAN / SIX SIGMA etc.
- Proficiency in project management tools
- 5+ years of MicroFinance experience, ideally in an operational / business management role (understanding the needs and opportunity of process and IT solutions);
- 5+ years of project management experience working to recognized PM methodologies
- Significant experience of leading or participating as Project Manager of a number of successful microfinance/banking systems implementations.
- Demonstrated ability to write reports (e.g. Business Cases, Risk Management plans, project close out reports, etc.) and reporting at Senior Management level.
- Understanding of microfinance/retail banking operations, from a credit, financial, risk or systems perspective;
- Service orientation with ability to lead teams, organize, prioritize, and delegate tasks while transferring knowledge and expertise;
- Ability to work under pressure and on multiple tasks and projects concurrently;
- Good organizational skills to be able to analyze, judge risk, recommend solutions;
- Cross-culturally sensitive and be able to work with staff from across the world and in a virtual environment;
- Facilitation and Communication skills;
- Leadership capabilities and hands-on experience in managing and successfully implementing systems in banks and/or microfinance institutions;
- “Can do” attitude towards work and challenges.
Preferred knowledge and qualifications
- Operational experience in MicroFinance
- Knowledge acquired on experience working on:
- Projects within a Financial Services context, including elements of people, processes and platforms.
- Digital Finance / Innovation projects including one of: credit, savings, data, accounting.
