UN Policy Specialist (Digital Finance) Job Opportunities – United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Job Title: Policy Specialist (Digital Finance)
Organization: United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About US:
United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investment capital. UNCDF focuses on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. It provides seed capital – grants and loans – and technical support to help microfinance institutions reach more poor households and small businesses, and local governments finance the capital investments – water systems, feeder roads, schools, irrigation schemes – that will improve poor peoples’ lives.
Job Summary: The Policy Specialist will contribute to its digital ecosystem policy and regulatory agenda, directly supporting the UNCDF global network with sharp analysis, direct advice, training, and management of critical knowledge resources, which together enable ready technical assistance to policymakers and regulators in emerging markets. UNCDF is looking for an experienced Policy Specialist with related technical skills to contribute to the delivery of technical assistance to regulators and policy makers in East and North Africa. She/he will need to be well versed in the financial inclusion and / or digital innovation space and emerging trends in the regulation of financial technologies. The main outcome of this position is to use specific technical assistance activities to provide direct support to policymakers and regulators in East Africa.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Guide Policy Development through careful consideration of the policy choices, their potential market impact, and alignment with industry incentives.
- Ensure Evidence based decisions that uses systematically collected market data (both supply and demand) to inform regulation and guide policy priorities.
- Enable Constructive public/private dialogue that enables regular engagement among public and private stakeholders to discuss specific market constraints and public policy objectives. This also includes dialogue among regulators, to clarify jurisdictions, share data, and rally behind a common economic vision.
- Facilitate exposure to global practice so local regulators understand their choices in the context of emerging trends and how these can be applied (or avoided) in their domestic markets.
- Deepen familiarity with Inclusive DFS that helps different actors in the government to understand the broad impact DFS can have and various elements of the ecosystem that must come together for it to be inclusive. This baseline capacity building can help to accelerate the effectiveness of the activities.
- Under the direct responsibility of the Technical Specialist (Global Policy), the Policy Specialist- East Africa will be responsible for contributing to the application of the activities in up to 10 African markets. He/she will specifically:
- 50% – Contribute to the delivery of direct technical assistance to policymakers and regulators. S/he will provide the overall leadership, drive, direction, implementation and management of the digital activities. S/he will manage the relationships with stakeholders in country, including partners, the government, the UN system, UNCDF’s funders, etc.
- Actively participate in the delivery of Direct Technical Assistance to policymakers and regulators in East and North Africa, including (but not limited to) policy analysis, global benchmarking, and regulatory impact assessments.
- Help UNCDF programme to have an effective dialogue between government and private sector through policy advocacy, workshops and other related means.
- Engage with private sector actors to understand digital finance business models and to identify potential legal constraints
- Policy Analysis and Research of financial service laws and regulation relevant to digital financial services, to provide policy and regulatory recommendations to government counterparts.
- Draft reports and extensive written analysis based on country research and engagement with policymakers, regulators, and private sector stakeholders.
- Support UNCDF develop its policy and regulatory advocacy strategy to deliver more effective support to African Policymakers and Regulators
- Directly advise and support other UNCDF Digital Finance Specialists on how to make best use of global policy and regulatory resources that drive the digital finance agenda
- Participate in country level assessments and stakeholder engagement
- 25% – Manage knowledge management systems and activities. S/he will support the UNCDF policy team to share critical information with local and global partners to improve awareness and knowledge about the respective technical assistance activities.
- Support the Technical Specialist (Global Policy)develop and manage communications strategy for global policy activities
- Support Brussels based UNCDF’s communications team by providing technical input and guidance regarding policy related communications and public facing materials
- Provide technical insights and communications support to regional teams to ensure learnings are curated in a manner that can be shared with key partners
- Design and manage use of templates and standards of practice to ensure learnings from technical assistance can be easily identified and extracted to share with relevant partners.
- Develop collaboration tools and systems so regional teams can easily communicate, plan, and deliver technical assistance activities.
- 25% – Manage results measurement processes and systems. S/he will be responsible for ensuring critical information is captured from the respective technical assistance activities to improve effectiveness of delivery and capacity to share with UNCDF and global partners.
- Support Technical Specialist (Global Policy)based Results Measurement Specialist (both based in Brussels) to implement results measurement strategy for policy activities under the Digital@UNCDF strategy
- Support the tracking of contribution to policy and regulatory change to measure impact of technical assistance and capacity building, using systems and standards established by the Results Measurement Specialist
- Update and contribute to database of resources to ensure relevant laws, regulations, and country data is available for UNCDF global team and partners
- Collate and manage results of the policy technical assistance to enable regular reporting to donors and partners
- Outcome: A high performing efficiently-managed, monitored and evaluated technical assistance program that improves the capacity of regulators and policymakers to enable digital financial service. The creation of tools and resources that can help develop partners pursue their own policy and regulatory agendas. Establish UNCDF as a center of excellence for enabling policy and regulatory outcomes that support the SDG’s.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidate for the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) Policy Specialist (Digital Finance) job placement should a Master’s degree in Economics, Public/Business Administration, Social Sciences, Communications, or related discipline.
- At least five (5) years relevant and progressively experience working for financial service regulator or policymaking body;
- Experience in working with executive levels of government and private sector;
- Working knowledge of current developments including innovative data collection and reporting methods essential;
- Functional understanding of payment systems, banking, and other retail financial services;
- Proven experience leading country level research, assessments and stakeholder engagement;
- Proven experience building relationships with private sector actors to understand digital finance business models and to identify potential legal constraints;
- Previous experience working in emerging markets in Africa or Asia;
- Excellent attention to detail, a proactive approach to achieving key results, and a high level of thoroughness in a complex multitasking and matrix management environment;
- Proven track record of managing digital collaboration and knowledge management tools;
- Experience in project management and program management;
- Excellent written and oral communications skills;
- Willingness to travel up to 33% on average.
- Language: Fluency in written and spoken English a must; Knowledge of another UN Language is an asset.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work ( Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them)
- Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow ( Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them)
- People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction ( Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them)
- Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform ( Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them)
- Delivery: Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them)
Technical/Functional Competencies:
- Subject Matter Expertise: Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts related to digital innovation and regulation of financial inclusion
- Knowledge Management: Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge
- Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
- Relationship Management: Ability to engage and foster strategic partnerships with other parties, Inter-Agency Coordination and forge productive working relationships
- Advocacy: Brings visibility and sensitizes decision makers to relevant emerging issues
- Results Based Programming: Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates who so desire to join the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) in the aforementioned capacity should endeavor to Apply Online by Clicking on the link below. Please further review job requirements and if competent Click Apply Now.
Deadline: 15th March 2019
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