BMGF Interim Program Officer, Financial Services for the Poor 124 views

Role: Interim Program Officer, Financial Services for the Poor

This is an interim backfill role to cover for an employee who will be out on parental leave. The duration of the assignment is targeted for nine months starting in September 2020. However, the start and end dates may change.

The Global Growth & Opportunity (GGO) division works to catalyze sustainable transformative change in the face of inequities and market failures, to realize the potential of untapped markets, and to see the economic and social benefits of including everyone. We focus on the areas of Agricultural Development; Financial Services for the Poor; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; and Gender Equality. We seek solutions that are sustainable, transformative, and inclusive with an eye toward applying technology innovations as well as data evidence to drive change in the world’s developing countries.

Group Summary

The Financial Services for the Poor (FSP) team is focused on helping people in the world’s poorest regions improve their lives and build sustainable futures by connecting them with digitally based financial tools and services. In just the past seven years, 700 million people worldwide have gained access to bank and mobile money accounts. This revolution in financial inclusion has the potential to offer a pathway out of poverty for millions of people, and to spur broad economic growth. