Head of Operations and Customer Experience

To provide effective leadership of the Bank's day-to-day operations, ensuring that all banking transactions, customer service activities, cash management, account administration and operational processes are delivered safely, efficiently and in accordance with approved policies and regulatory requirements.

The role will also lead the Bank's customer experience agenda, ensuring that customers receive consistent, responsive and efficient service across branch and digital channels while maintaining strong operational controls, segregation of duties and service standards.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Branch and Banking Operations

• Oversee

• the Bank's daily branch and operational activities to ensure efficient and

• uninterrupted service delivery.

• Ensure

• account opening, customer onboarding, transaction processing and account

• maintenance are completed accurately and within approved turnaround times.

• Ensure

• all operational activities comply with approved policies, procedures,

• delegated authorities and regulatory requirements.

• Establish

• and monitor operational service standards across all customer-facing

• functions.

• Identify

• operational bottlenecks and implement improvements to enhance efficiency

• and service delivery.

• Maintain

• operational readiness for internal audit, external audit and regulatory

• inspections.

• 2. Cash and Vault Management

• Oversee

• all cash operations, including teller activities, vault management, cash

• transfers and cash-in-transit arrangements.

• Ensure

• appropriate dual-control and maker-checker procedures are maintained for

• cash and vault operations.

• Monitor

• teller cash limits, vault balances and daily cash positions.

• Ensure

• daily cash counts, reconciliations and balancing are completed accurately.

• Investigate

• and escalate cash differences, unusual transactions and control exceptions

• promptly.

• Ensure

• adequate cash availability to meet legitimate customer and operational

• requirements.

• 3. Customer Experience and Service Quality

• Develop

• and implement customer service standards that differentiate the Bank

• through responsiveness, reliability and professionalism.

• Monitor

• customer experience across branch, digital and other service channels.

• Establish

• effective processes for receiving, recording, investigating and resolving

• customer complaints.

• Monitor

• complaint trends and identify recurring service issues requiring

• corrective action.

• Ensure

• customers receive clear, accurate and timely information regarding

• products, services, transactions and account requirements.

• Work

• with Business and Technology to improve the customer journey and remove

• unnecessary service friction.

• 4. KYC, Account Opening and Transaction Processing

• Ensure

• effective implementation of customer identification, KYC and

• account-opening procedures.

• Ensure

• customer documentation and account information are complete, accurate and

• appropriately maintained.

• Monitor

• compliance with applicable customer due diligence and

• transaction-monitoring requirements in collaboration with Compliance and

• Risk.

• Ensure

• transaction processing is performed accurately and within approved

• turnaround times.

• Monitor

• exceptions, failed transactions and operational discrepancies and ensure

• timely resolution.

• Maintain

• appropriate controls over customer account changes, mandates, access

• rights and transaction instructions.

• 5. Internal Controls and Operational Risk

• Maintain

• effective segregation of duties across operational processes.

• Ensure

• maker-checker controls are consistently applied to transactions and

• sensitive operational activities.

• Monitor

• compliance with operational procedures and identify control weaknesses.

• Work

• with Risk, Compliance and Internal Audit to address operational risks and

• control deficiencies.

• Ensure

• operational incidents are properly documented, investigated and escalated.

• Implement

• corrective actions arising from audits, regulatory examinations and

• internal control reviews.

• 6. Digital Operations and Technology Support

• Oversee

• the operational aspects of digital banking channels in collaboration with

• Technology.

• Monitor

• failed, delayed, reversed and exceptional digital transactions and ensure

• timely resolution.

• Establish

• effective processes for escalating system-related customer complaints and

• transaction issues.

• Monitor

• digital transaction trends and identify recurring operational problems.

• Work

• with Technology to improve digital service reliability and customer

• experience.

• Ensure

• appropriate operational support is available for customers using digital

• channels.

• 7. Treasury and Back-Office Operations

• Oversee

• the Treasury Officer's back-office activities, including transaction

• recording, confirmation, maturity tracking and reconciliation.

