Job Title: Job reference: Responsible to: Location: Type: Salary: Head of Operations FFHO1 Managing Director Dalston, London Full Time, 37.5 hours a week 45k + 3% matching pension with 25 days of Annual Leave About Fair Finance Fair Finance is an award winning and fast growing social business tackling financial exclusion in London. We compete directly with usurious and predatory lenders through personal and business loans, offers people advice and support to manage their finances sustainably. We also campaign for change and are recognised as one of the most high impact community finance organisations in the UK. Over the last 10 years we have helped over 20,000 people avoid the clutches of high cost lenders such as doorstep lenders, payday lender and loan sharks. We helped grow businesses across London and saved thousands from eviction with timely debt advice In 2014 we were awarded a Big Society Award by the Prime Minister and won the Lender of Year Award from Credit Today. Fair Finance s founder Faisel Rahman has been honoured with an OBE for services to Community Finance. We ve achieved a lot and plan to do much more. Fair Finance has ambitious plans for the future, and we need people with the skills, experience, ideas and above all a positive or can-do attitude who can help us grow, expand and make finance more fair. About the role The Head of Operations role is a key leadership role at Fair Finance, responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the Company. The Head of Operations will work directly with the Managing Director, across the Senior Management Team as well with various board members. This is a challenging role whose responsibilities will include: Operational risk management: leading the Operations Team at Fair Finance which comprise 3-4 staff responsible for: IT systems and contracts; HR policies, training and advice; health and safety; security of offices and data; and operational finances; Compliance risk management: developing efficient and appropriate practices to ensure Fair Finance is compliant with relevant regulatory requirements and leading the relationship with the FCA; Human resource management: working with the CEO to maintain the company s strong organisational culture and positive working environment; overseeing HR processes, recruitment and development; Customer service management: managing the delivery of excellent and efficient customer service by working with product heads and our broader staff;
Operational planning: overseeing the branch network as well the key payment and IT systems of the company; Governance: having direct involvement in the governance of Fair Finance, including acting as Company Secretary and sitting on the operations and staffing committees The relevant person will be an Approved Person under the FCA certification regime. About you To be a successful Head of Operations you will be committed to Fair Finance s vision and excited by the challenge of revolutionising financial services to ensure everyone has a fair chance. You will understand the challenge of creating and scaling a well-run, customer-centric and efficient social business. You will be an effective project planner and problem solver who likes to ask why things are done the way they are and what can be done to constantly improve them. You will have a keen attention to detail, but also able to think and work strategically to affect change. You will likely be a perfectionist and committed to seeing Fair Finance being best run organisation in the sector. How to apply? Application is by CV and covering letter. Your letter should describe why you want to work for Fair Finance, and how your experience and skills meet the criteria in the job description. Closing date for applications: Friday October 30 th 2015 Email applications to recruitment@fairfinance.org.uk, quoting the job reference in the subject of the email and letter. We will contact you within 1 week if you have been shortlisted for the role.
Key responsibilities Operational Risk Management The relevant person will be expected to manage, supervise and oversee where appropriate: IT systems and contracts; HR policies and advice; health and safety; security of offices and data; and operational finances, including payments processing. Some of this will be done directly and some will be through management of Service Legal Agreements with external providers and third party contractors. The relevant person will sit on and be accountable to the Operations Committee. The relevant person will be expected to oversee the set up and management of the various branch offices from being involved in the negotiation of the leases, establishing phone and internet lines, ensuring each office is properly equipped at all times to maintaining clean and comfortable working environments and business continuity. Fair Finance relies on technology platforms and information systems to work efficiently and effectively. In addition access to client data needs to be secure across multiple locations. The relevant person will be responsible for to ensuring that the there effective data management and coordination across the organisation and lead of the development and rollout of a new enterprise solution to CRM, lending and advice. Compliance Risk Management A key driver of success for Fair Finance will be the relevant person s ability to develop efficient and appropriate practices to monitor the organisation s compliance against Consumer Credit, Health and Safety and Data Protection regulations as it grows. The relevant person will lead the relationship with the Company s regulator (the FCA), ensuring that Fair Finance obtains and maintains relevant consumer credit authorisation for its regulated activities, and has in place an adequate compliance monitoring and reporting framework to meet ongoing FCA requirements. Establishing appropriate internal financial controls will be part of this role, and the relevant person will be expected to work with the Finance Director to ensure adequate systems and controls are in place. Human Resource Management The relevant person will manage the Human Resource (HR) policies and procedures internally, line managing an HR and L&D coordinator, and managing the relationship with external HR advisors. They will be expected to work with senior managers to recruit, develop and build a positive working environment for staff, and with the CEO find ways to celebrate behaviours and success factors and building a strong culture in the organisation. Working with the CEO and Staffing Committee the relevant person will be responsible for updating policies, procedures and ensure good working practices are filtered throughout the organisation.
Customer Service Management The relevant person will be responsible for overseeing customer service. They will be expected to work with product heads and all staff to ensure customer satisfaction is monitored and actions taken as necessary. They will work to better understand the customer journey through Fair Finance and its services, and improve our offering. Key skills & experiences 1. Ethical fibre Fair Finance is a social business and as such achieving the sustainability targets must be achieved without compromising its social objectives. In this key decision making role, the ability to make the correct ethical and responsible decision that doesn t compromise Fair Finance or its clients will be very important. Doing this without undermining the business targets will be very challenging. 2. Staff and organisational management The relevant person will be responsible for working with senior product heads and must be able to demonstrate experience with working at a senior level and in motivating key staff to deliver. Being able to demonstrate how they could do this in an environment where rewards are not necessarily cash based but on achievements will be very important. In addition Fair Finance is a fast growing organisation with many different business parts, experience managing organisational complexity will be an advantage. 3. Branch management and development A key responsibility of this role will be managing the expansion of Fair Finance s branch network. The relevant person will have had to demonstrate experience or understanding of opening and rolling out a branch network. They will have to experience managing multiple sites and how to ensure office environments are well catered and supported. 4. Compliance & FCA A key risk in the business is managing compliance risk. Fair Finance is regulated by the FCA, and experience in understanding key aspects of consumer credit regulation and managing compliance systems and controls is essential. 5. Consumer credit and direct debit management Fair Finance is a consumer finance business that uses automated payments, BACs and direct debits to manage its payment systems. The relevant person will require some background in either retail transactions or consumer finance transactions to do job properly. 6. Customer service and customer experience
Fair Finance is a retail business. As such understanding and improving the customer journey will be a key part of making the business successful. The relevant person will have to explore ways of ensuring service quality is met, client journey s understood and client needs constantly reviewed. 7. Working in a small organisation Fair Finance is a small and developing organisation. As such many systems and processes are being developed as it grows. The relevant person will have to demonstrate experience or understanding that they are comfortable with creating solutions as needed, and working together with key managers to deliver.