Head of Operations

  • Nairobi, Kenya
  • Full-Time
  • On-Site
Apply now Refer
Job Description:

JOB DESCRIPTION

HEAD OF OPERATIONS

1. JOB IDENTIFICATION

  • Job Title: Head of Operations

  • Department: Operations

  • Reports To: Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director

  • Direct Reports: Operations Managers, Branch Operations Coordinators, IT/Core Banking Project Lead, Customer Service Manager, Administration Officer

  • Location: Head Office, Nairobi (with countrywide travel)

  • Job Grade: Senior Management (Executive Committee member)

  • Contract Type: Permanent, subject to annual performance review


2. JOB PURPOSE

To lead the design, execution, and continuous improvement of the Company's operations—loan processing, disbursement, branch operations, customer service, technology, and business continuity—delivering fast, controlled, and scalable service. The role also serves as the operational architect for the transition to a deposit-taking financial institution, including core banking system readiness, process re-engineering, and regulatory operational-licensing requirements.

3. STRATEGIC CONTEXT

The Company is executing a strategic transformation from a leading credit-only microfinance institution into a fully-fledged, deposit-taking bank regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). This role is a critical pillar of that journey: the holder is expected to build the people, processes, portfolio quality, controls, and governance standards required to satisfy CBK licensing requirements, while advancing the Company's vision of being a leading provider of financial solutions in Kenya and its mission of providing quick, affordable financial solutions to individuals and SMEs.

For this role, the priority is bank-grade infrastructure and control: implementing a core banking system capable of deposits and payments, automating processes, strengthening internal controls and business continuity, and closing all operational gaps identified in licensing readiness assessments.

4. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations Strategy and Transformation

  • Develop and execute the operations strategy, annual plans, and budgets aligned with the corporate strategy and banking transition roadmap.

  • Lead the bank-readiness workstream: core banking system selection/implementation, payments integration (mobile money, RTGS/EFT readiness), process re-engineering, and operational policy uplift to CBK standards.

  • Design scalable operating models for branches, head office processing, and digital channels.


Service Delivery and Turnaround

  • Own end-to-end loan processing and disbursement, ensuring turnaround-time commitments (e.g., logbook loans within 6 hours) are consistently met without control breaches.

  • Set and monitor service-level agreements across all products, branches, and support functions.

  • Oversee customer service and complaints handling, driving root-cause elimination of recurring issues.


Controls, Risk and Compliance

  • Implement and enforce operational controls, segregation of duties, maker-checker, and reconciliation disciplines to bank-examination standards.

  • Prevent, detect, and report fraud and operational losses; maintain the operational-loss register and remediation plans.

  • Ensure timely closure of internal/external audit and regulatory findings; support CBK inspection readiness.

  • Ensure compliance with AML/CFT (POCAMLA), KYC/CDD, the Data Protection Act, and record-keeping requirements in all operational processes.


Technology and Business Continuity

  • Oversee IT operations, information security hygiene, and system availability across branches and digital channels.

  • Maintain and test the business continuity and disaster recovery programme to bank standards.


Efficiency and People

  • Drive automation and straight-through processing to reduce unit costs and the cost-to-income ratio.

  • Manage procurement, administration, and facilities within budget.

  • Recruit, develop, and performance-manage the operations team; embed a strong control and service culture.


5. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, TARGETS AND WEIGHTS

Performance shall be appraised against the following measures. Targets are set for the first 12 months in the role and shall be reviewed annually in line with the corporate strategy and the banking transition roadmap.


6. PERFORMANCE SCORING

Each KPI is scored on a 5-point scale. The overall score is the weighted average of individual KPI scores ($\text{score} \times \text{weight}$). An overall score of 3.0 or above is required to meet expectations.


7. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

  • Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Information Technology, Operations Management, or a related field; a Master's degree (MBA) is an added advantage.

  • Certifications: Professional certification such as CPA (K), ACCA, PMP/PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, or AKIB is an added advantage.

  • Experience: At least 10 years' experience in banking or microfinance operations, 5 of which must be at a senior management level.

  • Transformation Skills: Hands-on experience implementing or operating a core banking system and digital channels; experience in a licensing or major transformation programme is highly desirable.

  • Regulatory Knowledge: Strong knowledge of CBK prudential guidelines, AML/CFT (POCAMLA), KYC, Data Protection Act, and operational risk frameworks.


8. KEY COMPETENCIES

  • Process re-engineering, project management, and change leadership.

  • Strong control mindset with sound judgement on risk versus service trade-offs.

  • Technology fluency—core banking, payments, information security, and automation.

  • Analytical, data-driven decision making, and cost management.

  • Excellent leadership, communication, and cross-functional stakeholder management; high integrity.