Job description

About FSD Ethiopia

Established in 2021, FSD Ethiopia is a development agency that aims to support the development of accessible, inclusive, and sustainable financial markets for economic growth.

Their role is to identify the underlying causes of financial system failures, facilitate market actors to address these constraints, and help build a functional and effective financial sector that generates economic gains for Ethiopians from all walks of life. Their vision is to contribute to a thriving financial system that delivers real value to the broader economy and the people of Ethiopia. They provide technical assistance, grants, and research insights to policymakers, regulators, and market actors to drive large-scale change in financial markets and support sustainable economic development.

Supported by their funding partners, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), they work with public, private, and development partners in the financial sector to address critical system constraints and facilitate sustainable change. They provide tailored services to help diverse stakeholders achieve their goals and design interventions to make Ethiopia’s financial sector function transparently, effectively, and inclusively.

JOB PURPOSE

The foundational journey of establishing the organization, carving its programmatic niche, and the development of stakeholder relationships has progressed. FSD Ethiopia seeks a transformative leader to guide its next phase of growth, rich with impact.

In this context, the CEO has overall responsibility for leading FSD Ethiopia to achieve its goal of generating sustainable improvements in the livelihoods of lower-income people in Ethiopia through the development of a financial system that delivers real value. The CEO leads the achievement of FSD Ethiopia’s vision, mission, and strategy; and bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring the organization’s long-term success and sustainability. The CEO will have the authority to shape the vision of FSD Ethiopia, ensuring alignment with FCDO’s, BMGF’s, and those of any other funding partners in the future.

Reporting to the Board, the CEO oversees the organization’s operations, ensuring that appropriate fiduciary oversight is maintained, and that the organization is fully accountable to the Board, funders, and key stakeholders including FSD Africa which can be seen as FSD Ethiopia’s parent company1 from a legal and fiduciary point of view. Accordingly, the CEO will have an indirect reporting relationship with the FSD Africa CEO. The CEO may also participate in the FSD Network Council which is the senior governance body of the FSD Network.

The CEO is responsible for ensuring that FSD Ethiopia is structured, organized, managed, and controlled in such a way as to enable the achievement of its vision and delivery against set targets. The CEO liaises and harmonizes with national policymakers, implementers, and other key development players, providing leadership in project design, review, and analysis, and providing direction and advice to the FSD Ethiopia team and key partners such as regulators, public and private sector actors. The CEO is supported by local operational and programmatic teams, focused on internal management, and ensuring that the organization is delivering on programmatic objectives.

Location: The CEO will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The post will require frequent national and some international travel. The CEO is expected to collaborate with the pan-African FSD Network comprising, at present, nine sister organizations across the region.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Thought Leadership & Strategy

Provide thought leadership to the FSD Ethiopia team and stakeholders, supporting the development of innovative strategies for enhancing the growth and inclusiveness of Ethiopia's financial sector:

• Lead the implementation of a whole country strategy and balanced portfolio of projects staying true to market system development principles
• Identify relevant new thinking across the field by keeping up to date with developments in the financial sector; engage with the international financial sector development community to bring global best practices and key innovations back to FSD Ethiopia
• Review learning from FSD Ethiopia and its partners, and the FSD Network; use the insights gained to identify opportunities for FSD Ethiopia and develop theories of change
• Proactively engage with key stakeholders, including the Board, team members, major donors, senior government policymakers and regulators as well as private sector entities, to incorporate their perspectives and priorities in FSD Ethiopia strategies
• Lead and provide support to key staff in the development of FSD Ethiopia’s annual operations and business planning process, ensuring all activities are planned, budgeted, and aligned with strategy
• Actively contribute to the FSD Network through the FSD Network Council and various collaborative efforts
• Maintain regular dialogue and alliances with existing and emerging key institutions and experts, understand and progress strategic priorities, and grasp opportunities for engagement and partnership.

Leadership & Empowerment of the Team

Take the lead in developing and building an FSD Ethiopia team that is fully engaged and committed to delivering the overall objectives of FSD Ethiopia; drive the development and execution of the overall people strategy and systems:

