Senior Partnership Accounts Manager - Microfinance

Senior Partnership Accounts Manager (Microfinance)

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Senior Partnership Accounts Manager (Microfinance), Water.org, (Location: Flexible/ Anywhere in India)

1. Position Vacant : Senior Partnership Accounts Manager (Microfinance), Water.org, (Location: Flexible/ Anywhere in India)

2. Organization Background :

- Water.org, head quartered in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, works to ensure safe water and sanitation for all. Co-founded by Gary White and Matt Damon in 2009, Water.org has impacted more than three million lives and transformed thousands of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. 1 in 10 people around the world lack access to safe water and 1 in 4 people don't have access to a toilet. Water.org serves these people.

- Water.org goes beyond traditional approaches to safe water and sanitation, focusing on addressing the underlying causes of this global crisis and innovating to deliver large-scale and sustainable change. Water.org's program in India provides safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities to families living in rural and urban Indian communities.

- Water.org-India office has established in partnerships with a broad range of financial institutions and other Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) service providers and is now providing technical support in the areas of product development, training, marketing, and borrower education, including development of IEC materials for implementation partners.

- For more information please visit, http://water.org/

Job Description/ Responsibilities :

- Reporting to the Portfolio Lead (Microfinance), the Senior Partnership Accounts Manager shall be accountable for leading and effectively managing, multiple, innovative, and high-impact programs within her/his portfolio.

- Responsibilities shall include program design, implementation, and monitoring in collaboration with assigned partners.

- S/he shall be a key contributor to program management, pipeline development, donor support and global learning initiatives.

- This will be an individual contributor role with no subordinates.

Key Responsibilities :

A. Exploration and Strategy (25%)

Develop programmatic strategy and facilitate research and development of new models for implementing programs and/ or developing new channels and partner geographies for implementation. Key tasks and responsibilities include :

- Participate in strategy sessions at the country level and assist with developing country work plans.

- Identify and maintain partnerships with microlending institutions for Water and sanitation lending at household level

- Support and implement strategy for financing WASH micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).

- Conduct partner certification/ due diligence for potential new partners, including scheduling, reviewing data and materials, and visiting partners.

- Support the Global Learning team in improving Water.org's ability to execute, expand, and apply its program models to new geographies.

- Identify avenues where base of the economic pyramid can relate to credit financing

B. Program Design and Implementation; Manage Partner Relations (30%)

Provide support for the design and implementation of Water.org models and approaches :

- Review and approve Concept Notes and/ or proposals of partners. Provide technical support to partners as necessary to ensure lessons learned and best practices are incorporated into program design.

- Design program activities, work plans, and formal agreements (e.g., memoranda of understanding, contracts, etc.) for Advisory Services engagements.

- Build and maintain effective working relationships with partner program implementation teams.

- Leading and streamlining WASH MSME stream.

- Assess and analyze data; Identify performance challenges to be addressed by partners in order to scale rapidly; Encourage practitioner organizations to apply Water Credit principles.

- Provide support to partners by reviewing information at each phase of the product development cycle and offering technical advice/ assistance.

- Mitigate risks to program implementation by addressing areas of risk with partners and assisting them in developing risk mitigation plans.

C. Program Monitoring and Evaluation (15%)

Support the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team in their efforts to ensure standard M&E practices across operations :

- Ensure M&E staff are alerted to address potential gaps between current and anticipated program or operational activities, identify data and research needs to build the evidence-base, inform current and future strategy, program design, promote and encourage staff engagement with M&E practices.

- Ensure partners submit quality reports and upload data on time in accordance with Water.org requirements. Review partner reports and data uploads and complete initial approval or rejection of loan data in the Water Portal.

- Monitor partner progress toward program deliverables and budget burn rates and provide regular feedback to partners.

- Monitor partner reports on availability of loan capital to ensure continuality of program implementation and sustainability of WaterCredit portfolio.

D. Program Learning (15%)

- Collaborate with Learning & Development team to identify training needs of partner organization, assist in designing IEC materials and facilitate training programs.

- Assist in supporting the Global Learning team in planning events such as Partner Exchange Visits and Water Credit Forum.

- Manage project lifecycle, oversee the implementation of several related projects, analyse information, and formulate appropriate action, mitigating risk, and apply lessons learned.

- Stays up to date on sound knowledge of concepts, methodologies and techniques including demonstrated expertise in at least one specialty area within finance, WSS and/or economic development.

E. Other Tasks (15%)

- Mentor new staff members and support non-programmatic visits as assigned by the management. Manage special projects from time to time as provided by management.

- The above responsibilities are not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required.

- Some duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications, Experience And Competencies :

Qualifications :

- Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

- Applicants with a master's degree in a relevant field shall be preferred. Applicants with relevant certifications, trainings and coursework shall be at an advantage.

Experience :

- Applicants must possess a minimum of Seven years of project and program management experience in the areas of priority sector lending, financial inclusion, rural banking, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), microfinance, financial consultancy, or international economic development; Out of which, minimum three years should be with Microfinance Institutions (MFIs).

- Exposure to microlending is essential

- Demonstrated experience in water supply and sanitation sectors is an advantage.

- Familiar with capacity building and technical assistance programs in the finance and/or WSS sectors with exposure to the MSME segment.

Skills and Competencies :

- Customer Focus - Build strong customer relationships and delivering customer- centric solutions.

- Nimble Learning - Actively learning through experimentation when talking new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.

- Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.

- Collaborates - Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

- Self-development- Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using other formal and informal development channels.

- Optimize Work Processes- Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.

- Manage Ambiguity - Manage ambiguity by operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.

- Instils Trust - Gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

- Financial Stewardship - Demonstrate fiscally responsible decision making as applicable to one's role.

- Proficiency in facilitation and capacity building to ensure collaboration and linkages between staff, donors, partners, and stakeholders.

- Ability to travel up to 30-40% of the time is essential.

- Strong business writing skills and communication proficiency in English is required.

Compensation Offered : The gross remuneration budgeted for the position is attractive. Offer shall be commensurate with the qualifications, experience, and salary history, of the selected candidate.

Number Of Vacancy : One

Location : (Anywhere in India)

Reference : SPAM-WO

(Water.org is an equal opportunity employer and does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy status, military and veteran status, genetic information, and any other status protected by law. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment.)