Director Professional Services and Support, Technology for Microfinance

Status:    Full-Time
Location:   Seattle, Washington

The Technology for Microfinance (T4MF) team is focused on transforming technology from a barrier into an accelerator for microfinance institutions.  The team focuses on educating MFI leaders on the long-term strategic value of information systems, training their staff to successfully align information technology with their business operations, and building a network of locally-based technology providers and a worldwide online community to support these institutions.  At the heart of the program is Mifos™, our open source software platform which gives MFIs a cost-effective, flexible management information system (MIS) that can support their needs today and into the future. 

Job Summary:  We are seeking an experienced, highly talented, and passionate Professional Services and Support (PSS) Director to lead the Technology for Microfinance consulting team, implementing best practice methodologies to achieve great quality and predictable times and costs in our emerging professional services and support offerings.  The PSS Director is accountable for successful implementation of the Mifos platform at microfinance customers and for the successful delivery of other PSS services.

This position will be responsible for providing strategic management and delivery of professional services to T4MF’s microfinance institution (MFI) clients.  These professional services include Mifos deployment consulting spanning the entire software lifecycle from needs analysis through deployment, post implementation support, and account management, ensuring customer success. Professional services also include technology management consulting in the areas of IT Strategy, business process reengineering, and return on investment analysis. Reflective of most start-up environments, this is very much a hands-on position, with both high-level strategic and in-the-trenches execution work required.

This position requires establishing and codifying delivery methodology, forecasting, managing and deploying staff and consultant resources, and optimizing delivery to reduce costs and maximize outreach.  Additional responsibilities include program management, documentation, and performance monitoring. 

Reporting:  Reports to the Executive Director, Technology for Microfinance

Availability:  The PSS Director will be expected to work a standard work week of 37.5 hours, and may at times be asked to work additional hours to complete projects.

Essential Job Functions:

Overall Responsibilities
• Drive customer value through the delivery of professional services and support, including technical and business consulting and technical and business support
• Deliver excellent customer satisfaction
• Own and drive execution of Mifos deployments and other PSS services, and optimize execution across the PSS team
• Drive the PSS business to profitability
• Serve as a senior leader on the Technology for Microfinance team, working with peers to drive cross-group excellence

DRIVE PSS STRATEGY & MANAGEMENT
• Develop, monitor and optimize the PSS delivery strategy, including annual plans and budgets for the group
• Drive reduction of cost and time to deliver professional services and support to customers. 
• Manage P&L for the PSS business; achieve breakeven and then profitability
• Pursue partnerships, alliances, and other creative ways to optimize quality, speed and delivery of services.
• Manage the Professional Services team—including account managers, technology management consultants, deployment managers, support staff; recruit and oversee external consultants as needed

DRIVE EXECUTION
• Drive systematic delivery methodologies that create repeatability and predictability of technical and business consulting to customers
• Ensure key PSS learning is aggregated, communicated, and integrated across the technology for microfinance team to achieve greater results
• Drive delivery of end-to-end Mifos software deployments and technical and business consulting services; deliver these services directly as needed
• Deliver strong ongoing account management of all Technology for Microfinance customers
• Oversee and, as needed, directly execute the delivery of educational services including regional technology workshops and MFI training and mentorship programs.
• Own and drive extraordinary technical support to Mifos clients

CUSTOMER FOCUS
• Deliver excellent customer value, with extraordinary (highest level) customer satisfaction
• Build strong customer connection across the Technology for Microfinance team, ensuring that the entire team understands customer pain and successes

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Deep commitment to eradication of poverty and alignment with Grameen Foundation’s mission
• Track record of exceptional professional services and support results, including dramatic increases in efficiency and customer satisfaction
• Extremely high level of customer focus and passion
• Demonstrated ability to build, develop, and motivate a world-class professional services organization on a global scale
• Deep expertise in enterprise-class software deployments (in the financial sector a plus)
• Deep expertise in IT-related business consulting services (such as IT strategy, ROI analysis, and business process alignment)
• Exceptional focus on great results above all else
• Strong financial management skills; experience overseeing seven figure budgets and managing P&L
• Demonstrated ability to achieve team-level greatness
• Excellent project management skills, including ability to simultaneously PM multiple initiatives
• Proven ability to drive operational excellence in a technology startup environment Comfortable working in a fluid, fast paced environment and in taking leadership in building process and structure as team grows.
• Creative problem solver; able to bring others along with key decisions, strategies, and tactics
• Enthusiasm and passion for the work of Grameen Foundation and the Technology for Microfinance team
• Excellent interpersonal & intercultural communication skills.
• Fluency in English required. 

Education and/or Experience:
• 10+ years experience in technology focused professional services and support
• 5+ years experience building and leading a global professional services and support team
• Extensive experience working with geographically distributed teams
• Experience owning P&L for PSS organization
• Experience with microfinance a plus
• Previous experience working and living in the developing world a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Physical and Environmental Conditions:
This position does not require unusual demands for physical effort.  This position may occasionally require physical effort to lift and transport boxes weighing no more than 50 pounds.

Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of places such as offices, meeting or training rooms, residences, or commercial vehicles; e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, and/or avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations and traffic signals.

Additional Comment:
The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made in appropriate circumstances to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

For more information about Grameen Foundation please visit our website at grameenfoundation.org.  Interested candidates may apply by email to jobs@grameenfoundation.org by March 12, 2010. Please put “Director-PSS” in the subject line.  No Calls Please.