• Ensure the organization has a fit-for-purpose structure in place and an appropriate complement of qualified, competent, and motivated staff for the achievement of FSD Ethiopia’s agreed plans
• Build an effective and coordinated team, aligned behind shared strategies and values; troubleshoot any team working challenges, conflicts, or performance bottlenecks
• Manage the team towards high standards of performance through clear roles & and responsibilities and provision of appropriate support; proactively address performance issues through timely constructive feedback, coaching, and appropriate corrective action
• Notice talent and maximize the use of available talent through ongoing staff development, succession planning, career management, and utilization of a leadership style that will drive employee engagement
• Ensure the development of an inclusive environment; lead the development and implementation of policies and ways of working that celebrate diversity and the provision of equal opportunities
• Ensure that staff are managed in accordance with good HR Management Practices and provided with a safe and conducive working environment; including ensuring that all legal and statutory obligations are fulfilled
• Creates a strong vision for the team; inspires others to greater performance, professional standards, and results. Encourages a high–performing culture in the team
• A team player who is supportive of other’s ideas and innovations, collaborates in a culture of knowledge sharing and team learning to strengthen the organizations work
• Demonstrates integrity, is fair, honest, and trustworthy with respect for confidentiality

Strategic Relationship Management

Build relationships with key actors; ensure the development and implementation of influencing strategies and interventions that drive mindset change and widespread uptake of pro-poor and pro-development financial practices:

• Act as a figurehead for the organization positioning FSD Ethiopia as a well-respected thought leader in finance sector development, particularly as it pertains to influencing the direction of the financial sector in Ethiopia; leverage personal networks to optimize program impact.
• Lead the process of stakeholder analysis to determine key players who have the potential to contribute to the achievement of FSD Ethiopia’s strategic goals; establish and actively sustain productive relationships with key individuals
• Establish a robust research agenda that builds a relevant fact base to influence behaviour within government agencies, market leaders (public and private), and other key stakeholders.
• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive advocacy and communications strategy that will result in transformative change
• Personally contribute to the implementation of the advocacy and communications strategy:

Governance of FSD Ethiopia

Work with the FSD Ethiopia Board to develop and implement effective governance for FSD Ethiopia in line with established protocols agreed with FSD Africa; lead the development of appropriate policies, procedures, structures & and systems:

• Support effective governance by developing and implementing a framework for reporting and facilitating Board decision-making to enable the Board to fulfil its governance functions, in accordance with statutory requirements
• In collaboration with the Board, lead the development, refinement, and monitoring of policies, to ensure consistency with funder requirements and alignment with best practices, along with relevance and responsiveness to the market and key external stakeholders
• Ensure that systems, procedures, and action plans that are aligned with Board directives are developed and consistently followed by team members, account to the Board for the success of the investment process and achievement of results
• Take the lead in identifying and advising the Board, and FSD Africa, of risks; bearing accountability for ensuring that appropriate action is taken to mitigate all identified risks in accordance with the risk management framework and policies
• Oversee the development, review, and execution of agreements/contracts, bearing ultimate responsibility for managing FSD Ethiopia’s exposure to risk
• Ensure that the accountability requirements of donors are met and that good relationships with funders are always maintained.

Ensuring Impactful Interventions

Lead the team to achieve operational goals and effectively manage learning; ensuring that quality of performance meets the standards and expectations of the strategic plan and key stakeholders (Board and funders):

• Lead the translation of FSD Ethiopia’s strategy into projects, programmes and business plans that deliver tangible, system-wide outcomes
• Ensure that investments are chosen to maximise progress towards the achievement of FSD Ethiopia’s mission and optimise value for money; aiming to increase effectiveness over time and preferentially deploy limited resources on activities with the greatest impact
• Assume overall accountability for programme and project design and delivery, from inception to implementation; lead the team in the pursuit of impact and excellence
• Ensure the development of FSD Ethiopia’s Theory of Change and Monitoring and Results Measurement Frameworks aligned with market systems development principles.
• Ensure that systems, tools, and ways of working are in place to continually monitor and manage the impact and ensure timely, quality delivery against annual work plans; ensure that learning is fed back into the development of future strategy and foster a culture of academic integrity and learning; ensure adherence to the results reporting requirements of funders, including
• Proactively liaise with funders and partners to jointly strategize and co-design impactful projects and interventions; continuously engage with stakeholders to determine their level of satisfaction with FSD Ethiopia’s performance, impact, and contribution
• Develop regular and meaningful engagement strategy with key stakeholders, thus demonstrating the relevance of FSD Ethiopia’s programme to FCDO and BMGF.
• Work closely with counterparties in other FSDs, and develop strategies for jointly originating and managing investments, building on the superior knowledge that FSDs have of their local markets.
• Provide implementation support and technical advice to the FSD Ethiopia team and key partners

Financial Viability, Risk and Resource Management

Ensure the financial viability and sustainability of FSD Ethiopia through effective resource mobilization and management; ensuring that risks are identified and adequately managed:

