FAST (Finance Accelerating Savings Group Transformation) Manager, West Africa Region, 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

*Preferred position location: Dakar, Senegal. Other possible locations: Ghana and Rwanda where WVI/VF is registered to operate.
*Please submit your CV in English

* Application Deadline is 15th March 2024*

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.

FAST (Finance Accelerating Savings group Transformation) is VisionFund’s program to offer financial services to saving groups. The flagship product, the FAST loan, follows a methodology, specifically designed to the target  saving groups/VSLAs. This position’s purpose is to support and guide VisionFund MFIs during the pilot and roll out of this product, focussing on West African countries. We have already developed standards regarding product process, training materials and various guidance materials. FAST is a core pillar of VisionFund´s 2030 Our Promise Strategy to reach 10 million clients. FAST is a global business line and responsible to reach 2 million clients by 2030 working with and beyond the VisionFund network, leveraging on existing and upcoming technologies for saving groups.

The FAST Manager will use the existing materials, as well as develop new materials to support MFIs to increase their reach of savings groups. Each local VisionFund MFI has a local FAST product manager who has a dotted line into the FAST Regional Manager. The FAST RM is responsible for the quality, capacity and implementation of the regional FAST program. This will include capacity building among MFI staff, monitoring of operations both through field visits and through regular monitoring meetings, reports, etc, and developing new partnerships with NGOs.

Major Responsibilities

•  Plan and implement the THRIVE program in West Africa.
• Support implementation of digital systems in MFIs.
• Monitor digitisation rate of WVS4T groups and beyond.
• Support MFIs in the implementation of FAST in Senegal, Ghana, DRC, and potentially Mali and Rwanda) in capacity building; product pilot development and roll out; monitoring of implementation; multi-year planning; and performance management of local FAST manager.
• Support FAST Business development activities as needed in West African countries.
• Provide advice on how training material can be improved and translation of existing and new training material into French.

• Liaise with World Vision and other NGOs in the sensitisation of WV and other stakeholders of FAST; increase in the pipeline of SGs to be linked; and increase in the number of partners VF works with.

• Coordinate with FAST business development manager on linking partnerships to other non-VF countries.

• Engage with external stakeholders through speaking at events, webinars, conferences to share lessons learned.
• Act as a liaison with Dreamsave in West Africa.

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies

Required Professional Experience

• At least 8-10 years of professional experience in development work internationally, across various countries and different cultural contexts.  (preferably with saving groups / livelihoods / microfinance, digital finance).
• Knowledge of Savings Group methodology.
• Business focused, with ability to improve annual operational plans and advise on product pilots, results analysis and workforce plans.
• Proactive and adaptable, with experience of introducing new products or services.
• Project management experience is required, including financial monitoring and reporting.
• Specialization in microfinance with majority of experience in group lending, proven experience in “down market” activities such as vulnerable populations e.g. refugees, rural remote communities etc.
• Must be fluent in French and English
• Must be able to travel for work in very remote/rural areas and potential high-risk areas such as Mali.
• Experience of delivering training virtually, as well as in person.
• Person must have experience and technical skills in using digital platforms or systems relating to either mobile money, saving groups digitisation, PowerBI or related.
• Must have a proven track record of engaging and influencing leaders externally and internally – e.g. building new partnerships, leading change, introducing new products/services and speaking at events, webinars and conferences.

• Experience of scaling innovations in international contexts is an advantage.

• Experience of grant applications or grant monitoring is an advantage.

Required Education, Training, license, Registration, and/or Certification

• University degree in relevant field (micro-finance, financial sector, or economic development, international development).
• Certification in microfinance is a plus; and or one for working with savings groups.

Travel and Work Environment
• The position requires the ability and willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only