Technical Specialist (Remittances) – UNDP /UNCDF

UNDP /UNCDF 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/UNCDF 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.

The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs). With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. This last mile is where available resources for development are scarcest; where market failures are most pronounced; and where benefits from national growth tend to leave people excluded.

UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connects individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization. By strengthening how finance works for poor people at the household, small enterprise, and local infrastructure levels, UNCDF contributes to SDG 1 on eradicating poverty with a focus on reaching the last mile and addressing exclusion and inequalities of access. At the same time, UNCDF deploys its capital finance mandate in line with SDG 17 on the means of implementation, to unlock public and private finance for the poor at the local level. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs and currently to 28 of 169 targets.

Despite the rapid growth of the microfinance industry in the past ten years, it is estimated that between two and three billion people still lack access to a broad range of financial products and services on a sustainable basis. The situation is particularly dire in the LDCs, where often more than 90 per cent of the population is denied access to financial services from the formal financial system. UNCDF focuses its strategy on Financial inclusion, which is universal access, at a reasonable cost, to a wide range of financial services, provided by a variety of sound and sustainable institutions. The range of financial services includes savings, short and long-term credit, leasing and factoring, mortgages, insurance, pensions, payments, local money transfers and international remittances.

The UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015. The 2030 Agenda recognizes migration as a core-development consideration, marking the first time that migration is explicitly integrated into the global development agenda. It also recognizes a major relevance of international migration as a multidimensional reality of and for the development of countries of origin, as well as transit and destination, which requires coherent and comprehensive responses.

The UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015. The 2030 Agenda recognizes migration as a core-development consideration, marking the first time that migration is explicitly integrated into the global development agenda. It also recognizes a major relevance of international migration as a multidimensional reality of and for the development of countries of origin, as well as transit and destination, which requires coherent and comprehensive responses.

Migration is also considered key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The adoption of the SDGs and explicit references to migration in 76 of its 17 goals, mainstreamed migration into global development policy. Migration can reduce poverty (SDG 1), improve health and education outcomes (SDGs 3 and 4), gender equality outcomes (SDG 5), foster growth and innovation (SDGs 8 and 9) and reduce inequality (SDG 10).

Remittances, on the other hand, can also contribute to reaching the SDGs in a variety of ways:1) Household level: by recognizing the positive socioeconomic impact of remittances on families and communities; 2) Community level: Benefits associated at sub-national or municipal levels including reduced rural poverty, lower income inequality, increased micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) activity, and strengthen resilience to adverse effects of climate change or disaster risks; 3) Government level: Benefits for public sector institutions including greater transparency, better communication with citizens, and increased private sector development and entrepreneurship as a result of access to capital and domestic credit; 4) Macro level: At macro-economic level, remittances can foster much needed foreign currency exchange, stabilize BOP, reduce dependency on government aid, and reallocate capital resources into more productive investments and other financial services – moving moneyfrom international to domestic, consumption to investment, and from urban to rural.

Guided by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and informed by the Declaration of the High-level dialogue on International Migration and Development adopted in October 2013, the Heads of State and Government and High Representatives adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration in 2018 that expresses a collective commitment to improving cooperation on international migration, leading to the focused objectives on remittances –

1. Empowering migrants to catalyze their development contribution, and to harness the benefits of migration as a source of sustainable development;
2. Promoting faster, safer, and cheaper transfer of remittances by enabling competition, regulation, and innovation in the remittance market;
3. Initiatives to implement these objectives will also lead to developing financial safety net and wealth stock for migrants and their families in the home countries and have the potential to facilitate dignified and sustainable return of the migrants.

Position Context

UNCDF Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) is looking to hire a Regional Remittance Specialist (Africa), P-3, who will work under direct supervision of the Technical Specialist, P4 Migration/Remittances based in New York and with respective Regional Digital Hub Manager, P5 . It is expected that this role will collaborate on technical matters with UNCDF Technical Specialists, across the region and globally.

This fixed-term role with Africa coverage, can be based in either Dakar, Senegal or Kampala, Uganda. Candidates interested in either locations are welcome to apply. Organization will make the final hiring decision in this respect.

Interested Applicants are to indicate location preference(s), as part of job application to be considered further.

Summary of Key Functions:

1)     Lead the regional migration and remittance initiatives and be responsible for the implementation of the programmatic activities in Africa (30%)

2)     Provide targeted technical assistance to selected partners and other stakeholders to ensure they have the necessary support to build inclusive digital solutions to support migrants and remittances (30%)

3)     Support the development and execution of harmonization activities at the regional level (ecosystem and remittance policy activities) in order to increase the level of knowledge and capacity of all regional economic communities and national stakeholders (15%)

4)     Generate, facilitate, and disseminate research and information sharing to ensure stakeholders are informed on current trends, best practices, market conditions, and special topics as needed (15%)

5)     Provides support to UNCDF management on regional and corporate initiatives and activities (10%)

Detailed description of Job roles and Responsibilities:

1.Lead the regional migration and remittance initiatives and be responsible for the implementation of the programmatic activities in Africa (30%);

• Ensure engagement and cooperation with ECOWAS, ECCAS, IGAD and other regional blocks with the intended outcome to build capacity towards increased efficiency, affordability and security of intra-regional and cross border remittances;
• Based on discussion and inputs from regional economic communities and development partners, update and win acceptance for the regional study with the objective of harmonization of cross border remittance flows to and among regional block member countries;
• Identify priorities, strategies and key milestones to provide technical assistance and build capacity at regional and national level;
• Update UNCDF’s regional and country strategy, develop detailed annual work plans and budgets. Submit quarterly reports.
• Ensure proper planning, staffing and contracting through inputs and to the related plans and reports and monitoring.
• Lead progress meetings for the regional remittance projects.
• Lead calls with funders and manage partner reporting.
• Work closely with the Results Measurement Team to ensure the on-time and accurate reporting of results from partners and facilitate the peer exchange and learning agenda

2. Provide targeted technical assistance to selected partners and other stakeholders to ensure they have the necessary support to build inclusive digital solutions to support migrants and remittances (30%):

• Challenge delivery models and strategies of some actors to increase the level of innovation and inclusivity in the region;
• Provide on-going technical assistance to partners on the development and/or pilot of innovative remittance and financial products, services and tools to strengthen adoption and usage of digital remittances channels, while strengthening the financial capability of migrants;

• Provide advice as needed to other stakeholders, including central banks, to build overall awareness and acceptance of digital remittance channels;
• Promote open digital payment ecosystem in the region and investigate all possible avenues to accelerate the development of the sector;
• Assist partners in identifying opportunities with others, including recommending or fostering strategic, financial or technical partnerships;
• In partnership with the UNCDF network of Regional and Country Technical Advisors, develop and maintain partnerships with relevant regional and national stakeholders including the central banks, telecommunication companies, and financial service providers.
• Build effective and efficient partnerships at the operational level with development partners to coordinate remittances, migration, financial inclusion, including financial literacy activities in the region;

3.Support the development and execution of harmonization activities at the regional level (open payment ecosystem and remittance policy activities) in order to increase the level of knowledge and capacity of all regional economic communities and national stakeholders (15%):

• Conduct a diagnostic of the regional remittance ecosystem across ECOWAS, ECCAS, and IGAD drawing on existing tools, including an update on the inventory of relevant remittance policies, laws and regulations; identification of key actors, and use of digital remittance channels in the region with key recommendations
• Support the development of a market research to identify migrant’s needs, demands, behaviors and attitudes; draft TORs, procure and manage consultants for conduct action-oriented data and research activities;
• Support the development of a product design strategy that supports the mainstreaming of migrant-centric remittance and financial services.

4.Generate, facilitate, and disseminate research and information sharing to ensure stakeholders are informed on current trends, best practices, market conditions, and special topics as needed (15%):

• Conduct workshops and peer-exchange on remittance harmonization and digital innovation;
• Identify learning, training, and knowledge sharing opportunities for partners and key stakeholders and provide capacity building opportunities;
• Maintain regular contact with partners, identify issues and assist them in overcoming them;
• Review and respond to partner reports, ensuring partners are reporting accurately on activities/initiatives;
• Monitor progress under performance-based agreements, verify milestones and targets for disbursements;
• Seek opportunities for coordinating and co-funding projects with other funders, ensure the programme’s efforts complete those of other initiatives

5.Provides support to UNCDF management on regional and corporate initiatives and activities: (10%)

• Contribute to UNCDF regional annual work plan and budget;
• Provide inputs for UNCDF semi-annual reporting;
• Assist in implementation of mid-term and final evaluations of the programme;
• Support annual and cumulative UNCDF results analyses and substantive inputs into UNCDF and FIPA Business Plans;
• As requested, assist in fundraising and relationship management with donors

Note: This position is advertised, pending classification.

•     Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work
•     Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow
•     People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
•     Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
•     Delivery: Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Education:

• A Master’s degree in economics, public/business administration, social sciences, communications, or related discipline. A first university degree with two additional years of experience is also acceptable.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in progressively more responsible or leadership position in financial services, digital finance, financial inclusion, telecom, technology/service sector, or international development.
• At least 3 years’ work experience as a specialist in remittances supporting the implementation and management at programme level; and/or developing digital remittance projects with the private sector and investors is considered highly desirable.
• Experience in managing key stakeholder relationships viz regulator, government, C-level executives, board-level management, etc is considered desirable.
• Experience in leading technical teams; previous work experience in Africa is highly desirable.
• Experience with launching and managing challenge innovation challenge windows is considered highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience with financing efforts (investments, fund-raising) is highly desireable.
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines is desirable.
• Strong writing skills, with ability to write succinctly and clearly in terms of proposals, reports, communication pieces

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in English (both written and verbal skills) is required.
• Knowledge of French is considered desireable.

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