Manager: Demand Project Management at MTN

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA's) 
Strategy Development and Implementation

• Contribute to the technology standardization across the Finco Opcos to support BankTech roadmap
• Lead cross functional projects across Finco Opcos by piloting, launching, replicating and scaling new global initiatives
• Implementation of functionalities across Finco Opcos to continuously improve the existing capabilities
• Risk assessment and contingency planning for all projects under their responsibility
• Uses established project management methods to break down the project into a series of manageable stages and monitor its progress, for on time delivery
• Provide reports and analysis to support and contribute to the development of the functional strategy in line with the overarching business goals
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to enable the regular review of the functional strategy, roadmap and performance to ensure its alignment with the changing dynamics of the internal and external ecosystem

Operational Delivery

• Develop project proposals or plans to determine time frames, limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements, and allotment of available resources to various phases of projects for group and opco synergy
• Ensure effective project governance and project prioritization.
• Act as liaison among project consultants, project vendors, and project users to provide advice; resolve conflicts; interpret processes; and negotiate resolutions where no specific guidelines exist.
• Review project proposals or plans to determine time frames, limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements, and allotment of available resources to various phases of projects for group and Opco synergy
• Confer with project team(s) to outline workplan and to assign duties, responsibilities, and scope of authority
• Prepare status reports and modify schedules or plans as required
• Deliver weekly, monthly, and annual project status reports for the Project Manager
• Analyse and evaluate current work processes with the Project Manager and recommend changes to achieve efficiencies using best in class practices
• Support Opcos in implementing new BankTech products and services, resulting in an optimal value proposition
• Keeps Opco Finco heads and the Finco management informed of all aspects of the project and ensure that milestones and deadlines are met and that any conflicts and problems are identified early enough, so not to jeopardize project.
• Plan and co-ordinate activities, addressing scope or budget issues and ensuring the allocation of enough resources for project success.
• Coordinate end to end onboarding of all FinTech third party vendors responsible for project delivery
• Document best practices and lessons learned (heuristics) to inform future executions.
• Identify all realistic project risks, analyse probability, and impact and develop contingency plans to monitor and manage risks.
• Assist with preparation of project URS’s/ BRS and User Stories for Opco dissemination

Governance

Operational, Tactical and Strategic Meetings

• Set up / participate in planned and adhoc project meetings
• Perform evaluation baseline of key project constraints
• Provide input in strategic meetings when required
• Provide inputs into the risk mitigation and controls

Escalations

• Manage and resolve escalations that have impact on critical path of project delivery
• Escalate issues that will result in severe time, scope, productivity, and cost or resource or reputational impact
• Manage and provide solutions through stakeholder consultation where relevant

Function Tactical

• Provide input into all projects initiated
• Provide input into establishing objectives, targets and budgets for the function as applicable
• Identify and document key risks, issues and dependencies and set mitigation actions
• Prepare documentation required for sign-off / making decisions regarding tactical changes

Performance

• Continuously review projects implementation performance, alignment to the business objectives while cognizant of the execution constraints.
• Develop and maintain cordial relationships with all project sponsors, product managers, vendors and the individual Opco Project Managers for continuous buy-in, support to achieve sustained performance

Reporting

• Report on various aspects of projects progress as required by BankTech PMO.
• Report on an ad hoc basis on specific facets of projects, as required

Budgets

• Support Senior Manager in tracking project costs in line with approved budgets to deliver business objectives

Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies)

Education:

• Minimum 4-year Technical, Project Management (or related) Degree
• MBA or a master’s in project management an advantage
• PMP Certification (or equivalent) advantageous

Experience:

• 5 or more years of relevant work experience in program / project management within banking, finance and/or telecommunications industry
• At least 3 years’ experience within a non-traditional FinTech or Financial Services company
• Experience at the management level in the financial sector
• Hands on experience in managing, leading and implementing innovative digital products and initiatives
• Experience in defining and project managing operational implementation of digital products, services and systems
• Experience in data analysis and management, business performance management and/or reporting within the financial sector or banking industry
• Experience working in a medium to large organization
• Experience working across global locations/ regions and have a grasp of political, social, infrastructure and integrity challenges

Competencies:

Functional Knowledge:

• Understanding of FinTech, banking, microfinance and payment businesses
• Project and Programme Management
• PMO frameworks (PMI, PMBOK, etc.)
• Project systems, software and tools
• Agile frameworks and methodologies
• Capital planning and investment assessment
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Project resource, budget, performance and quality management, and reporting
• Project risk & issue management
• Strategic governance process, project planning and control processes
• Industry and marketplace legal and regulatory appreciation
• Business process reengineering
• Business change management
• Strong business, operational and product knowledge, specifically relating to being innovative and “out of the box” in aligning “fit for purpose” products for the African market

Skills

• Strong written and communication skills
• Confident and assertive with a positive attitude
• Customer Centric
• Analytics and Interpretation
• Strategic Thinking
• Organizational Agility
• Digital mind-set
• Dealing with ambiguity and complexity
• Decision Making
• Conflict Management
• Numerical
• Project Management
• People Management
• Executive Presentation
• Behavioural Qualities
• Analytical
• Organised and methodical
• Operationally astute
• Proactive
• Detail-oriented
• Driven
• Results-oriented
• Team player