Operations Advisor

Job Description

Background

ShoreBank International Ltd (SBI) is a triple-bottom-line advisory firm dedicated to designing and delivering inclusive finance products and services to financial institutions and their funders globally. SBI advises banks and other financial institutions in emerging and transitional economies in small business, micro and housing finance. Since 1988, SBI has delivered services to over 200 financial institutions in 82 countries, thereby extending access to capital for un(der)served individuals, households and entrepreneurs globally. During this time, SBI has overseen the disbursal of over $1.3 billion in small business loans with an average charge-off ratio less than 1.0%. SBI operates core offices in Washington and London, supporting a network of 100 professionals who work in diverse project locations on 5 continents.

SBI is seeking an Operations Advisor (OA) who will drive an initiative to standardize and streamline the company’s operating practices and platform across all of its core offices, field-based teams, and affiliated companies. The company consists of legal entities all sharing the same strategy and linked by ownership and must be able to operate effectively, efficiently and competitively as a single enterprise notwithstanding different legal entities in different geographies and operating environments.

The Operations Advisor will initially be a 12 month contractual engagement. The successful candidate may be offered a long-term, staff position as Director of Operations, overseeing implementation of and compliance with proposed operating policies and procedures. The Director of Operations is a career track position that could lead to Chief Operations Officer.

Job Description

The Operations Advisor (OA) will be responsible for two streams of work:

(i) project managing the standardization effort as whole, overseeing and coordinating inputs of various project/local teams; and

(ii) leading and completing work in the operational categories defined below.

Operational issues to be reviewed as part of the standardization effort will include:

(i) finance and accounting;

(ii) infrastructure – head office and field locations;

(iii) human capital and human resources;

(iv) field deployment;

(v) synchronization of business development and marketing activities across geographies;

(vi) security; and

(vii) IT and virtual communications infrastructure.

The OA will be responsible for mapping, refining and/or defining processes, policies, systems, and requirements for each operational area listed above. The objective is to establish a standardized operational backbone that will ensure effective, secure and consistent operations in all regions where the company works. The resulting operational platform is expected to involve two dimensions – a core set of policies and procedures that represent the company’s central position on all operational matters, and guidelines for localized application of the core requirements to field and locations with different legal, security and operating environments.

Deliverables in this position include:

(i) set of core operating principles;

(ii) set of core policies & procedures covering each operational category referenced above;

(iii) implementation and compliance framework (including recommendations, checklists, responsibilities, etc.);

(iv) localization guidelines;

(v) development of a work plan for rationalizing operations across all locations;

(vi) day-to-day management and oversight of the rationalization work plan; and

(vii) direct, hands-on contributions to specific areas of the work plan.

The expected timeframe for achieving these goals and deliverables is 12 months. As a first step, the OA will prepare detailed work plans and timelines for the work to be completed within the agreed timeframe. The OA will work closely with SBI senior managers who will be contributing to the execution of the plan for operational standardization. It is expected the OA would drive the development of a coordinated work plan with milestones and enforce the timelines for the work plan implementation.

Importantly, the OA must be able to operate both at a level of strategic thinking and at a working level of operational detail.

Reports to: SBI CFO/COO

Specific Responsibilities will include:

For Global Operations:

• Conduct an assessment of each affiliate’s operational policies, procedures and practices including a gap analysis;
• Prepare a set of recommendations to build the core operational platform;
• On the basis of the recommendations, develop standard global, country and project-related operating policies and procedures, addressing (at a minimum):
  • financial management standards for the company, for projects and hub and/or local offices,
  • accounting and reporting standards, including integration with back-office systems at the core and hub and/or local offices;
  • HR administration standards, including compliance with country-specific employment rules and regulations;
  • logistics standards and processes for deploying consultants to project sites and securing all necessary resources for local operations (such as office space);
  • procurement standards for services on local markets, including IT, legal/tax, security and others;
  • compliance standards with local, US and European legal and tax requirements for international operations (in cooperation with SBI CFO/COO);
  • safety and security of all premises and of all local and international staff and consultants deployed in the region, in conjunction with Senior Security Advisor; and
  • Code of company ethics.

For International office locations:

• Conduct a comprehensive corporate operations assessment of all locations and prepare gap analysis
• Develop a clear set of recommendations and roadmap for standardization and smooth integration of operational framework, systems, policies and procedures between all the international operations

• Codifying field deployment and operating policies and procedures in a manual/handbook, in close consultation with SBI head office in Washington, DC and in particular with SBI Chief Operating officer;
• Defining and applying clear, consistent contracting policies and procedures for consultants and partner firms in various countries, in conformance with local laws and regulations and supported by documentation, compliance checklists and systems; and
• Supporting country and project teams on operations and compliance with policies and procedures.

Staff compliance

• Develop a system (including trainings, reviews, incentives, enforcement actions, etc.) to ensure consistent, effective adherence to company policies and procedures by all staff, consultants, and advisors operating at any location of the integrated company – in a “home office” or “in the field”

Qualifications:

• Strong operations background and hands-on, systems- and process-oriented approach;
• Experience managing large, donor-funded international projects;
• Working knowledge of basic regulatory and compliance regulations in Europe and Asia;
• Experience in the establishment and administration of field finance and accounting systems;
• Experience supervising contract compliance, including grants and subcontract compliance;
• Experience with framing and developing policies and procedures;
• Management experience in a development-oriented consulting company;
• Experience with security management and oversight;
• Must be able to think and act with a high degree of independence, bringing solutions for approval rather than waiting for guidance from senior management;
• Must be an adept people manager and relationship builder, with a high degree of sensitivity to relationship dynamics in a multi-cultural, multi-location operating environment where affiliates have traditionally operated an a fairly independent basis;
• Comfort operating in an entrepreneurial environment, preferably with a strong background building systems within small and/or quickly growing companies;
• Language ability in a major SBI market language is preferred (Spanish, French, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, etc);
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively, including to Pakistan and potentially other locations with significant security risks;
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience.

The successful candidate will have a strong and persistent problem solving mentality; be able to see both the big picture and attend to details; and will take pride and satisfaction in implementing systems and processes which result in operational excellence.

Location

The position will be based initially in Europe or in Washington, DC and consequently, all applicants must already have permanent authorization to work in either the US or the EU. Independent of the base location frequent travel will be necessary.

We invite you to send your curriculum vitae and a cover letter expressing your interest in this position to talent@sbksbi.com. Please reference your e-mail Operations Advisor in the subject line and make note of where you saw this announcement in your e-mail message.