- The value of DFS is not obvious, especially to poor and vulnerable populations, as it is not closely linked to their ability to respond to their specific constraints and needs around agriculture, education, health, energy and other key aspects of their daily lives.
- New innovative services should be developed to address these unmet needs. Innovation will not come from traditional providers but mainly from a range of new players (entrepreneurs, start-ups in various sectors, and platforms like Facebook, Grab, WeChat, etc.).
The Regional Digital Hub Manager, East & Southern Africa will provide technical and managerial leadership for the strategy implementation “Leaving no one behind in the digital era” in the geographical area detailed above. S/he will be responsible for mobilizing funds for the implementation of the strategy, identifying key sources of financing (grants, loans, equity) in the region, identifying and developing strategic partnerships for the successful strategy implementation, achieving results and disseminating learning.
- Lead the implementation, management and expansion of the digital strategy in the region
- Build, manage and provide technical leadership to talented team of digital experts in the region, providing them technical leadership and policy guidance in digital work.
- Provide regional leadership, in building and maintaining strategic partnerships, capitalize on business opportunities and enhance resource mobilization for the digital strategy in the region
- Provide technical leadership in building a strong knowledge sharing network around digital finance & innovations
- Provide corporate support to Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) and UNCDF Management
1) Lead the Digital Strategy implementation process in the East & Southern Africa Region:
- Manage the delivery of the digital strategy and outputs on time and on budget;
- Responsible for the implementation of the digital innovation hubs in the region
- Provide guidance and oversee the technical team (2-3 per country) responsible for designing and implementing digital solutions project in the region;
- Provide leadership, technical guidance and strong management in Region by;
- Assign clear responsibilities to the country teams, develop annual performance plans, providing regular meetings, feedback on performance, and provide mid-term and annual review;
- Provide the necessary structure and leadership for the country teams, organizing regular calls and meetings, maintaining a team schedule (including country calendar), monitoring daily work and activities;
- Review budgets and annual workplans for all countries ensuring clear performance targets are established;
- Review budgets for Investment Committee (IC) approval;
- Provide advice and technical leadership for the digital strategy to Country Leads and Digital team, ensuring quality of their work and deliverables;
- Effective management of all financial, performance and operational aspects of portfolio, including facilitating project implementation according to annual work plan of the project, ensuring achievement of outputs and consistent quality implementation across programmes and countries;
- Maintain regular contact with country teams, organizing regular calls and meetings and regular visits;
- Responsible for effective management of all financial, performance and operational aspects of the portfolio of digital projects, including facilitating project implementation according to annual work plan of the project, ensuring achievement of outputs and consistent quality implementation across programmes and countries;
- Work with the Global Learning Agenda team to develop the contribution of each country to the learnings from the digital strategy and develop the country Learning Agenda;
- Responsible for the preparation and submission of timely donor reporting; with a high-quality reporting & accuracy.
- Ensure effective and efficient use of ATLAS in line with project cycle with Atlas approval authority of Project Manager and in compliance with UNCDF Internal Control Framework;
- Develop strategies, policies and procedures for the programme, including the grant and loan fund;
- Supervise on a day to day basis, the Digital Strategy Support Unit SSU Kampala team to apply right processes and ways of working regarding Results & Learning, Project support & operations and Communication and Knowledge Sharing. On this task the Regional Manager will coordinate closely with the Deputy Director, FIPA, and based in HQ;
- Technical leadership and support to the digital portfolio within the region;
- Identify and manage the Country Leads and nurtures collaboration among them;
- Closely support the country teams to build, develop and manage their portfolio of digital projects and activities and creates environment of excellence, collaboration and engagement
- Support Country Leads to vet the pipeline of potential projects. Leverage global pool of skills around various subjects (Policy & Regulation, Open Digital Finance ecosystem, Inclusive innovation, Empowered Customers) to support vetting, assessment and quality assurance of projects.
- Manage selection of partners, including managing consultants hired to review applications, undertaking due diligence missions, and ensuring applicants are eligible and capable of performing;
- Review proposals to the IC for award of technical assistance (TA), grants and/or loans to successful partners;
- Provide technical guidance to country teams to prepare, negotiate and finalize technical assistance, performance-based agreements (PBAs) and loans with selected partners;
- Provide technical support to country teams to design national policies, strategies and programmes, for development of digital enabling regulatory and legal frameworks and capacity-building of central banks and other key government stakeholders. Serve as a key resource for policy advice to Governments and Central Banks in the region on how to create an enabling environment for inclusive finance and analyzing policy environments to identify and remove existing policy constraints;
- Seek opportunities for coordinating and co-funding projects with other funders to ensure the strategy‘s efforts complete those of other digital services initiatives;
- Coach country leads to develop, manage and implement the country strategies as needed.
