Vacancy at Skill Enhancement Centre Limited

Skill Enhancement Centre (SENCE) Limited - We are a Business Consultancy firm focused on small/medium businesses. Our goal is to provide our clients with the support they need to grow their businesses by providing them with value-added and convenient services in a friendly atmosphere.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Policy & Programme Manager

Job opening ID: 210
Location: Lagos
Job type: Full time

Roles and Responsibilities
The role will include, but not be limited to, the following responsibilities and accountabilities:

• Management of EFInA’s Programme Specialists
• Oversee the Programme Specialists to ensure that EFInA develops and executes its strategic objectives across its Strategic Areas of Payments, Agent Networks, and Inclusive Products
• Manage the Programme Specialists to document the status of all EFInA’s Strategic Areas in terms of key stakeholders, industry associations, policies, regulatory framework, impediments to growth, and barriers to access for the low income population
• Ensure that EFInA provides thought leadership in all of its Strategic Areas and builds the capacity of key stakeholders
• Use innovative approaches to develop a holistic, effective and efficient programme delivery process that enables the Programme Specialists to meet their objectives
• Based on research findings and interaction with stakeholders, work with Programme Specialists to produce succinct focus/strategy notes on EFInA’s Strategic Areas, which clearly identify opportunities for growing the sector and advancing the organisation’s financial inclusion agenda
• Ensure that the Programme Specialists keep abreast of major developments in each of EFInA’s
• Strategic Areas in Nigeria and other relevant jurisdictions
• Document and Deepen Knowledge Related to the Cross-cutting Themes
• For each Cross-cutting Theme:
• Document and maintain an overview of the current landscape in Nigeria in terms of key stakeholders, industry associations, policies, regulatory frameworks, impediments to growth and barriers to access
• Identify gaps and key opportunities to inform EFInA’s strategic planning processes
• Provide analysis of the main developments in relevant jurisdictions, particularly for countries with similar demographic profiles to Nigeria
• Identify key areas in which additional research or information is required, and commission the necessary research in conjunction with the Research Manager
• Disseminate research findings to key external stakeholders and ensure that they are used to
• inform policy reforms, inform development of products and channels that effectively serve women, develop effective financial education programmes, and/or stimulate innovation, in line with EFInA’s strategic objectives
• Development and Execution of EFInA’s Strategies for the Cross-cutting Themes
• Develop and implement strategies to promote financial inclusion for women and for people based in Northern Nigeria
• Develop and implement strategies to increase financial capability of Nigerians
• Ensure that the Cross-cutting Themes are embedded into EFInA’s strategic work to promote payments, agent networks and inclusive products
• With the agreement of the CEO, work with external consultants and technical assistance providers
• Identify, explore and understand various policy reforms, innovative approaches, products and
• solutions that would increase financial capability of low income Nigerians, and financial inclusion for women and Northern Nigerians
• Contribute to the development of the financial inclusion sector and EFInA’s position as a thought
• leader by producing succinct focus/strategy notes, based on research findings and interaction with stakeholders, that clearly identify opportunities for advancing financial inclusion in Nigeria
• In conjunction with the Innovation Fund Manager, identify and develop a pipeline of projects related to women, Northern Nigeria and financial capability for the Innovation Fund; and review relevant grant applications and make funding recommendations
• Support the Development of Enabling Policies to Drive Financial Inclusion in Nigeria
• Conduct research to determine the most effective and appropriate financial inclusion policies, and produce succinct policy notes outlining how they could be implemented in Nigeria
• Produce evidence-based policy positions that underpin EFInA’s advocacy work in the Strategic
• Areas and Cross-cutting Themes
• Monitor, review and evaluate current policies and regulations in Nigeria for EFInA’s Strategic
• Areas and Cross-cutting Themes that support and promote access to financial services
• Identify and develop advocacy opportunities in EFInA’s Strategic Areas and Cross-cutting Themes that promote financial inclusion in Nigeria
• Work with senior government representatives to develop and implement policies that promote financial inclusion, and identify and resolve related challenges
• Monitor the impact of new policy initiatives that promote financial inclusion in Nigeria, and highlight those that are due to EFInA’s intervention, as part of EFInA’s performance management (Logical Framework reporting)
• Work closely with the Head of the CBN’s Financial Inclusion Secretariat to support monitoring and delivery of relevant objectives in the National Financial Inclusion Strategy
• Stakeholder Management
• Continuously cultivate and deepen strategic partnerships with key stakeholders (including leading financial institutions that can serve as ‘financial inclusion champions’) that have a role in deepening financial inclusion in Nigeria and provide opportunities to support the development of EFInA’s programme areas
• Organise stakeholder events to discuss and debate pertinent issues that will support and drive the deployment of large scale formal financial inclusion initiatives in Nigeria
• Where required, lead the Programmes Team in designing and constituting working groups or similar bodies, including regulators and operators, in order to promote the development and implementation of innovative, relevant, affordable and reliable financial products/services for the low income population in Nigeria
• Support the Communications Officer and Chief Operating Officer in developing and executing effective marketing strategies for key stakeholders that increase awareness of the issues limiting the growth.

