About Us

Karandaaz Pakistan (KRN) is a not-for-profit organization, based out of Islamabad, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017. The entity has been seeded by the Enterprise and Asset Growth Programme of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and our digital finance initiatives are being funded by the Gates Foundation.

Karandaaz is guided by the vision of Investing for Shared Prosperity, and driven by the mission to enhance the capabilities of the financial and digital ecosystem through investments, innovations, and strategic partnerships for inclusive, green, and sustainable growth.

Karandaaz Capital aims to support the development of a market for MSME financing by deepening access to growth capital for MSMEs that will result in the generation of broad-based employment in Pakistan and financial returns for Karandaaz. KRN makes investments that are categorized into four buckets: Direct Investments, Wholesale Investments, Strategic Investments, and Green Investments. These investments help develop pilot investment models, identify new investment avenues, and generate learning for commercial capital providers.

Position Summary 

This role acts as the Project Management Office (PMO) for the CIC team and works closely with the departmental head to ensure all streams within the department continue to operate smoothly.

Job Responsibilities

The core functions and responsibilities include the following:

Strategic Planning and Leadership Support

• Assist in preparing materials for strategy reviews, learning sessions, briefings, and submissions to the CIO, sponsors, Investment Committee, and the Board of Directors.
• Support the development of annual program work plans and strategic plans through effective portfolio planning.
• Help with annual planning, work plan development, budgeting, and implementation of strategic goals.
• Assist in accurate budgeting and accounting of expenditures, ensuring compliance with program policies and procedures.
• Help ensure compliance with established portfolio management governance and processes, including quarterly reviews and annual planning.

Program Monitoring & Coordination

• Support the monitoring and follow-up of investment program initiatives in progress.
• Collaborate closely with all teams to provide program management coordination.
• Assist in the development of effective dashboards and processes for rolling out investment projects.
• Provide support for backend processes with internal stakeholders.
• Assist in producing program reports for management and stakeholders.
• Support the team in prioritizing project tasks to meet deadlines.
• Aid in establishing a robust monitoring mechanism throughout the investment lifecycle to ensure proactive issue resolution.
• Assist in overseeing the implementation of work plans and tracking the progress of various projects.
• Work closely with project sponsors and cross-functional teams to plan and implement project scope, deliverables, resources, work plans, budgets, and timing for new initiatives.
• Help maintain overall program structure and management processes to ensure successful completion of projects.
• Act as a central point of contact for interdepartmental and cross-departmental communication and reporting.

Eligibility

A preferred candidate will need to have:

Education & Experience

• Bachelors/Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related discipline from a reputable institution.
• At least 2-4 years of relevant experience in program/project management.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of donor-funded programs is desirable
• Knowledge of and practice in monitoring and evaluation principles and approaches
• Knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and synthesis.
• Good working knowledge of MS Office Suite
• Excellent report writing and communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent stakeholder management
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to meet deadlines and understand policy compliance

Culture and Values at Karandaaz

Karandaaz culture is guided by our values of Integrity, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Appreciation, and Learning Acumen (IDEAL). These values shape our choices on what we do and how we do it, both with colleagues internally and partners externally. We also believe that we are all responsible for creating a great place to work and are constantly looking to hire individuals who bring the same level of passion and commitment to the purpose of the organization.

Karandaaz is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications by all population groups