Advans was created in 2005 by French company Horus Development Finance with the backing of major international Development Finance Institutions (BEI, KfW, FMO, FISEA-Groupe AFD, IFC and CDC). Advans’ mission is to build a network of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing and emerging countries in order to cater to the financial needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and low-income populations, which have limited or no access to formal banking services.
The Advans group currently spans ten countries: Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Myanmar, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Tunisia. Advans institutions serve more than 600,000 clients, for an outstanding loan portfolio of over EUR 500 million and total deposits of EUR 250 million; the group also employs more than 5,000 staff.
ABOUT THE JOB:
Horus is seeking a highly-motivated IT Project Manager to join the MIS (Management Information System) Department in order to support the Advans group’s development. This permanent contract position is to be filled immediately. The IT Project Manager will acquire initially thorough knowledge of existing systems in the network, including the Core Banking System used by the majority of affiliates. This position is based in Paris and involves frequent short-term assignments (one to two weeks) to institutions within the Advans network.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
Working within the MIS Department, and under the direct supervision of the CIO, the IT Project Manager’s main responsibilities will comprise:
- Identifying and piloting the development of technical solutions to evolve the application portfolio (internal or external solutions);
- Ensuring coverage of functional needs for the Advans network;
- Conducting and/or contributing to the success of IT projects (identification of functionally and technically-relevant solutions, pilot implementation);
- Organizing assistance, support and maintenance of IT tools;
- General involvement in streamlining the architecture of the information system to ensure its scalability within a controlled budget.
Qualifications:
- A minimum of 7 years’ experience in an IT department in the financial sector;
- Project Management (4-5 years) involving internal stakeholders and external providers, internationally (ideally in emerging countries);
- Extensive knowledge/experience of good architecture practice; major operating systems; network protocols, security standards, development standards and methods (DBMS, SOA, Java ecosystem / Web, etc.);
- Interest in new ICTs;
- Good knowledge/experience of BI and CRM solutions;
- Practice in open-source solutions;
- Sensitivity to the developing world and emerging countries;
- Fluent English and French;
- Project Management expertise (Agile, V cycle);
- Sense of customer service, and good negotiation skills (internally and externally);
- Excellent listening, analytical and synthesis skills, coupled with an ability to write well.
HOW TO APPLY:
