Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.  A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position. Three writing samples.

Travel:  As this is a home-based assignment, travel is unforeseen. However, should travel occur, travel costs shall be
covered by UNCDF.
Office/Unit/Project Description:

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.

The UNCDF digital agenda for migration and remittances falls within the organization’s broader global strategy, set forth in 2019, of “Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era.” This vision is to empower millions of
people by 2024 to use services daily that leverage innovation and technology and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. Through a market development approach, UNCDF continuously seeks to
address underlying market dysfunctions. The Programme contributes to, and benefits from, this overarching corporate mandate. The Programme is administered by UNCDF with funding from the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation, or SDC, and Sida, the Swedish International Development Agency.

UNCDF’s Migration and Remittances for Development Programme, or the Programme, aims at contributing to sustainable development by making remittances more accessible and affordable, while helping build
resilience for migrants and their families. For both sending and receiving countries, the Programme seeks to increase the share of migrant remittances flowing through formal channels, thereby giving policymakers at
both ends greater visibility into the true picture of inbound and outbound financial flows. For remittances service providers, the Programme seeks to build the capacity to understand the financial needs and
preferences of migrants and their families, and to design and deliver responsive products accordingly. For migrants themselves, the Programme aims not only to lower the costs and increase the safety and
convenience of sending money, but also to link remittances to a broader suite of financial services—including insurance, savings, pensions, investments, and credit—that can help them reach their goals. The Programme
recognizes digitization as the key to achieving these objectives.

Due to existing regulatory arbitrage between countries, different levels of infrastructure developments and differences in other remittances related procedures, seamless cross-border remittance operations is a
challenge across a number of countries and regional economic communities (RECs). Licensing and authorization requirements for remittance service providers (RSPs), for instance, tend to differ, hence making it a major
barrier for RSPs to cross borders and provide the much-needed cross-border remittances. Regional cooperation is therefore of paramount importance in addressing cross-border remittance barriers and in advancing
digitalization of remittances.

At the highest level, regional and national policies are the foundation and starting point upon which regional harmonisation can be done. The policies have to promote the common interests and address common
challenges for ease of adoption and implementation at both regional and country levels. Harmonised policies form anchors upon which legal and regulatory frameworks can be developed to guide and oversee markets for
the ultimate benefit of the vulnerable population while promoting trade and enterprise.

The Digital Finance and Migration Specialist will lead on the development of methodologies for assessing diaspora economic contribution and on the development of policy, research and analysis in the area of
migrants/diaspora economic contributions, including remittances and their usages beyond financial transfers by migrants and their families including by way of developing national/regional remittance policies and
products.

Institutional Arrangement:

The Digital Finance and Migration Specialist will carry out relevant duties under the guidance and directsupervision of the Lead Specialist, Migration and Remittances.
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Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

The Digital Finance and Migration Specialist will contribute to the following areas:
Regional Harmonization Efforts

  • Providing inputs related to trade, competition and consumer protection, foreign exchange controls at government level, provide inputs related to forex monitoring at the bank level and provide inputs related to limits on foreign currency holding at national government level;
  • Providing inputs in developing a methodology for estimating informal remittance flows into and out of the country;
  • Getting buy in from central banks on methodology i.e. residual, non-residual, also based on swift transactions;
  • Building cooperation and collaboration in the regions being worked on by different development agencies.

Data and Research/International Transaction Reporting System (ITRS)

  •  Mapping remittance flows at a transaction level and providing an understanding of how labour market needs and how migration corridors and receiving countries need better structure to enable better and cheaper transaction transfers;
  •  Providing research inputs and designing a project to engage e-commerce companies providing remittance and financial services to migrants, focusing on their motivations and business models;
  • Providing research inputs and designing a project to engage content providers to invest in skills adoption and mobility, with a view to strengthen migrant's income generation capacity.

Micro-saving Bonds

  •  Supporting the implementation of micro-saving bonds in IGAD, ECCAS, and ECOWAS countries;
  • Designing and implementating migrant savings and investment products offered through digital channels.

Capacity Building

  • Providing support on Capacity building initiatives in the design of courses, manuals and operational documents, extracting peer reviews to the field and from the field, moderating inputs as required;
  • Facilitating in peer exchange capacity building activities between Central Banks and line ministries.

Micro Insurance and Pensions

  •  Facilitating engagement with ministries of finance and trade; pension and insurance regulators;insurers, reinsurers and pension companies.

Competencies

Professionalism:  Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

Master’s degree in social sciences, development economics,
communications, international development, finance or related discipline.

Min. years of relevant

Work experience

A minimum of ten years of dedicated experience working in
financial services, remittances, entrepreneurship, trade and
finance at international organization, or private sector.

Required skills and competencies

Experience in development of methodologies for assessing
diaspora economic contribution and on the development of policy,
research and analysis in the area of migrants/diaspora economic
contributions;

Experience developing national/regional remittance
policies and products is mandatory.

Desired additional skills and competencies

Previous experience with the UN / UNDP is considered an
advantage
Previous experience working on the areas of remittances,
entrepreneurship, trade and finance is an advantage

Required Language(s) (at

working level)

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.