UNCDF Jobs - 61409- Programme Specialist, Better Than Cash Alliance (M

Programme Specialist, Better Than Cash Alliance (Member Services, Private Sector) UNCDF

Advertised on behalf of

UNCDF

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2016

Application Deadline :

19-Nov-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year (renewable)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. 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.

Background

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries (LDCs). It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to inclusive finance 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 can provide seed capital both grants and loans as well as technical support that will improve poor peoples’ lives.

UNCDF works to enlarge peoples’ choices: it believes that poor people and communities should take decisions about their own development. UNCDF works in challenging environments – remote rural areas, countries emerging from conflict – and paves the way for others to follow. Its programmes are designed to catalyze larger investment flows from the private sector, development partners and national governments, for significant impact on the SDGs. Established by the General Assembly in 1966 and with headquarters in New York, UNCDF is an autonomous UN organization affiliated with UNDP.

The Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of governments, companies and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.

Billions of dollars in cash payments and transfers are made daily in emerging and developing economies, including payment of salaries, social welfare and relief, payments to suppliers, remittances, etc. The problems with these cash payments include a lack of transparency, accountability and security, as well as inefficiency. Furthermore, the individuals who receive the cash payments are often part of the 2 billion excluded from the formal financial sector. This means they are excluded from access to a range of appropriate and affordable financial services to help them save safely, take advantage of economic opportunities and reduce their vulnerability to risk.

Shifting these payments from cash to digital has the potential to improve the lives of low-income people, particularly women, while giving governments, the development community and the private sector a more transparent, time and cost efficient, and often safer means of disbursing payments.

The Better Than Cash Alliance partners with governments, companies, and international organizations that are the key drivers behind the transition to make digital payments widely available by:

Advocating for the transition from cash to digital payments in a way that advances financial inclusion and promotes responsible digital finance;
Conducting research and sharing the experiences of our members to inform strategies for making the transition;
Catalyzing the development of inclusive digital payments ecosystems in member countries to reduce costs, increase transparency, advance financial inclusion-- particularly for women-- and drive inclusive growth.

The Better Than Cash Alliance (BTCA) is looking to hire a Programme Specialist for Private Sector members who will work under the direction of the Programme Manager, Member Services, to deliver services to members. For more information on BTCA, please visit the website:

http://www.betterthancash.org/

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions

Member Relationship Management:

Develop and maintain relationships with private sector members, serving as the primary focal point for communications to and from private members. Create a supportive network for catalyzing inclusive digital payments ecosystems for private sector members through engaging appropriate global, regional and national players.

Operations:

As part of the Member Services team, contribute to the design and delivery of services to support private sector member efforts to digitize payments, ensuring that they are efficiently-implemented, managed, monitored and evaluated, meeting or exceeding all targets.

Knowledge Management:

Integrate knowledge sharing into all aspects of Member Services in collaboration with the Research and Knowledge Specialist and Communications Specialist.

Advocacy and Representation:

Under direction of the Programme Manager: Member Services Manager and the Government and Corporate Relations Specialist, contribute to advocacy and representation efforts for the Better Than Cash Alliance to expand membership and build support from funders, policy makers and other stakeholders.

Member Relationship Management: Develop and maintain relationships with private sector members. Serve as the primary focal point for communications to and from members. Create a supportive network for catalyzing inclusive digital payments ecosystems for private sector members through engaging appropriate global, regional and national players:

Identify the current challenges for private sector members and seek opportunities to support each member’s progress appropriately and in a timely manner within the scope of BTCA services;
Create a supportive network for catalyzing inclusive digital payments ecosystems for private sector members, connecting the knowledge, skills and activities of appropriate global, regional and national players;
Engage in regular communication with private sector members;
Develop pipeline of potential members in partnership with the Programme Manager: Member Services and the Government and Corporate Relations Specialist.

