Programme Manager, Payments

Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) is a leading financial sector development organisation working to promote financial inclusion in Nigeria. Established in late 2007, EFInA’s vision is to be the leader in facilitating an all-inclusive and growth-promoting financial system. EFInA is funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

EFInA is seeking to recruit dynamic, strategic, and committed individuals to newly defined roles to build on its current achievements and accelerate the impact of financial inclusion in Nigeria. EFInA is a rapidly growing organisation with considerable influence in the financial sector. Employment with EFInA offers an exceptional and challenging opportunity for the right candidate.

THE ROLE

The Programme Manager, Payments will design, develop and execute EFInA’s strategy to establish cheap, robust real-time payment systems that enable financially excluded Nigerian adults to increase their access to relevant financial products and transact easily at a lower cost. The Programme Manager, Payments, will use the breadth of EFInA’s pillars – research, advocacy, capacity building and funding – to drive large scale formal financial inclusion through the development of pervasive, cheap electronic retail payment networks. He/she will convene and mediate between financial institutions, payment providers, regulators, other development partners and customers to ensure a balanced approach to building a trusted, robust and inclusive electronic payment environment. Through these activities, the Programme Manager, Payments will support EFInA’s executive team in creating and implementing the services, structures and systems required to achieve EFInA’s strategic objectives over the next three to five years. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute a payments strategy to enable EFInA to lead implementation of inclusive electronic payment products and channels in Nigeria
• Document the current landscape of the payments sector in Nigeria and identify gaps
• In conjunction with the Head of Knowledge and Evidence, conduct and disseminate research related to payments
• Identify and build relationships with key external stakeholders to stimulate innovation and promote commitment to the development of electronic payment products and channels
• Evaluate policies and regulations and advocate for required reforms to ensure that payment regulations encourage innovative approaches, develop the payments sector, and foster financial inclusion
• Identify and develop a pipeline of payments related projects for the Innovation Fund Work with the Grants Manager to evaluate grant proposals, prepare grant agreements, and monitor and report on any grants related to payments
• Work with the Head of Programmes and other Programme Managers to embed inclusive real time electronic payments into their respective strategies
• Work with the Head of Programmes to develop and implement a marketing strategy, including organising events, to increase stakeholder awareness of the issues limiting the growth of electronic payment products and channels and highlight EFInA’s recommendations for addressing these issues
• Manage the EFInA Mobile Money Working Group
• Identify areas for capacity building for key stakeholders to deepen their knowledge in inclusive electronic payment systems and financial inclusion
• Develop a learning culture by sharing best practices and successes from payment related activities; ensure standards of excellence across the organisation

This role is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND AND QUALIFICATIONS

The role demands a highly numerate individual who has business modelling skills and the capability to evaluate and synthesise large amounts of information. He/she must be a strategic thinker who is has the strong organisational and project management skills required to proactively identify, develop, budget, monitor and drive EFInA’s payments strategy. The Programme Manager, Payments must possess deep technical understanding of the payments landscape in Nigeria, and the ability to apply global best practices to develop robust payment systems that can be taken to scale. He/she must also have a proven track record of identifying, implementing and driving innovation, with minimal supervision. In addition, he/she should have excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, and possess the gravitas, credibility and track record for building and maintaining relationships with key external stakeholders.

The successful applicant will have eight or more years of experience in the payments industry, with a minimum of three years in inclusive finance, and/or working on providing relevant payment solutions to low income communities. He/she will have a strong strategic focus, be results driven, and be committed to high standards of performance. He/she must be comfortable with negotiating change, taking responsibility and making complex strategic and operational decisions. Highly adaptable, creative, and accustomed to delivering results in a dynamic and fluid working environment, the Programme Manager, Payments will make decisive and tangible contributions to EFInA as soon as he/she joins the organisation. 

Essential:

• Master’s degree in Economics, International Development, Finance, Business Administration or a related discipline
• At least eight years’ experience in the payments industry (preferably within Nigeria), with a minimum of three years in inclusive finance, and/or working on providing relevant payment solutions to low income communities
• At least five years’ experience in/or exposure to policy development
• Strong relationship management experience with the ability to engage a diverse range of stakeholders
• Experience working in a complex or pioneering environment and of managing or facilitating change
• Project management experience with relevant certification
• Supervision and leadership experience
• Experience in evaluating proposals
• Commitment to the financial inclusion agenda

TO APPLY

For full role descriptions and required qualifications and experience, please visit www.efina.org.ng/careers

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to efina@creativemetier.comby 31 May 2014, ensuring that you state which role you are applying for and where you saw this advertisement.

EFInA is an equal opportunity employer.