Project Manager, School Fees Digitisation is needed at Promoting Equality in African Schools

Job Title:     Project Manager, School Fees Digitisation

Organisation:  Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS UK)

Reports to: Deputy Country Director Operations

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About PEAS:

Promoting Equality in African Schools (PEAS UK) is a UK-based charity with a mission ‘to unlock the potential of Africa by expanding access to affordable quality secondary education.’ We run the fastest growing network of sustainably financed secondary schoolsin Africa. We currently have a network of 24 schools across Uganda and Zambia, educating around 8,000 students. PEAS  is supported by major corporate, government and private funders and our innovative financial model is pioneering in the field of public private partnerships in development education.

Job Summary: The Project Manager, School Fees Digitisation will play a focal role in  providing strategic leadership for managing the design, piloting, implementation, promotion and effective delivery and operationalisation of a school fees payment, collection and accounting module that will allow PEAS schools to maximise fees collection by taking advantage of the opportunity that advancement in technology provides.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:  

Strategic Leadership of the School Digitisation project: 45%

• Provide leadership and supervisory function for the project working with and supervising the work of a lead consultant, including driving project to meet schedule and service goals
• Support the development of a digital payments strategy; pilot and implement the strategy across the PEAS Uganda network
• Steer the go-to-market execution design and implementation to register unit of success of the major key performance indicators.
• Lead and provide overall guidance on collaborations with existing stakeholders (agents, integrators, financial systems designers (QB) and mobile money agents) on management best practices

Operationalising the use of digitised school collection across the PEAS network 45%

• Work closely with stakeholders to execute initiatives aimed at accelerating the loyalty to adoption and usage of digitised school fees collection and payments among Guardians and parents, PTA and BOG leadership as well as the school senior leadership across the network.
• Support PEAS Uganda staff across secretariat, regions and schools in Finance Department and Management in DFS Knowledge and Usage through mentorship, coaching and training.
• Collaborate with PEAS Finance to develop a method to resolve questions or issues with transactions or accounts. This must be across all related parties:  bank partner, aggregator, mobile network operator, PEAS and parents.
• Identify and link PEAS to partnerships aligned to digitisation of system including venturing into other possible products. Examples include: payroll and vendor payment capability.
• Sets up project tracking schedule for key benchmarks, milestones and reports and Monitors tracking schedule to ensure timely receipt of inputs
• Work in liaison with the Finance manager schools to support the integration of the school fees digitization module with existing school management systems such as QuickBooks, SchoolTool and other school management practices to embed efficiencies in practises that support performance.
• Establish key milestones and performance indicators (KPI) (consistent with project goals and commitments made to funding agencies) and lead in monitoring these project indicators and monthly health check of the project to facilitate timely and quality reporting to the Technical teams, PEAS trustees and funding donors, by distributing a progress report monthly.
• Actively participate in monthly or/and quarterly progress meetings, including presentation of schedule and KPI reports.
• Provide any other support as may be required on digitisation of the process

Donor funds management 10%

• Work closely with the DCD Operations and UK funding team to comply with donor expectations
• Responsible for attainment of key performance indicators of the grant as committed to by PEAS Uganda

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant should for the PEAS (UK) Project Manager, School Fees Digitisation job placement should hold a post graduate degree in Economics, Finance, Banking, Development, Social Sciences, Education or related fields or equivalent experience
• Prior exposure and experience in user centric product design for financial services
• Previous experience in working with the implementation of branchless banking and mobile money agent solutions;
• Experience with mobile digital financial services operators or mobile money;
• Previous experience in designing strategies for branchless banking and mobile financial services providers;
• Familiarity with the concepts of financial inclusion, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures;
• Broad knowledge and adequate understanding of legal and regulatory issues related to branchless and mobile financial services, such as know your customer and bank agency rules;
• Previous experience working with the mass market, including rural or low-income communities, preferably related to financial services;
• Prior experience managing or conducting research, particularly related to product development or client demand;
• Familiarity in best practices in training mobile money agents and successful integrations of
• Previous work in Uganda or similar environment a plus;
• Fluent in English. Fluency in one local language a plus.
• Advance Excel/ Spreadsheet skill e.g. Pivot table, Vlookup, Marco
• Previous experience in implement the new account software and integration with several modules
• Computer literacy i.e. good knowledge in QuickBooks
• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills in English (a technical writing sample may be requested);
• Strong ability to communicate, work well with others and function effectively in local/international/multicultural environment;
• Excellent networking with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships;
• High level planning, organizational and time management skills, including flexibility, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure to achieve results;
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, including the ability to liaise effectively at senior levels, including telecom providers, integrators, banks e.t.c;
• Analytical and problem-solving skills of a high order, including the ability to formulate recommendations and advice
• Highly conscientious and self-motivated with a flexible approach to demands of the role;

How to Apply:

All candidates must send their applications (paying particular attention to the person specification) and curriculum vita to:

The Human Resource Manager,

PEAS Uganda,

Plot 2881, Block 216, Ntinda Kisaasi,

Mumbejja Road opposite Ndere Centre.

1. O. Box 23308, Kampala, Uganda.

OR Send your Application and CV only to: email: info-peasuganda@peas.org.uk

NB: Please include all portions of your application in one attached document as a PDFdocument, and use “Project Manager, School Fees Digitisation” as the subject of your email.

Deadline: 21^st July 2017 by 5.00pm.