Head of Products & Strategy – EVP

• Develops competitive product roadmap in line with the annual operating plan and company objectives.
• Works with multiple stakeholders to coordinate a viable strategic operating plan
• Delivers competitive products in conventional and digital channels to achieve revenue and growth targets
• Works closely with IT to deliver products timely,
• Manage the product lifecycle, conducting tests of new products in the market, developing partnerships with external organizations for viable product suite, and evaluating feasibility and sustainability of products.
• Handles project escalations and obstacles; Addresses queries of team and project/product concepts sponsors in close coordination with relevant teams; Engages with IT, marketing and other business stakeholders for project/products delivery.
• Oversees training of branch employees according to relevant product and reviews customer feedback for identification of issues; Guides team to resolve highlighted issues and tracks predefined KPIs.
• Receives business project/product concepts from various internal stakeholders; Develops annual roadmap for project execution based on received concepts and Finalizes project/product scope and goals; Shares roadmap with management for consensus and forwards to management board for approval.
• Brainstorms and gauges viability of business cases in close coordination with vetting committee; Shares business cases with the top management and clarifies prioritization of projects/products on the basis of criticality of projects and business needs; Seeks approval on project/product matters from management board.
• Assesses project implantation alternatives and finalizes optimal mode to achieve project objectives and stated goals on the basis of cost, timeline and quality parameters; Guides subordinate team in documentation of business requirement for projects/products; Reviews business requirement documents and makes appropriate modifications as needed; Defines KPIs for relevant project/product.
• Forwards finalized project/product deliverables details to the assigned teams for implementation purpose; Facilitates team in implementation phase of project/product as required; Oversees development of marketing collateral for relevant product.
• Analyze historical trends and farming market conditions for product compatibility; Considering average yield per crop and comparison with minimum yield requirements by nearest warehouse; Compares quality of crop produced against warehouse quality requirements; Develops product features based on market research and defines unique benefits in order to achieve competitive edge within industry;

• Receives product research requirement from relevant stakeholders i.e. internal, HQ research team;
• Develops annual task roadmap for research and shares with management board for approval; Determines areas for research i.e. product, customer satisfaction and defines type of research to be conducted;
• Assesses research objectives and determines sample size as well as questionnaire design.
• Brainstorms potential market segments for marketing purposes and oversees sampling through questionnaire rollout; Assigns team for rollout of questionnaire with samples to field; Supervises team to conduct market research pertaining to competition and relevant products.
• Prepares relevant documents based on field generated data to present to concerned stakeholders on a quarterly basis to highlight industry trends.

• Ensure that the project deliverables are aligned to the approved scope, schedule, and budget.
• Ensuring Exclusive use of the tools approved by the Project Management Office for tracking, monitoring, and reporting progress of projects.
• Keeping up-to-date with periodic status updates of the projects and ensuring content and circulations follow the Project Management Standards and the Project Charter.
• Responsible for the overall status of the project during its lifecycle and overseeing the project budgets that are consistent with the scope of work for the lifecycle of the project from the initiation to the closure and establish contingency measures and controls for risks and issues management.
• Ensure the correct change control measures as well as the right configuration management processes are put in place for the lifecycle of the project.
• Adhere to the Global Project Management Standards and make sure that they are adapted to meet the subsidiary procedures as required by the relevant Board and/or Regulatory bodies
• Measure the performance of the projects and take the necessary steps to improve the documented lessons learned.
• Ensure the minimum acceptance criteria is met for each of the tasks during the lifecycle of the project the signoff includes a confirmation of attainment of the quality of the project and clear documentation for any shortfalls.
• Close tracking of project progress and performance reporting for internal stakeholders on all initiatives assigned and where required for external stakeholders for grant funded projects.
• Ensure timely escalation of Project Incidents and activities' Reports that impact the project timeline and delivery and mitigation of the lagging factors.

• Provides effective and inspiring leadership to direct reports; Ensures parity among subordinates with regards to learning and growth opportunities
• Builds a conducive environment for engaged and committed team; Creates a sense of purpose and self-fulfillment among subordinates
• Delegates the responsibilities to the direct reports and creates a sense of urgency; Keeps the team emotionally aware, sensitive and open to accept planned changes for the greater good.
• Leads by example, motivates and maintains a competent and high performing staff, capable to meet current and future needs; Identifies training and development requirements of subordinates to take future roles.
• Manages performance of direct reports through objective setting, continuous support, feedback and formal appraisal; Coordinates with HR for recruitment of new talent.
• Handles administrative issues related to HR i.e. conflict management, grievances handling, disciplinary issues etc. of the Department; Ensures compliance with Company’s EHS policies and practices within the department.

• Detailed Knowledge of Strategy preparation and implementation
• Thorough Knowledge of Products, product development and implementation in the microfinance banking industry
• Strong knowledge of digital and conventional products in the industry
• Understanding of Regulatory and compliance frameworks governing products
• Awareness of developing trends and Fintechs related to financial services products for microfinance segment
• In Depth Knowledge and experience with Project Management
• Meticulous Knowledge of Research Methodologies

• Communication (Written, Verbal & Presentation)
• Decision Making & Problem Solving
• Team Work & Collaboration
• Planning and Organizing

Human Capital Solutions