Manager, Institutional Transformation and Enabling Environment 8 views

Job Title: Manager, Institutional Transformation and Enabling Environment

Location: Head Office

Department: Market Solutions Practice

Reports To: Director, Program Quality Assurance

About Kifiya

Kifiya is an AI-powered ecosystem technology company specializing in intelligent data-driven decisioning, financial services, digital agriculture, and smart mobility infrastructure solutions. For over a decade, we have built robust technological infrastructures and implemented transformative initiatives that address market failures.
We empower MSMEs, smallholder farmers, and low- to middle-income consumers by providing access to financial services and markets. Kifiya is scaling its technology infrastructure to create a more inclusive and sustainable future in Africa.

Business Unit Description

The MSP corrects market failures by leveraging four core infrastructures: intelligent data and decisioning, intelligent financial services, digital agriculture, and smart mobility to enable MSMEs, smallholder farmers, and low-to-middle-income individuals to access finance and markets. MSP’s integrated solutions drive job creation, social inclusion, and economic empowerment.

Position Summary

The Manager, Institutional Transformation and Enabling Environment leads the end-to-end transformation of partner institutions – including banks, microfinance institutions, and other fintechs – to sustainably adopt and mainstream AI-enabled, data-driven
digital lending solutions for MSMEs and smallholder farmers.

The role combines institutional transformation, change management, operational redesign, regulatory engagement, and ecosystem coordination. It ensures that partner institutions undergo not only technological adoption but structural, cultural, and governance shifts necessary for long-term sustainability. In parallel, the role leads enabling environment efforts including regulator engagement, policy alignment,
ecosystem advocacy, and systemic barrier removal to ensure market conditions support inclusive digital lending at scale. This is a transformational leadership role requiring both strategic vision, hands-on execution, and strong program management skills across multiple institutions.

Key Responsibilities

Institutional Diagnostic and Transformation Strategy

• Conduct comprehensive readiness assessments across partner institutions, evaluating governance, credit processes, infrastructure, risk management, culture, and workforce capabilities.
• Identify institutional gaps and systemic constraints inhibiting digital and unsecured lending adoption.
• Develop tailored transformation roadmaps aligned to each institution’s strategy, risk appetite, and growth ambitions.
• Define measurable success metrics covering adoption, capability uplift,governance reform, and sustainability beyond portfolio KPIs.
• Work closely with institutional counterparts across stakeholders to develop, implement, and institutionalize transformation roadmaps.

Change Management and Cultural Transformation

• Design and implement structured change management frameworks across partner institutions.
• Facilitate executive alignment workshops as needed.
• Establish or support Change Management Offices within partner banks, including backlog tracking and quarterly retrospectives.
• Embed continuous improvement routines and agile performance reviews.
• Develop compelling, data-driven change narratives tailored to CEOs, C-suite leaders, and frontline staff.

Capacity Building and Capability Transfer

• Oversee development and delivery of Training-of-Trainers programs, executive briefings, e-learning modules, and on-the-job coaching across institutions based on their needs.
• Train and certify internal “digital champions” and transformation leads.
• Ensure institutional capability remains sustainable beyond active engagement.

Operational Redesign and Process Re-engineering

• Redesign lending workflows, SOPs, risk frameworks, and compliance processes to support digital credit models.
• Align operational models with Kifiya’s technology infrastructure and participant journey.
• Support post-implementation monitoring and optimization of operational performance.

Enabling Environment and Ecosystem Engagement

• Engage regulators, policymakers, industry bodies, and ecosystem actors to remove barriers to digital lending adoption.
• Identify policy gaps and regulatory constraints affecting AI-enabled credit and unsecured lending.
• Contribute to policy dialogue, consultation processes, and financial sector reform discussions.
• Develop position papers, regulatory briefs, and ecosystem knowledge products.
• Ensure alignment between institutional transformation and broader market systems development objectives.

Knowledge Products and Thought Leadership

• Develop case studies, toolkits, SOP libraries, and transformation playbooks.
• Contribute to MSP learning products and donor reporting.
• Support publication of transformation insights for internal and external audiences.

Key Outputs

• Customized transformation roadmaps developed and operationalized across all engaged financial institutions.
• Demonstrable institutional redesign aligned to digital lending.
• Measurable capability uplift across bank staff (executive and operational levels).
• Sustainable digital lending adoption embedded in partner institutions.
• Regulatory and ecosystem engagement milestones achieved.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Public Policy, or related field.
• Minimum of ten years of experience in banking transformation, fintech consulting, institutional reform, or financial sector development.
• Proven experience working with or in Ethiopia’s banking sector and strong understanding of bank internal operations.
• Proven experience leading multi-stakeholder transformation programs combining technology rollout with cultural and governance change.
• Deep understanding of credit risk processes, regulatory frameworks, and incentive design within regulated financial institutions.
• Experience engaging regulators and contributing to policy or enabling environment initiatives preferred.
• Certification in change management (e.g., PROSCI) is an advantage.
• Fluency in English required; working knowledge of Amharic preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Storytelling and Executive Influence
• Institutional Transformation Leadership
• Strong Understanding of Banking and Financial Institution Operations
• Change Management and Cultural Shifting
• Systems Thinking and Ecosystem Awareness
• Regulatory and Policy Engagement
• Agile Delivery and Execution Discipline
• Coaching and Capability Transfer