Chief Operations Officer job at Cairo bank

Job Summary

To provide strategic leadership, oversight, and direction for the bank’s core operational infrastructure. The role is directly accountable for driving operational excellence, digital transformation, cost optimization, and robust internal controls. This ensures the seamless, safe, and efficient delivery of banking services across all customer touchpoints.

Reports to

Managing Director

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Development and Core Execution

• Formulate and co-author the long-term corporate strategy of Cairo Bank Uganda Limited as an active contributor to the Executive Management Committee (EXCO).
• Translate high-level board strategies into actionable, measurable operating plans and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all direct report functions.
• Establish cascading operational targets across departments to align daily back-office performance with the bank’s overarching growth and revenue objectives.
• Report operational readiness, capacity constraints, and strategic milestones directly to the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Directors.

Banking Operations Management & Resilience

• Champion operational excellence across central operations, clearing, cash management, trade finance, and branch support ecosystems.
• Institutionalize a continuous improvement culture by evaluating end-to-end banking workflows to eliminate bottlenecks and minimize operational risk.
• Ensure strict compliance with Bank of Uganda (BOU) regulations, anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks, and internal control policies across all operational workflows.

Strategic Project Management & Product Commercialization

• Oversee projects and product development to ensure the successful deployment of digital channels, core upgrades, and board-approved product suites.
• Bridge the gap between project delivery and Business-As-Usual (BAU) operations, minimizing operational friction during new product rollouts.
• Enforce rigorous post-implementation reviews to accurately track, measure, and report on benefits realization and return on investment (ROI) post-go-live.
• Govern cross-functional project teams to ensure complex transformations are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with security standards.

Process Automation & Structural Cost Efficiency

• Drive the bank’s digital optimization agenda by actively sponsoring automation initiatives that eliminate manual, paper-based work.
• Scale Straight-Through Processing (STP) capabilities across transaction cycles to significantly reduce turnaround times (TAT) and minimize human error.
• Deliver measurable cost savings by reducing the cost-to-serve through smart resource optimization and process re-engineering.
• Leverage operational data analytics to predict workflow capacity needs and eliminate redundant or costly operational steps.

Procurement, Administration & Capital Governance

• Exercise ultimate accountability for the bank’s procurement strategies, ensuring absolute transparency, integrity, and cost-competitiveness.
• Govern and sign off on Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operating Expenditure (OPEX) within delegated authority limits, ensuring maximum value for money.
• Architect the bank’s sourcing strategy, balancing an optimal mix of in-house capabilities and strategic outsourcing to drive structural cost optimization.
• Oversee vendor and contract management, ensuring third-party service providers rigidly adhere to SLAs, regulatory requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Supervise facility management, physical security, and corporate administration across the bank’s entire branch network and headquarters.

Leadership and Succession

• Provide inspiring executive leadership to direct reports and function heads, fostering a high-performance culture rooted in accountability and collaboration.
• Mentor and coach department heads, empowering them with the resources, strategic clarity, and authority needed to achieve their business goals.
• De-risk organizational talent gaps by designing and enforcing a robust succession plan, guaranteeing a minimum of one deployment-ready successor per critical role.
• Drive targeted skill development to prepare the operations workforce for digital banking and evolving regulatory demands.

Education.

• Minimum is a Bachelor Degree in relevant field.
• Professional Qualification / Masters are added advantage

Experience.

• Minimum of 10 years’ work experience with at least 3 years in a senior management position
• At least 5 years’ experience in operations management and financial services
• Experience leading large and diverse teams
• Successfully delivered large scale change programs

Skills and competencies.

• Strategic planning and implementation
• Operations management
• Financial management
• Risk management
• Project management
• Change management

• Formulate and co-author the long-term corporate strategy of Cairo Bank Uganda Limited as an active contributor to the Executive Management Committee (EXCO).
• Translate high-level board strategies into actionable, measurable operating plans and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all direct report functions.
• Establish cascading operational targets across departments to align daily back-office performance with the bank’s overarching growth and revenue objectives.
• Report operational readiness, capacity constraints, and strategic milestones directly to the Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, and the Board of Directors.
• Champion operational excellence across central operations, clearing, cash management, trade finance, and branch support ecosystems.
• Institutionalize a continuous improvement culture by evaluating end-to-end banking workflows to eliminate bottlenecks and minimize operational risk.
• Ensure strict compliance with Bank of Uganda (BOU) regulations, anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks, and internal control policies across all operational workflows.
• Oversee projects and product development to ensure the successful deployment of digital channels, core upgrades, and board-approved product suites.
• Bridge the gap between project delivery and Business-As-Usual (BAU) operations, minimizing operational friction during new product rollouts.
• Enforce rigorous post-implementation reviews to accurately track, measure, and report on benefits realization and return on investment (ROI) post-go-live.
• Govern cross-functional project teams to ensure complex transformations are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with security standards.
• Drive the bank’s digital optimization agenda by actively sponsoring automation initiatives that eliminate manual, paper-based work.
• Scale Straight-Through Processing (STP) capabilities across transaction cycles to significantly reduce turnaround times (TAT) and minimize human error.
• Deliver measurable cost savings by reducing the cost-to-serve through smart resource optimization and process re-engineering.
• Leverage operational data analytics to predict workflow capacity needs and eliminate redundant or costly operational steps.
• Exercise ultimate accountability for the bank’s procurement strategies, ensuring absolute transparency, integrity, and cost-competitiveness.
• Govern and sign off on Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operating Expenditure (OPEX) within delegated authority limits, ensuring maximum value for money.
• Architect the bank’s sourcing strategy, balancing an optimal mix of in-house capabilities and strategic outsourcing to drive structural cost optimization.
• Oversee vendor and contract management, ensuring third-party service providers rigidly adhere to SLAs, regulatory requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Supervise facility management, physical security, and corporate administration across the bank’s entire branch network and headquarters.
• Provide inspiring executive leadership to direct reports and function heads, fostering a high-performance culture rooted in accountability and collaboration.
• Mentor and coach department heads, empowering them with the resources, strategic clarity, and authority needed to achieve their business goals.
• De-risk organizational talent gaps by designing and enforcing a robust succession plan, guaranteeing a minimum of one deployment-ready successor per critical role.
• Drive targeted skill development to prepare the operations workforce for digital banking and evolving regulatory demands.

• Strategic planning and implementation
• Operations management
• Financial management
• Risk management
• Project management
• Change management

• Minimum is a Bachelor Degree in relevant field.
• Professional Qualification / Masters are added advantage