Chief Programs Officer

About the Organisation

Established in 2004, the Financial Sector Deepening Tanzania (FSDT) is a donor-funded financial sector market facilitator that aims to achieve poverty reduction through a transformative financial sector that offers inclusive and sustainable financial solutions to improve the livelihood, wellbeing, and empowerment of underserved Tanzanians. FSDT’s work is guided by the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, which aims to develop market systems that benefit the poor, offering them capacities and opportunities to improve their lives.
Currently, our main target markets are women and youth, who have been identified as the most financially excluded market segments in the country. FSDT is dedicated to supporting the financial sector in delivering inclusive, quality financial solutions that meet the financial needs of women and youth.
Through FSDT facilitation, we hope to achieve the following changes in the market:
• Improved policies, legal and regulatory frameworks that promote gender equality, as well as economic and financial opportunities for women and youth.
• Improved availability of relevant financial sector infrastructures that will equip the financial sector players and other stakeholders with the ability to meet the needs and aspirations of women and youth.
• Financial service providers developing and scaling innovative and responsive financial solutions/tools for women and youth to promote equality, empowerment, and wellbeing.
• Improved confidence and capability of women and youth to demand and use financial solutions.

The Opportunity

FSDT is seeking applications for the position of Chief Programs Officer (CPO):
JOB TITLE Chief Programs Officer
DEPARTMENT Programs
REPORTING Reports directly to Chief Executive Officer
REPORTING Direct Reports Head SME & Inclusive Finance
Lead Digital Finance & Infrastructure Development
Lead Financial Policy and Climate Action

About the Job

Join our team as Chief Programs Officer, where you will lead our Project teams with a focus on program management excellence and operational efficiency. As a strategic leader, you will oversee all programmatic activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, efficient resource utilization, and impactful delivery. Your responsibilities will include developing and implementing strategic plans, managing program budgets, fostering strategic partnerships, and providing leadership to a dedicated team. If you’re a dynamic leader with a proven track record in program management and a passion for driving organizational growth through program excellence, apply now to make a meaningful impact!

Key Responsibilities

KRA 1: Thought Leadership & Strategy
Provide thought leadership to the FSDT team and stakeholders; supporting the development of innovative strategies for transforming the financial sector and offering inclusive and sustainable financial solutions that improve livelihoods, wellbeing, resilience and empowerment of Tanzanian women and youth:
Lead the team in keeping abreast of developments in the fields of financial sector development and market s ystems approach (M4P); liaise with senior colleagues to develop a structured research and learning agenda.
Ensure comprehensive analysis is carried out (e.g. sectors, value chains, stakeholders, impact); develop profound understanding of the ecosystems that FSDT is seeking to develop (including supply, demand & enabling environment).
Deploy Intervention Leads, expert consultants, and other FSDT colleagues to conduct deep investigation of any opportunities identified above; lead the team to develop theories of change, logical results chains, and learning frameworks.
Liaise with the Results & Insights team to develop a culture of learning and innovation, operationalised through effective systems, tools and platforms; ensure that learning is fed into the design and continuous improvement of strategies and interventions.
Support the CEO in managing the processes by which strategic plans, annual business plans and investment pipelines are developed; proactively support the Board Investment Committee.

KRA 2: Programme Management
Lead the review and continuous development of the project pipeline to ensure utilization of funds and achievement of output, outcome, and impact targets; ensure a potentially high impact portfolio of interventions are submitted to, and approved by, the Investment Committee:
Constitute Intervention Teams and lead them to build on the insights gained from research and learning to develop investment concepts; encourage the teams to develop innovative yet evidence-based interventions with new tools & approaches being trialled on a regular basis.
Work together with the Management, the Board and sub-committees to approve a balanced portfolio of projects that will deliver against FSDT’s strategy; support the team in submitting proposals that meet PIC quality standards.
Work with Intervention Leads to develop partner selection criteria and procedures; including strategies for attracting and selecting partners with the greatest potential for adding value to the sector and driving achievement of FSDT’s goals.
Lead initiatives to assure program quality; for instance, oversee the documentation and dissemination of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), tools, trainings, and other ‘knowledge resources’ that will guide needs analysis and capacity building for both staff and partners.
Oversee the development of detailed implementation plans, budgets and cash-flow forecasts that will, achieve fund utilisation targets, ensure project success, and address capacity gaps of partners.

KRA 3: Advocacy, Communications & Relationship Building
Actively participate in the development and implementation of an innovative Communications & Influencing plan for FSD Tanzania as a whole and for each intervention; ensure that plans will result in key programme stakeholders being influenced effectively:
Build on the ecosystem analysis and stakeholder mapping to clarify the ways in which achievement of FSDT’s objectives depends upon influencing the mindset or behaviour of others (e.g. Implementing Partners, policymakers, end-users & other stakeholders); set clear goals for stakeholder mindset or behaviour change.
Work with senior colleagues and the Communications Manager to develop and implement an Influencing &
Communications Plan that will support the achievement of FSDT’s outcome and impact targets and raise FSDT’s profile as a thought leader.
Personally contribute to the implementation of the Communications and Influencing plan at both FSDT-wide and Pillar levels: o Build relationships with key actors, and implement influencing strategies and interventions that drive change. o Provide strategic inputs and engage with policy level work involving Government of Tanzania, development.
partners, private sector entities and others.
o Contribute to the development of annual and quarterly reports. o Ensure that the team delivers any components of the communications strategy and plan that are allocated to them.

