Director Strategic Initiatives

About Us

Guided by Karandaaz vision, we believe that every Pakistani deserves to be Financially Included and Economically Empowered. Our mission at Karandaaz is to foster economic growth and create jobs through financial inclusion of unbanked individuals and unserved enterprises.

Karandaaz Pakistan (KRN) is a not-for-profit organization, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017. We are supported by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Karandaaz is governed by an eminent board that sets the strategy of the organization and steers it toward the achievement of its objectives.

Position Summary

KRN has a diverse portfolio with interventions in wide range of areas including Green Finance, Micro and SME Finance and Digital Finance. The portfolio is growing and the CEO Office needs a resource which can deputize the CEO for supporting senior members of the Management Committee, leading on meticulous planning and execution of new initiatives and reaching out to broad spectrum of capital providers for raising funds for new initiatives and KRN subsidiaries.

This role requires a dynamic individual with a strong strategic mindset, exceptional leadership abilities, expert understanding of theoretical concepts underpinning development finance and a passion for driving impact in the financial inclusion space. The role may also require Board representations on behalf of KRN in its strategic and investee companies.

Job Responsibilities

Vision & Strategy

• Lead on formulation of strategic framework for KRN under the supervision of the CEO and with the guidance of the Board.
• Support CEO in implementation of KRN’s organizational strategy and assist departmental heads/members of the Management Committee (ManCom) for implementation of their respective thematic strategies such as for investment, digital finance etc.
• Work with the ManCom and, when required, Board of Directors for accomplishment of established goals and organizational vision.

Initiative Development & Execution

• Work with CEO and ManCom for identification, prioritization and conceptualization of new strategic initiatives under different themes.
• Develop concept notes, delivery plans (budgets/timelines/key milestones) in close collaboration with departmental heads and form project-specific teams, comprising internal staff and externally mobilized resources, for taking new projects to fruition till those become sustainable and/or are absorbed under regular KRN workstreams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive initiative implementation and overcome challenges

Donors/Market Engagement and Fundraising

• Engage with multilateral institutions, commercial institutions, and impact funds to secure funding for KRN strategic initiatives and, when required, for KRN subsidiaries.
• Advise CEO and support departmental heads on understanding and structuring the terms of partnership which deliver results for funding partners and achieve double-bottom line returns for KRN

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, development partners, and other relevant organizations.
• Represent Karandaaz at strategic forums, conferences, and industry events to promote collaboration, enhance company visibility and for knowledge sharing.

Eligibility

Education & Experience

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Management, or related field.
• At least fifteen (15) years of strong general and executive management experience in Development Finance/Fintech/Digital Finance/SME Finance.
• Experience of strategic planning, budgeting, monitoring, financial reporting, compliance and risk management.
• Proven track record of successfully leading complex strategic initiatives from conceptualization to implementation, delivering tangible results and impact.
• Demonstrated track record of effective leadership in senior management positions and ability to create and support a culture of innovation, learning and delivering results.
• Any or all of below will be considered an advantage:
  • Knowledge and experience of Financial Markets, Investment Banking or relevant industries.
  • In-depth knowledge of full spectrum of impact investment and development finance instruments
  • Experience in private sector development or economic growth teams of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)/Multilateral institutions
  • Experience of Corporate Governance and working with high level board of directors

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge across a range of technical areas including project management, MSME finance, credit guarantees and digital financial services.
• High Emotional Quotient (EQ) so the individual can work with a wide range of personality styles and effectively hold teams accountable to higher standards of results and pace of delivery
• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Passion for financial inclusion, digital finance and economic growth via SME finance and women empowerment.
• Genuine desire for learning new concepts and an urge to update knowledge-base with international literature available on thematic areas for refining KRN’s offering to the market/partners
• Ability to influence and negotiate at high level forums
• Value for diversity and inclusion as an enabler of high-performance culture

Culture and Values at Karandaaz

Karandaaz Culture is guided by our values of Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Equity (ICARE). These values shape our choices on what we do and how we do it, both with colleagues internally and partners externally. We also believe that we are all responsible for creating a great place to work and are constantly looking to hire individuals who bring the same level of passion and commitment to the purpose of the organization.

Please apply only if you are ready for new learnings, want to design new initiatives with high-risk appetite, can work with uncertainty, are difficult to disappoint and will go the extra mile for achieving success for the organization. Send us your application for this position at careers@karandaaz.com.pk clearly mentioning the position title in the subject line.

Karandaaz is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications by all population groups