- Provide regional leadership in applying business development strategies, tools and intelligence, to build and maintain strategic partnerships, capitalize on business opportunities and enhance resource mobilization for the digital strategy in the region:
- Based on annual targets, expand support to more countries in the region to leverage digital as an accelerator to leave no one behind;
- Provide strategic guidance to country offices and lead the process of identifying promising investment opportunities for UNCDF in the region that meet established investment criteria;
- Identify & develop promising investment opportunities for UNDP and UNCDF in the region that meet established investment criteria;
- Identify key sources of funding in the region and mobilize resources to assure implementation of country strategies to build inclusive digital economies and achieve desired results
- Develop strong regional partnerships with major multilateral and bilateral organizations for business development and cost-sharing;
- Develop and maintain strong partnership with UNDP country offices and regional policy practitioners to support governments, central banks donors and other key stakeholders in the region to establish national strategies, policies and interventions to develop an inclusive digital economies;
- Responsible for effective working relationships with governments, central banks, the Bretton Woods Institutions and regional development banks, civil society and the digital industry across countries;
- Lead dialogue and outreach to key internal and external constituencies and partners, including UNDP, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF regional and country office management, to increase visibility and awareness of UNCDF and UNDP comparative advantages and strategic niches in digital;
- Work closely with the ISU manager to coordinate Relationships and Resources mobilization globally, regionally and at country level.
- Ensure learning agenda at the country and regional levels are aligned with the learning agenda at the global level, with a strong focus on Digital;
- Lead the process of Identification, documentation and incorporation of lessons learned in the region as input into portfolio management and strategy planning at country and regional level,
- Collaborate with key stakeholders and digital practitioners in the region for research and development of innovative, cutting-edge strategies and approaches to sharpen delivery of Inclusive Digital products and services in order to better achieve UNCDF objectives in Digital Finance space;
- Lead the development of knowledge products focused on Digital in the region, with potential to contribute towards enhanced positioning of UNCDF as a leader in digital economies
- Develop and contribute to knowledge-sharing networks on inclusive digital economies initiatives globally;
- Participate and contribute to UN agencies sub-practice in Inclusive Digital Economies. Serve as the primary resource for knowledge management and cross-country learning in their region through active participation in the UN agencies knowledge networks;
- Effectively represents UNCDF with governments and key regional and country stakeholders in the digital space, in consultation with Global Digital Manager and practice leadership.
- Provide advice from regional perspective to support annual and cumulative Unit and UNCDF programme and business strategies; substantive inputs into Unit work plan and UNCDF Business Plan and annual reviews;
- Provide strategic advice to UNCDF and UNDP senior management on technical issues and business development opportunities, including inputs into corporate presentations and reports;
- Provide advice on technical issues, knowledge management and business development opportunities having inter-regional and corporate relevance on Inclusive Digital Economies and/or UNCDF/UNDP programme;
- Participation in Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) annual retreat.
- Key customer segments (women, youth, MSMEs, migrants & refugees) leverage digital services and non-digital services to lead healthy and productive live, to grow their business and to be more efficient
- Sustainable, scalable, replicable service providers offer access to affordable, demand-driven, appropriate, cost-effective services, to vulnerable people in underserved areas;
- UNCDF is perceived as an active leader in inclusive finance and digital innovations in assigned countries;
- An efficiently-managed, funded and evaluated digital strategy with top talent, expertise meeting or exceeding all targets.
Leadership (Ability to persuade others to follow) Level 6: Ensures teams are resourced for success and empowered to deliver
People Management (Ability to improve performance and satisfaction) Level 6: Guides substantive specialists / teams and expands credibility and innovation capacity
Communication (Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform) Level 6: Creates confidence among stakeholders, by delivering authoritative positions, compelling analysis, and contextual acumen
Delivery (Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement) Level 6: Accepts accountability for the outcomes of programme delivery and facilitates improvement
Level 7: Navigate and Guide: Charts a course for a systems approach to continuous learning, adaptation, and excellence, creating institutional imperatives to realize progress within across the relevant profession
Level 6: Integrate and Empower: Leads integral work of teams utilizing expertise, vision, problem-solving capability, and collaborative energy in professional area of expertise
- Master’s Degree in technology, economics, public/business administration, social sciences or related discipline, OR, a first-level University degree with two additional years of relevant experience in addition to the ten years of minimum experience required for this role.
- A minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in progressively more responsible positions in the financial services and/or telecommunications field; out of which at least five (5) years’ experience must be in the field of Digital Finance; digital innovations or skills development in the digital era;
- Demonstrable work-experience in managerial roles in Africa region is considered a distinct advantage.
- Strong & in-depth knowledge of relevant UN organizational policies and procedures; programme & project management
- Demonstrated strong technical knowledge in digital solutions, digital economies and digital financial services.
- Experience in the digital sector in LDCs in East & Southern Africa is preferred.
- Proven experience in donor projects, developing proposals, corresponding budgets, and monitoring and evaluation plans.
- Experience in Quality Assurance
- Fluency in English required (excellent comprehension, verbal & written communication skills);
- French fluency will be considered an asset but is not required.
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Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension