PMO/IT Projects Manager job at ASA Microfinance (U) Ltd

Background

ASA Microfinance Uganda Ltd (ASA Uganda) is a for-profit, non-deposit taking Microfinance Institution, operating as a microfinance company and regulated by the Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA). ASA Microfinance Uganda Ltd is also a member of the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Uganda (AMFIU). ASA Uganda commenced operations in 2013. ASA Uganda is a subsidiary of ASA International, one of the world’s largest international microfinance institutions globally and operates in 13 countries in Africa and Asia. The company was listed in the premium segment on the London Stock Exchange in July ’2018. ASA Microfinance (U) Ltd is seeking for professional, confident, self-motivated, and committed team players to reinforce its capacity by filling the following vacant positions:

Job Purpose

To lead the IT Project Management Office (PMO), ensuring effective governance, delivery excellence, resource optimization, risk control, and benefits realization across all IT & Digital transformation initiatives in support of ASA's digital transformation agenda.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

PMO Governance & Portfolio Management (20% weighting):

• Establish and enforce project governance frameworks, standards, and delivery methodologies.
• Oversee the enterprise IT project portfolio, ensuring alignment with ASA digital transformation objectives.
• Maintain visibility of project interdependencies, priorities, and delivery timelines.
• Ensure consistent application of project management disciplines (scope, schedule, cost, quality).

Digital Transformation Delivery (30% weighting):

• Coordinate end-to-end delivery of Digital Transformation initiatives.
• Oversee integration of legacy systems with new digital platforms (USSD, mobile, APIs).
• Supervise testing, cutover planning, deployment, and stabilization activities.
• Ensure business readiness and successful transition into production environments.

Resource Optimization (15% weighting):

• Optimize allocation of internal and external project resources across initiatives.
• Manage capacity planning to balance demand across IT and business teams.
• Oversee vendor performance, ensuring delivery against contractual obligations and milestones.
• Drive cost efficiency and effective utilization of project resources.

Risk, Dependency & Benefits Management (25% weighting):

• Identify, track, and mitigate project risks, issues, and cross-project dependencies.
• Maintain an enterprise project risk register with escalation of critical issues.
• Define, track, and report on benefits realization aligned to business cases.
• Ensure value delivery is measured and validated post-implementation.
• Drive commercialization initiatives for delivered digitalization products.

Stakeholder Engagement, Reporting & PMO Maturity (10% weighting):

• Provide structured reporting and dashboards to management.
• Manage stakeholder alignment across IT, business, operations, and vendors/consultants.
• Support business implementation and change management activities for new systems/enhancements.
• Drive continuous improvement of PMO processes, tools, and delivery maturity.
• Lead, coach and develop direct reports, define performance targets, conduct appraisals, and drive accountability.

Ideal Job Specifications:

Academic qualifications:

University degree in Information technology/Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Telecommunications/Project Management or related field.

Professional training:

Training and/or certification in: Project Management e.g. Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2; IT Service Management e.g. ITIL, COBIT; Enterprise IT Governance e.g. CGEIT.

Desired work experience:

Five years' experience in IT Projects or Service delivery management in medium-to-large organizations. Experience in Banking/Microfinance environment is an added advantage.

Technical Competencies:

• Ability to develop structured execution plans, manage enterprise project portfolios, enforce governance frameworks, and apply suitable combinations of methodologies (e.g. Agile, PRINCE2, Lean, etc) ensuring delivery of complex transformation initiatives.
• Ability to identify, track, and mitigate project risks, manage cross-project dependencies, and ensure delivery continuity.
• Capability to define, measure, and report project benefits against business cases, including cost-benefit and value delivery analysis.
• Experience managing multi-stakeholder environments, third-party vendors, and business change/implementation processes.
• Strong skills in project reporting, dashboards, and communication of project health (scope, time, cost, risk).
• Practical understanding of CBS, DFS and systems integration implementations.

Behavioural Competencies:

• Strong soft skills to lead cross-functional teams, influence stakeholders, and drive accountability.
• Clear, structured communication skills with the ability to engage senior management, business leaders, consultants, and technical teams effectively.
• Strong critical thinking skills to resolve complex delivery challenges, dependencies, and trade-offs.
• Focused on delivery outcomes, benefits realization, and meeting agreed project commitments.
• Ability to operate effectively in high-pressure, fast-changing transformation environments.

• Establish and enforce project governance frameworks, standards, and delivery methodologies.
• Oversee the enterprise IT project portfolio, ensuring alignment with ASA digital transformation objectives.
• Maintain visibility of project interdependencies, priorities, and delivery timelines.
• Ensure consistent application of project management disciplines (scope, schedule, cost, quality).
• Coordinate end-to-end delivery of Digital Transformation initiatives.
• Oversee integration of legacy systems with new digital platforms (USSD, mobile, APIs).
• Supervise testing, cutover planning, deployment, and stabilization activities.
• Ensure business readiness and successful transition into production environments.
• Optimize allocation of internal and external project resources across initiatives.
• Manage capacity planning to balance demand across IT and business teams.
• Oversee vendor performance, ensuring delivery against contractual obligations and milestones.
• Drive cost efficiency and effective utilization of project resources.
• Identify, track, and mitigate project risks, issues, and cross-project dependencies.
• Maintain an enterprise project risk register with escalation of critical issues.
• Define, track, and report on benefits realization aligned to business cases.
• Ensure value delivery is measured and validated post-implementation.
• Drive commercialization initiatives for delivered digitalization products.
• Provide structured reporting and dashboards to management.
• Manage stakeholder alignment across IT, business, operations, and vendors/consultants.
• Support business implementation and change management activities for new systems/enhancements.
• Drive continuous improvement of PMO processes, tools, and delivery maturity.
• Lead, coach and develop direct reports, define performance targets, conduct appraisals, and drive accountability.

• Ability to develop structured execution plans, manage enterprise project portfolios, enforce governance frameworks, and apply suitable combinations of methodologies (e.g. Agile, PRINCE2, Lean, etc) ensuring delivery of complex transformation initiatives.
• Ability to identify, track, and mitigate project risks, manage cross-project dependencies, and ensure delivery continuity.
• Capability to define, measure, and report project benefits against business cases, including cost-benefit and value delivery analysis.
• Experience managing multi-stakeholder environments, third-party vendors, and business change/implementation processes.
• Strong skills in project reporting, dashboards, and communication of project health (scope, time, cost, risk).
• Practical understanding of CBS, DFS and systems integration implementations.
• Strong soft skills to lead cross-functional teams, influence stakeholders, and drive accountability.
• Clear, structured communication skills with the ability to engage senior management, business leaders, consultants, and technical teams effectively.
• Strong critical thinking skills to resolve complex delivery challenges, dependencies, and trade-offs.
• Focused on delivery outcomes, benefits realization, and meeting agreed project commitments.
• Ability to operate effectively in high-pressure, fast-changing transformation environments.

• University degree in Information technology/Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Telecommunications/Project Management or related field.
• Training and/or certification in: Project Management e.g. Project Management Professional (PMP), PRINCE2; IT Service Management e.g. ITIL, COBIT; Enterprise IT Governance e.g. CGEIT.