• Ensure

• appropriate segregation between treasury dealing and treasury back-office

• functions.

• Monitor

• maturity schedules and ensure relevant information is accurately

• maintained.

• Coordinate

• with Treasury and Finance to ensure treasury transactions are properly

• recorded and reconciled.

• Escalate

• unmatched, unauthorized or exceptional treasury transactions promptly.

• 8. Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency

• Review

• operational processes regularly and identify opportunities for automation,

• simplification and cost reduction.

• Establish

• and monitor turnaround-time standards for key operational processes.

• Develop

• and maintain appropriate standard operating procedures and operational

• manuals.

• Use

• operational data and customer feedback to identify opportunities for

• service improvement.

• Work

• with Technology and other functions to automate manual processes where

• appropriate.

• 9. Regulatory Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure

• operational activities comply with applicable CBN, NDIC and other

• regulatory requirements.

• Maintain

• appropriate operational records and documentation for regulatory

• examination.

• Prepare

• operational reports and management information for the MD/CEO and relevant

• committees.

• Coordinate

• responses to operational audit and regulatory findings and ensure timely

• closure of agreed actions.

• Ensure

• the Bank maintains adequate operational readiness for regulatory

• inspection at all times.

• 10. Team Leadership and Development

• Lead,

• supervise and develop the Operations and Customer Experience team.

• Set

• clear performance expectations, service standards and operational KPIs.

• Ensure

• appropriate staffing and competency levels across critical operational

• functions.

• Coach

• team members and develop succession and capability plans for key

• operational roles.

• Promote

• a culture of customer service, accountability, accuracy, integrity and

• strong internal control.

Requirements

• First degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics,

• Accounting, Banking, Management or another relevant discipline.

• Professional certification or membership of a recognized

• banking or financial services body such as CIBN is required.

• A relevant postgraduate qualification or customer experience

• certification is an advantage.

• Minimum of 10 years' relevant professional experience,

• with at least 5 years in banking, microfinance or financial services

• operations.

• At least 2 years' experience in a management or

• supervisory role, preferably within a Microfinance Bank or retail banking

• environment.

• Experience managing branch operations, cash management,

• customer service, KYC processes, transaction processing and operational

• controls is strongly preferred.

• Experience with digital banking operations and

• technology-enabled financial services is an advantage.

• Core Competencies

• Banking

• and branch operations

• Cash

• and vault management

• Customer

• experience management

• KYC

• and account administration

• Transaction

• processing and reconciliation

• Operational

• risk and internal controls

• Complaint

• management and service recovery

• Process

• improvement and operational efficiency

• Digital

• banking operations

• Regulatory

• compliance

• Team

• leadership and people development

• Problem-solving

• and decision-making

• Attention

• to detail and operational discipline

• Performance Measures

• Zero

• or minimal unexplained cash differences and accurate daily cash/vault

• reconciliations.

• Account-opening

• and customer onboarding turnaround times.

• Transaction

• processing accuracy and turnaround times.

• Customer

• complaint resolution time and reduction in recurring complaints.

• Digital

• transaction exception and failed-transaction resolution time.

• Compliance

• with maker-checker and segregation-of-duties requirements.

• Timely

• reconciliation and resolution of operational exceptions.

• Closure

• of operational audit and regulatory findings within agreed timelines.

• Operational

• service availability and readiness for regulatory inspection.

• Customer

• satisfaction and service-quality indicators.

• Reduction

• in avoidable operational errors, delays and process exceptions.

• Effective

• performance and development of the Operations and Customer Experience

• team.

Benefits

• An opportunity to build and lead the operational engine of a
• growing Microfinance Bank, ensuring that customers experience reliable,
• efficient and professional banking services while the Bank maintains strong
• operational discipline and control. The role offers broad exposure to banking
• operations, customer experience, digital financial services and business
• transformation, together with a competitive compensation package aligned
• with the responsibilities and performance expectations of the position.