Head Strategy, Projects and Product Development

(Closes 31^st October, 2022)

This position reports directly to the Managing Director and will be based at a Head Office.

Role of the Job:

Responsible for the development and oversight of the business’s corporate strategies in order to support growth objectives while strengthening the business core to develop and maintain a competitive advantage. Plays a key role in strategy formulation, collaborates with both internal and external stakeholders, and leads cross-functional teams in the development of business-wide operational strategies. Develop and refine bank products and services, support the planning, implementation and monitor performance of the product.

Key Result Areas:  

Leadership/Supervisory Role:

• Overseeing the activities of the effective management of projects across the business.
• Creating the departmental vision, culture, and performance standards as well as overseeing its adoption in all levels of the department.
• Involved in the recruitment of strategy management personnel in an effort to guarantee optimal execution of duties within the department at all times.
• Lead the strategy management teams in the strategic development of bold ideas across the business.
• Provide a mentorship role to key personnel in the strategy management activities and aid in the execution of duties upon request.

Strategy Definition:

• Responsible for the definition of structure and execution of strategic initiatives through the development of work plans, gathering and generation of relevant data, driving analyses, and the development of actionable recommendations.
• Identifies and develops strategic opportunities for the business with a view of diversifying the consumer base and gaining an additional share of the market.
• Reviews feasibility of new markets as well as their potential growth opportunities.
• Provides short and long-term strategic recommendations to the business’s executives that are meant to develop and capitalize business opportunities.

Strategic Planning:

• Comes up with strategies that inform the marketing, financial and delivery channel planning for the business as well as target setting for weekly/quarterly/annual business plans.
• Evaluates and recommends business portfolio frameworks, strategies, financial concepts, practices, programs, processes, and measures to be applied across the business.
• Conduct the Bank’s customer, market, brand and product based surveys to input to facilitate informed decision making by management.
• Spearhead development of new products and redefining existing ones
• Lead the development and monitor the implementation of Bank projects.

Strategic Performance Management:

• Defines and refines business strategies with a specific focus on designing and implementing new strategic approaches, ideas, and processes that will grow the business and avail measurable results.
• Put in place performance measures that will determine the effectiveness of implemented strategies and identify areas for strategic improvement.

Strategic Risk Management:

• Work with the business’s executives and stakeholders in order to evaluate overall performance against targets and make necessary adjustments as is necessary.
• Establishes KPIs that the business will measure performances against and determine the effectiveness of the implemented strategies.
• Drives awareness and insightful analyses of the market and transaction trends as well as identifies and explores any adjacencies to the business in order to ascertain risks and opportunities.

Analytical Skills:

• Defines potential business models in order to realize profitability opportunities and also to avail insightful qualitative analyses.
• Develop and implement strategic and analytical tools and processes.
• Builds analytical models and performs regular financial, competitive, performance, and market analyses for the business in order to comprehensively value business opportunities and ensure well-founded strategies are presented to the relevant leadership.
• Draft regular analysis reports for senior strategy management, business leadership and executives, and relevant stakeholders for purposes of further decision making.

Collaboration:

• Establish collaborative and trusting relationships with the business’s key internal leaders and stakeholders in order to ensure that there is a free flow of ideas and information across the business, leading to suitable strategy formulation and overall business performance enhancement.
• Collaborate across the organization with top leadership, aiding in individualized strategy formulation for different projects and initiatives.

Minimum education and Experience  

• Master’s degree (preferred) in Business Administration, Industrial Management, Finance, Economics, or any other related business field.
• At least 7 years of working experience in a strategy management position, preferably working as a senior strategy manager in a fast paced and dynamic business environment.
• Experience overseeing activities of a strategy management team
• Vast knowledge of the business’s risk parameters in order to determine implications for the business and implement measures for risk mitigation.
• Experience in strategic planning and analysis, marketing/market research, competitive intelligence, and corporate business development.
• Have solid financial grounding.
• Ability to develop and drive growth initiatives and identify business opportunities in order to develop strategies that capitalize on those opportunities.

Knowledge and Skills

• Ability to obtain and filter information, identify key issues relevant to the achievement of long-term strategic goals, and commit to the realized course of action for the purpose of accomplishing those goals.
• Ability to generate new outlooks of the business on the market, i.e, through trend forecasting, experiential marketing, and innovation.
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use of Ms Word, Ms Excel, and PowerPoint, all necessary for the creation of both visually and verbally engaging analyses reports and presentations.

Communication Skills: Good and clear communication skills necessary in communicating clear information and instructions, draw regular reports and deliver presentations that are insightful, clear, easy-to-understand, engaging, and convincing, in order to facilitate appropriate strategy decision-making across the business.

Analytical Skills:

• Strong financial analysis and modeling skills in order to perform financial analyses for the purpose of exploration of strategic options, the development of creative solutions to complex issues, and for the support of decision-making.
• Ability to design and perform unique analyses that require the application of single or multiple strategic and financial concepts and tools such as economic analyses, statistical analyses, risk assessment, competitive analysis, exposure analysis, and implications to business strategic position.

Personal Attributes/ Behavioral Competencies

Leadership skills:

• Demonstrate strong leadership skills,
• Ability to inspire and move a cross-functional group and business top leadership in a unified direction and with a unified vision.
• Relatable with the ability to form strong and lasting relationships with others.
• Ability to inspire trust and confidence in others, prompting them to readily follow in ones insights and directives.

Interpersonal Skills:

• A strategic and creative thinker, result-driven, self-motivated and proactive, strong and innovative problem solving skills, open and welcoming to change, and work comfortably in a constantly evolving environment.
• Work comfortably in group/collaborative setting or with business executives and stakeholders.
• Ability to handle multiple simultaneous projects and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and in the face of uncertainty.

Position carries an attractive salary and benefits package.

Applications:

Suitably qualified candidates should address their application to Head, Human Resource, Finance Trust Bank, P.O. Box 6972, Kampala, Uganda, Plot 22B, TWED PLAZA,  Lumumba Avenue and email it to jobs@financetrust.co.ug as well as photocopies of academic testimonials, and a CV. The CV should include telephone contacts and email addresses of three referees, one of who should be the most recent employer

Closing date for submission of the applications is 31^st October, 2022. Only shortlisted candidates will be  contacted directly on Tel. Numbers 0312 222600 or 0414 341275 ONLY.