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 WVI is registered to operate.

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 25 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.

VisionFund is committed to forging a new path that will help us achieve our goal of positively impacting the lives of 30 million children through our strategy, Our Livelihood Promise. Based on the results trend so far, we have realized we are not going to be able to achieve that goal with our current structure and operating model. This will require us to reposition the Global Centre.

In light of the above, VisionFund International’s Network of Microfinance Institutions is hiring a Global Product Manager, Financial Services. The Financial Services Product Manager will champion the overall strategy for product management of Credit and Savings products that are delivered globally through VFI’s network of MFIs.

This position is responsible for creating, building, enhancing and supporting a global strategy and developing, implementing and overseeing the credit and deposit taking strategies country by country, including working with and lobbying external parties (including regulators, central banks, NGOs etc) and technology partners as appropriate. The role also ensures the risk framework for the products are in place and inform the strategy, with special emphasis in developing and monitoring the risk management framework for the Savings product.

The remit of the role is twofold, providing oversight to the management and development of the credit products and having direct responsibility for developing the strategic concept of ‘savings’ as one of the core areas to assist with financial inclusion, create resilience of clients, improve impact of client and family.

Savings provides an investment in our clients’ futures: safety net for clients, an improved ability to moderate personal cash flows, and a better alternative for safe-keeping liquid assets in times of need. The strategy is to complement the current focus of credit lending, with a savings strategy and product suite to specifically raise large amounts of local currency capital at low cost. VFI wants to develop/implement innovative ways of providing savings that breaks the traditional high-cost mode of delivery through a branch network.

Key responsibilities

Product Management and strategy:

• Creates, builds, enhances and supports a global strategy detailing minimum standards and common directive on credit and savings initiatives  within  the  network  including  how the use of technology and other low-cost operating models such as agent networks will drive down the cost of transactions in rural areas.
• Creates quarterly reports that capture lessons learned, track key reporting indicators (performance of budget vs actual, regulatory compliance and other indicators) and show progress on TA, pilots, roll outs and scaling activities.

Product Development:

• Develop  a     Human       Centered,       Product Development process framework as a guideline for MFIs to build on and develop their own process in alignment with global standards and policy.
• Provides guidance and support to MFIs in the identification of channels and potential partners for the distribution of the savings product

Monitoring and Evaluation of Client Experience and Satisfaction

• Evaluates Clients potential and market surveys:
• Evaluates    feedback    from    existing    client´s surveys and explore opportunities for product enhancements.
• Based on needs assessment,  supports MFIs in creating client´s surveys and other feedback mechanisms.

Provides  strategic  leadership  and  oversight  to the Product Management of Credit products:

• Ensure that the development activities for the product are aligned with the overall strategy for the portfolio
• Support the role creating networks and collaborating with stakeholders to rollout the development, marketing and positioning strategies for the product

Leadership, guidance and support to the team for personal/team development and wellbeing (personal, professional and spiritual).

• Inspire and nurture the spiritual and professional development of direct reports.
• Instill and encourage a strong servant and service culture in leaders and their teams; role modelling Christian Leadership and Core Values.

Knowledge, skills and experience 

Required

• Technical knowledge of credit and savings products for retail banking or microfinance
• Training related to Financial Product Management, Product Development and/or Social Marketing, Data Analysis.
• Extensive working experience of minimum of 10 years in a Banking, Microfinance or treasury functions.
• At least 5 years of management experience in roles of financial product development and management in Banking or Financial Inclusion institutions, at least 2 of those years in senior management roles.
• Relevant experience with marketing and positioning of savings products in different markets.
• Relevant experience in administering a Risk Management Framework for savings/deposit products
• Familiarity with the management of credit related products
• Experience working in a multinational and multicultural environment with proven cross-cultural effectiveness
• Experience managing teams and leading staff working remotely
• Financial Acumen: Proficiency in financial concepts, market trends, and savings credit market dynamics.
•  Successful record of working in Cross-Team Collaboration, leading and influencing teams across different functions.
• Good written and verbal communication skills and strong at influencing.
• Excellent planning, monitoring and organization skills.
• Ability to analyse, recommend solutions, mentor and guide people
• Must be able to simultaneously manage multiple priorities, projects and stakeholders
• Strong data analysis skills, digital literacy and creating high quality reports
• Knowledge of best savings standards / practices for the lower segment of the pyramid.

Preferred

• Master’s degree or higher in areas related to economic and social development, inclusive finance or related.
• Advanced studies, training or certification in Human Centred Design methodologies for Financial products and services
• Experience in projects involving Capacity Building is a plus.

Languages and Travel 

• A second language, French or Spanish with good verbal command is preferred
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only