• Drive the development of FSD Ethiopia’s funding base, ensuring that there is a variety of donor funding and building strong relationships of mutual trust
• Monitor the financial performance of FSD Ethiopia ensuring that planned strategic and operational activities are implemented in a timely manner and that all funds are fully accounted for
• Collaborate closely with FSD Africa’s Finance, Risk & Compliance and HR & Talent Management teams to optimise operational efficiency (e.g. payments, drawdowns, performance management) and ensure full transparency on fiduciary matters between FSD Africa and FSD Ethiopia.
• Ensure that FSD Ethiopia’s financial management complies with national and international financial regulations; and that financial record keeping will support effective auditing and timely reporting to both the funders and the Board.
• Develop and maintain a risk management framework and effective policies for FSD Ethiopia; clearly define FSD Ethiopia’s risk appetite including the level and type of risks FSD Ethiopia is willing to take in achieving its strategic objectives
• Support the CFO/COO to strategically manage the resources of the organization (finances, people, assets, procurements & vendor management), ensuring compliance with FSD Ethiopia’s and funders’ policies and reporting requirements (including those of FSD Africa) and with international good practice in resource management
• Prepare programmatic budgets that are accurate and sufficiently granular

Candidate Profile :

This role requires a leader who is both visionary and able to execute against targets set out in the strategy and annual business plans. He or she will be deeply committed to promoting inclusive financial sector development in Ethiopia, and able to deliver results in a challenging and complex environment. Tactful influencing capabilities are particularly important. The CEO must inspire senior-level stakeholders and communicate complex concepts clearly and succinctly. He or she must be able quickly to develop and maintain expertise in the rapidly evolving regional inclusive financial sector development landscape, with the ability to review a large amount of detailed information and synthesize its relevance to FSD Ethiopia’s work. He or she must be able to demonstrate a high level of intellectual curiosity as regards the different facets of inclusive finance – whether digital financial inclusion, capital markets, insurance, climate finance etc. The successful candidate will bring deep experience of working at a senior level in inclusive finance2; strong relationship management experience with the ability to effectively engage with diverse partners; and the capability to quickly get on top of the operation, challenges, technical and political context of Ethiopia’s financial system.

Qualifications and Education:

• A bachelor’s degree from a recognized university in Economics, Development, Finance, or a related field
• Relevant postgraduate qualifications are an advantage

Essential Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

• Masters’ degree with management level experience within a financial (or other relevant sectors) institution
• Deep experience of working in inclusive finance; thought leadership at the cutting edge, and competence in financial inclusion
• Strong analytical skills with experience utilizing data to define organizational strategy
• A successful track record working in a complex or pioneering environment in managing change, and creating opportunities for growth
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and develop a high-performing, fast-changing organization
• Strong relationship management experience with the ability to effectively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders at the highest levels
• Demonstrated experience in formulating, developing, and implementing new strategies
• Demonstrated success in achieving results in a challenging operating environment
• Experience managing technical and operational staff, with experience managing teams of at least 12 people
• Significant professional experience working in Ethiopia or other emerging economies
• Excellent skills in written and spoken English, Amharic, or other local languages

Competencies:

• Setting strategy – create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization, seeking and analysing data to support decisions; entrepreneurial and creative approach, balancing the desire for broad change while creating realistic goals and achievable, successful implementation plans
• Executing for results – setting clear and challenging goals, committed to improving performance and driving results; comfortable with ambiguity, adapting and leading others through complex situations; able to take smart risks and seek data from others on the consequences of decisions; act in a transparent, consistent manner, taking into account what is best for the organization
• Leading teams – attract top talent, motivate team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; persevere with challenges maintaining a commitment to higher standards; aware of his/ her own limitations, leading by example in striving for continuous organizational and personal improvement
• Relationships and influence – connect and build strong relationships with others, inspiring trust, and followership in others; visibly celebrate and support the success of the team and create a sense of purpose for the team, engaging in the greater purpose of the organization as a whole

Personal attributes:

• Commitment to the inclusive finance agenda
• Commitment to delivering high-quality results, with cost-effective use of resources
• FSD Ethiopia Job Description: CEO FSD Ethiopia
• Highly professional, organized, and efficient; able to multi-task effectively and prioritize work based on minimal direction and multiple competing priorities
• Integrity and high personal ethical standards; values-driven
• Can-do approach; a driven self-starter with high levels of initiative
• Comfortable managing constant change and motivating small, fast-growing teams (start-up environment)
• Innovative and enterprising approach that is quick to search out alternative solutions to needs or problems
• Highly attentive to detail, whilst able to hold the bigger picture
• Positive, flexible, supportive attitude to work
• Exhibits helpful behavior beyond strict job requirements
• Discreet and respects confidentiality

Desirable:

• Familiarity with the Ethiopia financial sector and major players in the financial sector development of Ethiopia
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment
• Previous experience of working on donor-funded projects