Digital Finance Service (DFS) Specialist at UNDP

UNDP

Position: Digital Finance Service (DFS) Specialist

Application Deadline: September, 21/2023

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries (LDCs). With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers ‘last mile’ finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. 

UNCDF leverages digital finance in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve the vision of promoting inclusive digital economies. On that basis, the Inclusive Digital Economies Practice Area (IDE) of UNCDF adopted the strategy of ‘Leave No One Behind in the Digital Era’, which is based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. The goal of UNCDF is to empower millions of people by 2024 to use digital services, which improve their quality of life and accelerate our progress towards sustainable development goals (SDGs) and offer partnerships in innovative financing.

Recently, UNCDF has formulated its strategy ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ based on over a decade of experience in digital finance in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. UNCDF recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion in support of the Sustainable Development Goals aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies that leave no one behind. The vision of UNCDF is to empower millions of people by 2024 to use services daily that leverage innovation and technology and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. For further details on UNCDF strategy, refer to; https://www.uncdf.org/article/4931/global-strategy-leaving-no-one-behind-in-the-digital-era. 

Duties and Responsibilities

UNCDF has been operating in Ethiopia since 1982 through its different programs focused on expanding access to financial inclusion. As part of UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economies Programme (IDE), UNCDF is implementing the Digital Financial Service for Resilience programme in Ethiopia with two broader objectives: 1) To improve digital finance policies and regulations to provide early response to emergencies and create an enabling environment to economic recovery; 2) To create and strengthen digital finance ecosystems that support low-income individuals in particular women and youth; and MSMEs to mitigate immediate shocks of emergencies and seize economic opportunities.  

In Ethiopia, UNCDF has partnered with government and private sector players in the country to implement the programme. UNCDF is in the process of implementing digital financial literacy project to enhance digital skills and financial literacy in the country to increase adoption of digital financial services. 

The DFS Specialist will support achieving these goals as a Digital Finance expert based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The DFS Specialist's responsibilities will cover the following broad functional areas: 

• Provide technical advice to advance the digital economy and digital finance ecosystem in Ethiopia

• Identify stakeholders and implementation partners for the development of projects and innovation challenges for the projects assigned to the post holder;

• Lead the implementation of projects assigned and work closely with industry players (financial institutions and others) while providing technical inputs to the implementation of the overall programme;

• Review and ensure technical soundness and cost-effectiveness of project activities;

• Coordinate, facilitate, and support the technical advice for the implementation of assigned projects:

• The initial projects are DFS working group, digital supply chain finance for MSMEs in Ethiopia, coordination of training and capacity building project, Training, and capacity building for FSPs in humanitarian and others as the DFS program expands in the country;

• Coordinate and work closely with other colleagues on the development and facilitation of training, and networking events with external stakeholders;

• Facilitate follow-up and monitoring of partners and field visits;

• Liaise and supervise project implementing partners to ensure that UNCDF programmatic policies and procedures are applied consistently, and projects are implemented in accordance with Project description and relevant KPIs;

• Increase the visibility of UNCDF and its partner’s work in close cooperation with the Knowledge Management and Communication team;

• Technical advice to DFS providers and FinTechs to develop or scale products that contribute to the increase of women’s financial inclusion such as integrated innovations, women’s access to mobile phones and/or digital/financial literacy. Development and usage of microcredit, saving, and insurance products.

• Development of Partnerships and relationship building with public and private stakeholders: 

• Responsible for the management of stakeholders and partners in the assigned projects;

• Identification of stakeholders and implementation partners for the undertaking of various outputs and activities;

• Liaise and collaborate with the finance sector players, service providers and regulators for the delivery of the project outputs;

• Liaison with other relevant government and relevant partners/stakeholders, UNCDF-supported project colleagues, regarding the project, including sharing information about trends, issues and results in the thematic area, to coordinate and utilize resources effectively and efficiently.

