Company Overview:

Our client is a fast-growing finance and technology company, offering personal lending products through mobile phone and branch channels. The company is well supported by a strong customer base, shareholders and a board of directors with vast experience in entrepreneurship and lending.

They are now seeking a dynamic and strategic COO to lead the flagship operations in Zambia as they continue to experience significant growth. The COO will be instrumental in supporting their vision for expansion and delivering continued operational excellence across all the branches, working closely with the leadership team for East Africa.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning and Leadership:

• Develop and implement comprehensive long term operational strategies that align with the company’s vision and business objectives but also be able to jump into the now of immediate short term operational matters that occur on a daily basis
• Collaborate with other department heads on projects that affect operational matters

Performance Monitoring & Analytics:

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of various operational initiatives and improve efficiency.
• Employ data analytics to identify patterns and trends in branch performance and analyse factors contributing to performance or lack of it.
• Lead initiatives to integrate technology solutions that enhance operational efficiency, improve customer experience, and help monitor these deployments
• Conduct competitor analysis trends across the industry and use operational best practices to implement innovative solutions to drive market share.

Operational and People Management:

• Oversee all aspects of daily operations across the branch network, ensuring compliance with company guidelines and regulatory requirements.
• Establish and enforce guidelines that promote a safe and compliant operating environment across all branches.
• Always be looking out for the possibility of external and internal fraud and how we can mitigate it further
• Identify potential operational risks and develop comprehensive mitigation strategies.
• Identify inefficiencies and recommend system improvements aimed at increasing operational effectiveness.
• Ensure training programs and resources for branch staff are developed to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
• Be cost conscious and look at possible misspending in the operations environment
• Foster an organizational culture centered around a client first mindset.
• Travel to branches and work in branches. Lead from the front. Serve clients

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including employees, clients, and regulatory bodies to facilitate a smooth operational framework.
• Represent the company at industry events to showcase the organization’s commitment to operational excellence and innovation.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, or a related field; MBA or relevant advanced degree will be an added advantage.
• Proven experience (6+ years) in operations management. The financial services industry, with experience in multi-branch oversight is an added advantage
• Strong analytical skills and data management experience
• Being Zambian and speaking the language is an added advantage
• Knowledge of the Zambian market an added advantage

Attributes:

• Strong leadership skills with a track record of managing teams in a dynamic environment. Be able to connect with people and inspire.
• The ability to change leadership styles. Knowing when to be hard and when to put an arm around the shoulder
• Not afraid to make difficult decisions and being quick to see them and act.
• Have the confidence to be the one who pushes against the norm if there is value in it
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a focus on collaboration.
• Visionary mindset with a commitment to driving change and continuous improvement.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, growth and target driven environment.
• Strong analytical skills and data-driven decision-making skills
• Attention to detail. Perfectionist type
• Be a good teacher and create successors in your team

Candidates from all nationalities are invited to apply for this position. If you’re interested in becoming the next COO in Zambia, please submit your application via the link below.