Executive Director

Executive Director

Job Purpose:

The Executive Director plays a pivotal role in enabling the JBA to fulfil its Mission of promoting a safe, sound, competitive and vibrant Banking Industry that supports Jamaica’s economic growth and development. The JBA secures cooperation among its members on matters of mutual interest, builds partnerships with regulators identifying opportunities to enhance safety, soundness and efficiency in the banking system and working with law enforcement to combat financial crime. The Executive Director supports the President, the Executive Council and the various committees of the JBA in executing against its strategic pillars of: advocacy, public education, stakeholder engagement and promoting the creation of an environment that stimulates economic growth and development. The Executive Director provides leadership, strategic and operational management geared towards the Association fulfilling its objectives in alignment with its strategic plan. In partnership with the President, Executive Council and committees of the JBA, the Executive Director will support and drive financial inclusion, encourage financial literacy and partner with ongoing education programs, facilitate financial system stability by working with policymakers and association members to align on common purpose-built policy instruments, support the development of government policies and regulations that foster growth, competition, innovation and consumer protection. The Executive Director will possess depth and breadth of experiences in the private sector, a deep understanding of financial services and the economy as a whole. The Executive Director will engage with private and public sector stakeholders around principles to support the strengthening of the financial system, the Jamaican economy and broader society.

Job Summary:

The Executive Director is charged with oversight of the overall affairs of the Association, oversees the strategic vision and leads business decisions to drive JBA’s growth. Strong collaboration is required with the Executive Council with a view to successfully implementing strategic plans for the JBA’s development and managing relationships with stakeholders.

Duties include:

• coordination and management of all joint activities of the Banking Sector; - supporting the President in a full range of activities including but not limited to the administration and operation of the JBA’s programmes, planning, budget and operations;
• coordination and management of all joint activities of the Banking Sector;
• supporting the President in a full range of activities including but not limited to the administration and operation
• under the leadership and guidance of the President and Directors, the Executive Director sets the future direction of the sector and provides critical oversight reporting to the President and executive management team;
• contributing to the formulation of policy;
• serving as the critical link between the System, the Public and the head of DTIs;
• responsibility for the JBA’s corporate governance function;
• maintenance of an effective system of internal auditing procedures and controls;
• advancing collaboration and coordination of member entities and critical stakeholders;
• making key contributions to monetary and fiscal policy discussions as a key link between the DTIs, regulators and the private sector;
• overseeing all operations and business activities to ensure they produce results that are consistent with the overall vision, mission and objectives of the JBA;
• driving innovation and institutional change as the JBA executes its mandate;
• ensuring regular reporting to the Executive Council on organizational activities in keeping with the established meeting cadences and protocols.

Accountabilities:

Executive Leadership/Board Support

• Develop and direct the Association’s strategy and provide strategic and technical support to the President as required;
• Establish KPIs for measuring success attained against strategic objectives;
• Arrange and coordinate JBA’s annual programme of work, including the annual Strategic Planning Sessions;
• Provide support to the Association’s Directors on JBA matters where necessary;
• Ensure that the Board is fully informed of all critical issues in a timely fashion and afforded the opportunity for discussion when their decision/approval is required;
• Represent the JBA as Chief Liaison Officer with other Associations;
• Coordinate initiatives led by the Chairs of the JBA Sub-Committees;
• Organize and coordinate the JBA’s Executive Council meetings and AGMs
• Ensure complete and accurate JBA records including financials, Minutes of meetings, position papers etc. are maintained;
• Ensure compliance with the Bylaws of the JBA and ensure these are kept relevant and current as required;
• Overall coordination of initiatives requiring the attendance of members of the JBA Executive;
• Ensure all Finance, Administration, HR, Operations and other services provided to the JBA are appropriately streamlined and executed with adherence to relevant policies and procedures;
• Forge and maintain trusting relationships with shareholders, partners and external authorities;
• Devise remedial actions for any identified issues and conduct crisis management as required;
• Keep abreast of financial and regulatory developments affecting the sector.
• ·

Administration, Programme Management and Finance:

• Monitor secretariat operations and ensure employees and business practices consistently comply with regulatory and legal requirements;
• Provides oversight and direction for the Administration, Research and Finance functions of the Association;
• Coordinate annual internal and external audits with risk reporting to the Board of Directors;
• Direct Budget requirements for initiatives and events and coordinate annual budget planning for the Association and committees;
• Plan and guide initiatives and programmes to build the institutional strength of the JBA and the Banking Industry;
• Secure expert professional guidance to ensure JBA’s activities are strategically aligned to its goals in order to accelerate its mandate and strengthen its visibility and relevance in the economy.