• Facilitation and collaboration on knowledge building and communication :

• Prepare and implement the project’s knowledge and communication plans;

• Initiation of tailored research(es) in search of practical alternatives and innovative approaches for assigned projects in the country or out of the country;

• Support the development of governance structure and system for knowledge development and communication - promoting platforms for sharing of best practices, data and learning for access by partners and stakeholders;

• Coordinate with the DFS working group of the finance sector that is supported by UNCDF for knowledge sharing, peer learning and information dissemination;

• Develop internal and external communications materials such as briefing notes, blog posts and videos to share relevant information and insights;

• Track evidence related to emerging trends in digital financial service enablers that may complement the work being done in the country;

• Prepare technical documents such as Requests for Applications for partners, Presentations, meeting minutes, project documents, project workbooks, and others as may be required. 

Monitoring and evaluation:

• Monitoring the progress of implementation of project activities and key event schedules observing the work plans and setting deadlines including monitoring of implementation organizations and service providers;

• Preparing project progress reports (progress against planned activities, an update on risks issues, …) and ensuring timely submission of the reports;

• Focus on impact and results for clients and stakeholders.

Other:

• Demonstrates openness to change, ability to manage complex organizations and resolve problems;

• Other activities as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Institutional Arrangement

• The DFS Specialist will join the UNCDF IDE Ethiopia Country team and will work closely with the country team, and country partners as needed, and report to the UNCDF Ethiopia, Digital Finance Country Lead. 

• The contract is initially for 12 months with the possibility of renewal based on programmatic needs, satisfactory performance, and fund availability.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, that have a lasting impact. 

• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, and develop new ideas to solve complex problems. 

• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, and diversify experiences.

• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, and manage multiple competing demands. 

• Act with Determination LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate tasks/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate the complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate the benefits of a diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Technical and cross-functional Competencies:

• Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgment to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact other parts of the system.

Business Management:

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

• Digital Awareness and Literacy: Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.

• Partnerships Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

Digital & Innovation:

• Digital ecosystems: Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society.

• Digital business analysis: Ability to support digital business processes across a range of digital projects, programmes, and activities.

• Innovation management: Being able to create the strategies, conditions, structures and systems to enable innovation at an organizational level.

• Ability to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity is able to manage projects-based principles of adaptation and emergence. 

• Ability to shape demand for innovation services, navigate political constraints and make the case for allocation of resources to innovation, connect the appropriate innovation approaches based on business needs and make the case for innovation to be integrated at the planning level within their context. Having in-depth theoretical and experiential knowledge of innovation processes, methods, and capabilities.

Job requirement

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Economics, Project Management, Management, Banking and Finance, Data Analytics, or a similar field is required;

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in a relevant field with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years (with a Master's degree) or 9 years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in the areas of financial services (digital), distribution, supply chain management, business administration, or related experiences. 

Required Skills:

• Experience in working with the implementation of branch-less banking and mobile financial services projects is mandatory;

• Experience working with private sector or international organizations in Africa. Demonstrated experience building partnerships, either public-private partnerships or between private sector players is mandatory;

• Experience working on DFS projects in rural areas or related to agriculture/ Value Chain finance, merchant payment, distribution network or G2P payments or similar projects;

• Experience in supporting a team and/or leading the development of DFS products at any capacity;

• Demonstrated ability in interacting and adapting communications with regard to different stakeholders;

• Experience in designing and delivering capacity building/training for different groups of audiences and stakeholders;

• Strong and proven problem-solving skills;

• Excellent communication, report writing and analytical skills. 

Desired Skills

• Experience designing or building data systems;

• Experience designing and piloting DFS products in peri-urban and rural geographies;

• Experience in writing business cases, project and programme documents or similar types of documents;

• Experience in capacity building and/or advisory services to private and public actors;

• Experience working with regulators in the Central Bank on digital financial services.

Languages:

• Proficiency in written and verbal English is mandatory. Knowledge of other local languages used in Ethiopia is a requirement.

How to Apply

Register using this LINK