Skill Set
Essential:

• Master's Degree in Economics, International Development, Finance, Business Administration or other related discipline, from a reputable institution.
• Minimum of ten years' management experience within financial services and/or development institutions, including some expertise in product design and development
• Diverse financial sector experience (banking/management consultancy/development/research)
• In-depth experience (a minimum of five years) in 2 or more of EFInA’s Strategic Areas and/or
• Cross-cutting Themes
• At least three years’ experience in undertaking and managing policy related initiatives
• Deep understanding of the technical aspects of the Nigerian financial system
• Demonstrated experience working in a complex or pioneering environment and in managing, and creating opportunities for change
• Strong relationship management experience with the ability to effectively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders at the highest levels
• Experience in formulating, developing and implementing new strategies
• Desirable
• Project management experience and relevant certification
• Financial modelling experience

Skills:

• Inspires and leads teams to achieve results and high standards of excellence
• Works independently and as part of a team
• Highly numerate, with strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Proven ability to produce concise, well-structured and very high quality reports and presentations
• Ability to synthesise and interpret large amounts of information and data
• Experience in evaluating and monitoring proposals
• Very high level of attention to detail and accuracy
• Very strong verbal and written communication skills
• Very strong presentation skills
• Strong public speaking skills
• Effective influencing and relationship building skills, including at senior levels
• Strong advocacy skills
• Advanced level competency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Fluency in other languages desirable

Personal Qualities

• Commitment to the financial inclusion agenda
• Energetic leader with a strong vision and passionate commitment for EFInA’s strategic objectives
• Gravitas, credibility and ability to initiate and develop strategic partnerships and alliances
• Highly organised and efficient; able to multi-task effectively and prioritise work based on minimal direction and multiple competing priorities
• Works well under pressure and able to meet deadlines
• Can-do approach
• Committed to delivering high quality results, with cost-effective use of resources
• Driven and a self-starter
• Innovative
• Proactive with high levels of initiative
• Resourceful with an enterprising attitude that is quick to search out alternative solutions to needs or problems
• Positive, flexible, supportive attitude to work
• Exhibits a helpful behaviour beyond strict job requirements
• Discreet and respects confidentiality
• Integrity and high personal ethical standards
• Confident
• Resilient
• The successful applicant will demonstrate a diversity of experience and is expected to have deep expertise in two or more of EFInA’s Strategic Areas and/or Cross-cutting Themes.
• He/she will have a strong strategic focus, be results driven, and 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, innovative, and used to delivering results in a dynamic and complex working environment, the Policy & Programme Manager will rapidly assume a wide range of responsibilities and make decisive and tangible contributions to EFInA as soon as he/she joins the organisation.