Advocacy:

• Engage appropriate Government and regulatory agencies on relevant banking issues;
• Champion a regulatory framework that is both uniform and responsive to changing needs, providing equivalent consumer protection, data security standards and prudential oversight across all financial services providers;
• Advocate for Banking Regulations to be responsive to the needs of the sector and kept relevant thereby ensuring customers are appropriately served;
• Champion innovation in financial services and advance Jamaica’s competitiveness while promoting financial inclusion and expanded access to banking services that drive the economy;
• Develop and advance financial inclusion efforts by promoting the need for banks to continue to evolve, compete and innovate to meet customer needs;
• Advance the message of the role of DTIs in combatting financial crimes;
• Chair and advance financial education programs and enlist resources to help strengthen the financial education and well-being of the communities in which we operate;
• Define position papers to inform stakeholders of the value of a safe and sound banking industry;
• Promote the public awareness of industry issues as outlined in JBA’s strategic priorities;
• Champion the advancement of a modern a digital economy.

Public Relations/Communication:

• Prepare Briefs, speeches and press releases as required, creatively crafting messaging about JBA’s mandate, position statements etc. to the public and other interest groups and industry stakeholders;
• Enhance the visibility of the JBA representing the Association at social and corporate events in ways that strengthen the brand, communicate the JBA’s key messages and manage industry initiatives and activities;
• Build effective strategic relationships with various associations beyond the PSOJ and develop meaningful partnerships with stakeholders, industry regulators and other relevant parties;
• Engage with community and other special interest groups as the JBA’s public relations representative, in ways that strengthen its profile;
• Actively promote and maintain positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Own content management and establish an effective digital media presence for the JBA to facilitate knowledge transfer, education and communication.

JBA President and Executive Council:

• Work alongside all JBA Sub-Committee Chairs/Co-Chairs in the implementation of plans and strategies, business cases, white papers and position papers to advance the financial sector’s  transformation and inclusivity;
• Keep President and Executive committees informed concerning all Sub-Committee matters;
• Represent JBA on all selected committees (Parliamentary, Regulatory, Regional (CAB)) where appropriate.
• Prepare JBA sector reports for PSOJ Executive Committee meetings reports on internal and external stakeholder meetings
• Preparing all high-level correspondence from the JBA

Education//Knowledge/Experience/Competencies and Skills:

• Mastery in Banking and Finance and Economic Affairs
• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience or demonstrated high level of success in a related area in the private sector or government.
• Extensive financial sector industry experience and knowledge
• Knowledge of financial products, services and consumer views Ability to function in an
• ambiguous and complex environment
• In-depth knowledge of the Banking Services Act and Regulations
• Familiarity with the Data Protection Act
• In depth knowledge of corporate governance principles and managerial best practices
• Strong project management capabilities

Required Skills:

• Proven track record of successful execution of strategy at the leadership level
• Strong strategic thinking capabilities
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
• Critical thinker with sound technical abilities
• Commercially astute and effective decision making skills
• A forward thinker with a bias for innovation
• Appreciation of digital, technology and key developments relating to the evolution of the banking industry
• Excellent communication (oral/written) and public speaking skills
• Outstanding interpersonal, influencing and networking skills

Working Conditions:

• Flexible work arrangements; non-standard hours are a common occurrence.
• The work environment is dynamic, fast paced and characterized by the need to respond quickly to changing and sometimes conflicting priorities
• The position is primarily non-physical; however, periodic travel is required for business purposes.
• Ability to work with tight deadlines
• Extended work with the computer
• Some deliverables may require work outside of normal hours
• Meetings and other duties may require visits to off-site locations