The mission of Global Communities (formerly CHF International) is to create long-lasting, positive and community-led change that improves the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people across the globe.
The Chief of Party (COP) provides overall leadership and strategic direction to a large, complex financial operation. The COP upholds the long-term vision and mission, provides access to finance for small and medium enterprises to create jobs and contribute to local economic development. The COP actively builds strategic partnerships with banking and SME sector with an objective to expand existing operations, build local capacities and ensure higher impact in the long term.
Responsibilities:
Provides leadership and strategic direction to the project and the team
- Builds new relationships with stakeholders, including banking and private sector, as well as government agencies.
- Explores new opportunities to expand SME lending and build capacities, particularly through training programs to existing partner banks.
- Collaborates with other donor projects in the country, for example EBRD, to ensure cohesion, coordination and that subject projects mutually benefit, where possible.
Provides overall management responsibility for a loan guarantee facility aimed at mobilizing medium to long term bank financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
- Ensures that all donor and other sponsoring organization compliance and reporting requirements are met fully and in a timely manner.
- Leads the review and selection of partner banks.
- Screens and underwrites guarantee applications.
- Ensures timely submission of all required financial and operational reports to the Board of Directors, donors, government authorities, lenders, investors.
- Ensures compliance with all applicable rules and regulations of donors, government authorities, lenders, and investors.
Builds relationships with potential donors (traditional and non-traditional) and strategic partners.
- Identifies new partners and funding opportunities to enhance the organization’s capabilities and expand programming.
- Fosters and builds relationships with various stakeholders in the SME sector including donors, SME and trade associations, consultancy firms (taxes, financial, other business services), and banks and financial institutions.
- Supports Global Communities’ overall strategic plans and partnerships.
- Represents Global Communities in public and private meetings as needed, and meet with leaders and representatives of the private and public sectors to promote the project activities.
Designs and implements innovative technical assistance program that provides training directly to SMEs, with the objective of increasing their ability to access finance.
- Identifies constraints and strategies facing SMEs seeking finance.
- Organizes workshops on SME finance topics such as financial management, financial statement analysis, financial projections and budgeting, and credit risk analysis.
- Develops and manages grant-matching program to select SMEs in partnership with local business service providers and venders to enhance access to credit.
Leads and directs departmental operations and staff.
- Prepares the operation’s budget and monitors operations throughout the year to ensure adherence to budgetary controls.
- Develops and implements an annual plan for departmental operations.
- Manages, guides, and advises staff. Ensures work plans and annual performance goals for each team member are completed, including timely and quality execution of group deliverables.
- Supports growth and capacity building of middle and senior managers in the institution.
- Makes recommendations concerning employment, performance, and other personnel actions.
- Ensures adherence to Standards of Conduct, the Employee Handbook, and other corporate and applicable policies, procedures, and schedules.
- Recommends, approves, and implements operation’s policies, procedures, and schedules.
- Ensures protocols are followed to assist with the safety of CHF staff and property
- Undertakes all other duties and projects as may be assigned from time to time.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Proven successful management of the design and delivery of credit capacity building programs for commercial banks in developing countries.
- Proven in-depth knowledge of the Egyptian SME sector and the developmental, political, and business climate issues in Egypt.
- Proven extensive skills in cash flow based lending to SMEs.
- Demonstrated knowledge of curriculum design and developing training materials, including a Trainer of Trainer (Tot) module.
- Experience leading workshops and trainings for SME capacity building and development.
- Proven ability to successfully mentor and develop professional staff.
- Exceptional project management skills, including the ability to effectively deploy resources and manage multiple projects.
- Excellent critical thinking skills and sound judgment. Proven willingness to make timely and sound decisions based on accurate judgment.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to conduct meetings, write reports, and speak in a public forum.
- Superior diplomatic and negotiation skills. Ability to present and discuss technical information in the context of the business.
- Excellent organizational skills including the ability to multi-task and work well under pressure in a fast-paced team environment and the ability to respond rapidly to changing environments.
- English fluency required. Fluency in Arabic preferred.
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally.
- Advanced knowledge and experience with MS Office applications.
- Accuracy, attention to detail.
- Ability to read and interpret documents and ability to sit at a computer and operate a keyboard.
Qualifications:
- At least ten years’ experience managing bank SME lending activities or SME access to finance programs in developing countries, with a minimum of 7 years in Egypt. Experience as managing international donor-funded financial sector or enterprise development projects in region/country a plus.
- Equivalent combination of education and experience
- Master’s degree in economics, business administration, finance, or related field
More Information
- Job City Cairo