Operations Management: As part of the Member Services team, contribute to the design and delivery of services to support private sector member efforts to digitize payments, ensuring that they are efficiently-implemented, managed, monitored and evaluated, meeting or exceeding all targets:

Work in close collaboration with the Member Services team and digital financial specialists to ensure all members receive high quality services, including: digital payments ecosystem convening events; training workshops for those with strategic responsibility for payments; peer learning events; and/or working groups including members and other stakeholders such as digital financial payments experts;
Develop and implement processes for managing delivery of all types of member services and ensuring members are applying learning. Assess member satisfaction;
Prepare quarterly portfolio reporting. Prepare mid-year and annual progress reports and others as directed by the Programme Manager: Member Services.

Knowledge Management: Integrate knowledge sharing into all aspects of Member Services in collaboration with the Research and Knowledge Specialist and Communications Specialist:

In collaboration with the Research and Knowledge Specialist, design and implement a peer learning agenda and a knowledge sharing strategy among private sector Alliance members;
Develop knowledge products to support the capacity building of private sector members of the Alliance and the wider inclusive digital payments sector;
As part of the BTCA team, develop and manage quantitative and qualitative monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements for members, keeping the BTCA team abreast of their status, achievements, challenges and opportunities;
Ensure that BTCA is able to report against programmatic results indicators for private sector members.

Advocacy and Representation: Under direction of the Programmer Manager: Member Services and in partnership with the Government and Corporate Relations Specialist, contribute to advocacy and representation efforts for the Better Than Cash Alliance to build support from a range of stakeholders including policy makers and funders:

Manage relationships with private sector members, technical partners and country members both diplomatically and effectively;
Undertake speaking and representation engagements for the Better Than Cash Alliance and UNCDF as directed;
Develop strategies as part of the team to expand membership and implement the Member Services strategy and annual work plans.

Impact of Results

The key result expected is the successful implementation and attainment of targets of the Better Than Cash Alliance Member Services, including coordination with/reporting to all stakeholders, the Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) in UNCDF and the funders of the programme.

The Member Services Specialist for Private Sector members will pursue the following key results of the programme:

Delivery of a range of member services to private companies and that increases their capacity to deliver end user-focused digital payment technologies replacing cash;
BTCA members make a significant improvement globally in the number of low-income and poor people served by innovative payment technologies, including those that were previously unbanked.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Professional:

Proven ability to manage projects and teams;
Ensures the full implementation of a project and the financial resources to obtain results;
Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives;
Makes effective use of UNCDF’s and other BTCA member resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships;
Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations;
Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;
Promotes the Member Services as a learning/knowledge sharing programme;
Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and persuades management to undertake new projects or services.

Technical:

Working knowledge of payment technologies, including innovative payment methods (e.g., mobile financial services, pre-paid/reloadable/other cards, etc.);
Working knowledge of policy, legal and regulatory issues related to inclusive payment technologies;
Understanding of key issues and international good practice relating to financial inclusion;
Ability to translate complex technical ideas to a non-technical audience in both verbally and in writing;
Effective builder of partnership with a range of stakeholders including governments and private sector, and international organizations;
Excellent presentation and representation skills in multicultural contexts.

Core Competencies:

Demonstrates ethics and integrity;
Demonstrates political acumen and calculated risk taking;
Builds and promotes effective teams and partnerships;
Creates and promotes open communication;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Conducts fair and transparent decision making;
Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability;
Shows strong corporate commitment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree (or equivalent) in economics, finance, public/business administration, social sciences, or a related field;
A Bachelors degree with an additional two years of relevant professional experience would also meet this requirement.

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in progressively responsible positions in digital payments, financial services, financial inclusion or a related field;
Working knowledge of current developments in innovative payment methods e.g. mobile financial services, pre-paid cards, etc. essential;
Professional experience with the private sector in developing and emerging economies and experience in payments, technology or telecommunications highly desirable;
Experience in managing projects and corresponding budgets highly desirable;
Experience facilitating working groups and organizing/leading training sessions/workshops highly desirable;
Working knowledge of policy, legal and regulatory issues related to inclusive payment technologies desirable.

Language:

Fluency in spoken and written English;
Fluency in spoken and written Spanish or French is desirable.

Note:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload (as a *pdf attachment) the completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded fromhttp://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx Completion of all the fields is required.

Please group all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.