Financial Services Digitization Manager, VisionFund International

Job Description

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 by operating financial institutions 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.

Job Summary

VFI as part of its 2030 strategy seeks to leverage its experience in operating MFIs in 25 countries, and specifically build on its work with World Vision through the THRIVE 2.0 project, to impact an additional 9 million children by enabling 3 million new clients to have access to financial services outside of its present network of MFIs.  This work will be led by the World Vision Global Inclusive Finance Team which is a small, new, internal team of specialists dedicated to working with World Vision and other partners to carry out our 2030 promise and goals, leveraging VF’s retail operations, expertise and innovations. This position is being created within the Inclusive Finance Group to accelerate and improve savings groups’ access to financial services through digital platforms as part of the THRIVE 2.0 11-country project.

VisionFund is a leading provider of financial services for emerging markets. One of our biggest market growth opportunities is delivering products like micro-credit and micro-insurance to members of rural savings groups, which act as informal community banks for millions of underserved people around the world. To increase our growth in this strategic market, we have partnered with DreamStart Labs, an award-winning fintech whose DreamSave app makes it easy for savings groups to digitize their operations. In addition, VFI and WV are exploring partnering opportunities with FCO (Farm Concern International) and MasterCard digital platforms for accessing finance for smallholder farmers.

Major Responsibilities

VisionFund is seeking an experienced market development manager to develop and implement global ways of delivering innovative financial services to informal community savings groups and small holder farmers through digital platforms as part of the THRIVE 2.0 project. This is a unique role for someone with experience in international development, microfinance, and technology who wants to help us change the game for millions of people in some of the world’s poorest communities.

As our Financial Services Digitization Manager, you will work with key leaders at VisionFund, World Vision, DreamStart Labs and other partners to accelerate all aspects of the partnership. Your primary goal will be to help us build a successful business that helps millions of unbanked people around the world achieve their dreams of a better life.

Specially, the job holder will:

• Coordinate with DreamStart Lab to utilize data from the DreamSave app to help VisionFund streamline the process of delivering financial products to WV savings groups.
• Leverage partnership with DreamStart Labs to enable a range of VisionFund financial products (credit, insurance, savings) that can be offered to savings groups worldwide through the DreamSave app. Coordinate with other strategic partners like Mastercard and FCI to find additional opportunities for go-to-market synergy.
• Work with DreamSave end users, VisionFund and World Vision field staff, and in collaboration with VFI Agriculture Finance Manager work with other market stakeholders such as FCI and Mastercard to enable continuous feedback on the needs of the market. Bring these insights back to VisionFund and DreamStart Labs to help us improve products delivered by the partnership.
• Work with measurement and evaluation teams at World Vision Global Centre and WVUS Thrive 2.0 ICT Integration Manager to track progress on key goals and ensure they are reflected in global dashboards for strategic decisions makers and outside donors.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Required Professional Experience 

• Must have +7 years of experience working with financial institutions in emerging markets. Familiarity with products like microcredit and microinsurance is a strong plus.
• Must have experience working in complex international development environments in emerging markets. Experience with informal savings groups is a strong plus.
• Must be technically knowledgeable and have experience working closely with technology products or partners. Experience with mobile apps, cloud services, and Microsoft Power BI are required.
• Experience with project management tools like Trello, Asana, or Microsoft Project are a strong plus.
• Passionate about our mission to help unbanked people in emerging markets break the cycle of poverty.
• Excellent people skills, with a proven ability to build trust and influence stakeholders across a variety of different teams.
• Intuitive listener, with experience assessing market needs.
• Strong operational leadership experience with proven skills in project planning and project management.

• University degree in a relevant field

Travel and Language Requirements

• The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 30% of the time.
• Very high level of English written and verbal.  Preference for French or Spanish fluency ​

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only