KRA 4: Ensuring Impactful Implementation
Manage and coordinate the implementation of Program Strategy & Business Plans, so that results are achieved, risks are managed and quality projects are delivered; ensuring that learning from interventions is fully utilised to maximise impact and innovation:
ajiraEnsure that Intervention Leads are effectively coordinating the roll-out of projects; ensuring that milestones are achieved on time.
Provide expert advice, mentoring and guidance to both staff and external stakeholders; contribute towards positioning FSDT as a centre of knowledge and learning.
Collaborate closely with the MRM team to ensure collection of data, analysis of results and identification of opportunities for improvement in a blame-free spirit of academic enquiry: o If desired results have been achieved, initiate strategies for widespread awareness-raising.
o If desired results have not been achieved, either manage performance of the implementation team, or take corrective measures such as adjusting the strategy/approach.
o Periodically review theories of change, revising as appropriate.
Promote organisation-wide innovation; lead the incubation of new interventions, ensuring effective project management until new initiatives can be handed over to colleagues for ongoing management.

KRA 5: Finance Management, Risk & Accountability
As a member of the Executive team, share responsibility for resource mobilisation and take responsibility for management of programme finances; ensure that funds are optimally allocated to achieve the Trust’s strategic objectives and priorities:
Support Board and CEO initiatives to develop FSD Tanzania’s funding base; personally contribute by building relationships with potential and current investors.
Develop and oversee the budget for FSDT’s programmes department, ensuring that plans and resources are matched and priorities for expenditure identified; support development of strategic resourcing plans (HR, Finance, Procurement).
Manage the finances of the department, reviewing expenditure/disbursement against budget and taking any necessary corrective actions; ensure value-for-money utilisation of resources and compliance with FSDT’s financial procedures.
Oversee the management of risk across all of FSDT’s programme activities; ensuring that a comprehensive understanding of risks has been developed and that strategies are in place and implemented for effective risk management:
o Ensure that each intervention has a risk-management framework developed and implemented; as well an overall framework for Programme activities.
o Ensure that key policies (e.g. IP Selection) are fully understood and implemented by all Staff, Consultants, and Implementing Partners.
o Participate in the development and implementation of both internal and external audit plans; lead the implementation of corrective actions arising, and create a culture of continuous improvement.

KRA 6: Leadership & Empowerment of the Team
Lead the Programmes team of staff and consultants in a manner that empowers them to contribute effectively towards achievement of FSD Tanzania’s strategy:
Ensure that the department is resourced with the expertise necessary to deliver on strategy & project implementation; through a combination of recruitment and management of staff and procurement of consultants.
Lead and manage the team towards high standards of performance through clear roles & responsibilities and provision of appropriate support; proactively address performance issues through timely constructive feedback, coaching and appropriate corrective action.
Develop and encourage talent through on-going staff development, succession planning, career management and utilisation of a leadership style that will drive employee engagement.
Ensure development of an inclusive environment; lead the development and implementation of policies and ways-ofworking that provide for diversity and equal opportunities.
Ensure that staff are managed in accordance with good HR management practice and provided with a safe and conducive working environment; includes ensuring that all legal and statutory obligations are fulfilled.

Role Requirements

Specifications for the Role
Qualifications:
Minimum qualification of a Bachelor’s degree, ideally with advanced degree(s) in relevant fields
Relevant Experience:
Minimum of 10 – 15 years professional experience in relevant leadership roles.
Successful track record of leading a high-performance, diverse team.
Fluent and demonstrates strong perspectives in: digital economy and digital financial services, financial i nclusion and related policy, public (central) and private (retail) banking, women’s economic empowerment and fund management.
Critical Technical Skills & Knowledge:
Commercially and politically astute leader with the ability to develop clear plans and proposals for a range of stakeholders, including donors.
A credible leader of complex, multi-stakeholder programmes, with demonstrable impact.
Outstanding reporting, presentation and communication skills.
Keen analytic, organizational and problem-solving skills that support and enable sound decision making.
Having the experience and proclivity to be an outgoing spokesperson, relationship builder and fundraiser.
External relations and stakeholder management.
Very good written and spoken English and Kiswahili.

Behavioural Competencies or Character:
Dynamic leader who is both a thinker and a do-er.
Values-based leadership and high personal ethical standards.
Strong commitment to the business goals and professional development of staff.
Highly professional, driven, organised and efficient.
Innovative and enterprising and able to find alternative solutions to needs or problems.
Collaborative, flexible and supportive attitude to work.
Discreet and respects confidentiality.

Personal Characteristics
Commitment & Drive for Results:
You have values and personal ambitions that are aligned with FSDT’s goals to support the financial sector to offer inclusive and sustainable financial solutions.
Initiative & Decisiveness
You have a strong sense of ownership: taking personal responsibility for work, the impact we are seeking, and the achievement of critical higher-level goals. You are proactive in seeking out information or resources necessary for success, and you’re able to overcome problems or obstacles with a ‘can-do” attitude.
Learning & Innovation
You continually improve your skills and knowledge and role-model a personal commitment to professional development. You are quick to recognise opportunities or new ideas and make use of them in your own work; and you respond to a new situation, or tough feedback, by learning, adapting and improving.

Application Deadline: Friday 15th May 2024

How to Apply:

Please submit your application comprising a cover detailing your suitability for the position, a detailed CV and three references, with at least two pertaining to prior employment. Applications should be sent via email to vacancy@fsdt.or.tz
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

FSDT provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment.