Job description

About NCBA Digital Business

LOOP DFS Limited builds and operates Fintech platforms that help our customers and partners in 6 African markets to process payments and intermediate capital to catalyze purposeful growth. When the business was first set up in 2012 as the Digital Business Division of NCBA Bank, it changed the way people save and access credit. In our first 10 years have inspired the development and growth of new product categories and business models. 

In 2022, NCBA Digital Business was pivoted to operate as a stand alone Fintech company – LOOP DFS Limited.  The business is now embarking onto a new era, beyond a product-centric pipeline business model to a platform business model, to organise and connect ecosystems over a Pan African digital platform; LOOP . 

People who choose to build their careers with us help connect African businesses and consumers to Inspire Greatness in Africa — beyond the constraints of capital and borders.

About the role

LOOP DFS Limited is seeking a  Chief Strategy Officer to drive the corporate strategy formulation and execution and market expansion of the ambitious Fintech organization. The role holder will create a narrative around a common purpose to enable the organization to all pull together in the same direction, which in turn should optimize the use of scarce resources. The ideal candidate will bring thought leadership and creative solutions to a growing organization. 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the individual will work with other CXOs and the local CEOs in multiple geographic locations to connect the dots, develop strong convictions to organize resources, and initiate action to capture opportunities and mitigate threats to the Fintech’s vision. The role will also ensure alignment and collaboration in achieving NCBA Group's strategic objectives. 

The successful candidate will serve as a strategic advisor to business leaders to interpret the vision and develop business objectives and initiatives that are necessary to deliver business results. The role is accountable for leading programs at scale, from need identification to implementation, enhancing synergy and diffusion of innovation across all markets. This individual will also be charged with strengthening the institutional intelligence and capacity to assimilate change from the external environment.

This is a new, full-time role. The role is being established in recognition of the nature of strategy development; being continuous and not periodic, and further motivated by the changes to the business landscape — complex organizational structures, rapid globalization, new regulations, and the struggle to innovate at scale — that make it even more difficult for the CEO to be on top of everything, even in an area as important as strategy execution

Key Responsibilities:

Drive Performance and Realisation of Strategic Objectives - 30% 

• Formulate, develop, execute, and oversight corporate strategy 
• Lead large-scale strategic initiatives
• Develop inorganic growth opportunities (e.g. mergers & acquisitions, strategic partnerships)
• Expansion into new territories, new business lines 

Promote Growth and (internal) Customer Satisfaction - 30%

• Provide strategic business partnership, thought partnership, and coaching to leaders of the organization
• Effect robust communication strategy to offer clarity to internal and external stakeholders regarding our vision, key goals, and strategic focus/priorities
• Forge value streams to greatly enhance team outcomes and synergies across the organization, 
• Provide rigorous data and scenario analysis to inform business outlook and planning

Enhance governance and quality of internal processes- 20%

• Formalize the company’s strategic-planning processes, 
• Establish greater transparency and accountability for those people carrying out the company’s strategy
• Assess whether strategic initiatives, at all levels of the organization, are in line with the company’s standards and objectives. 

Develop and enhance strategic organizational capabilities- 20%

• Unpack the corporate vision to clear and distinct strategic themes, garnering the understanding and enthusiasm of all stakeholders.
• Establish an effective functional strategy to organise the broad strategic themes for execution
• Establish an effective strategy monitoring and control framework and toolset to govern the formulation, development, execution and oversight of corporate strategy
• Integrate the strategy monitoring and control framework into the Capital planning, Budgeting and Financial reporting processes
• Provide insights on market activity and present them to the leadership team.
• Lead the cross-functional team that prepares the company’s Annual Integrated Report.
• As a colleague in the strategy team, this role will also provide thought leadership and development support in strategy formulation.
• Hire and develop the talent necessary to execute the Corporate Development & Investor Relations vision.
• Serve as a coach and mentor to the Corporate Development & Investor Relations team to drive the day-to-day execution.

Technical and Behavioral Competencies

• Managing growth across 3 growth horizons; present, medium and long-term
• Balance strategy formulation and execution
• Engender commitment to clear strategic plans. 
• Demonstrates solid judgment and experience assessing risk relative to the business
• Effective communication and critical thinking skills applied at all levels of the organization
• Experience using data to identify insights that drive action
• Able to envision and inspire teams to pursue higher-order goals
• Experience leading across global and multi-cultural organizations
• Exert influence appropriately
• Trust Builder – having high ethical standards and the emotional intelligence to gain and maintain the trust of diverse sets of stakeholders
• Strong Collaborator – who partners with stakeholders for win-win
• Results Focus – demonstrates commercial acumen and accountability; ties all work back to overall business impact
• Change Agent – we are a dynamic company and need someone who is skilled at leading change
• Deals with Ambiguity – to take the unknown into action
• Challenges the Status Quo – and believes things can always be improved
• A believer in the “Greater Good” – one who always puts others’ needs above their own.

Does it sound like you? 

• An undergraduate degree
• Masters (graduate) level degree in Strategy
• 15+ years experience in Business Management, with significant engagement with Executive Management for at least 6 years
• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or accounting with an MBA as an added asset.
• At least 10 years of experience dealing with investors and a strong track record of creating positive relations with the investor community and Equity Research Analysts.
• Significant experience building dynamic financial models with a strong ability to communicate model outputs, and use the models to forecast business scenarios and make strategic decisions.
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of capital markets and IFRS.
• Demonstrated ability to raise capital (debt and equity), including direct involvement during negotiations. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills with proven ability to engage a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong judgment and critical thinking skills, with the ability to articulate and present points of view and ideas effectively. 
• Results-oriented individual with a proactive and creative approach to problem-solving. 
• A clear understanding of company finances, a firm grip on strategy and operations, and compelling communication skills.

How to apply

NCBA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, tribe, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or national law. Hence, persons of all gender, race, sex, orientation, age, and identity are encouraged to apply.  

Shortlist (www.shortlist.net) is our exclusive recruitment partner for this role. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is closed, though early applications are strongly encouraged. If you believe you meet the attributes and skills above, please apply on the job link.