UN Policy Specialist (Digital Finance) Job Opportunities – United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

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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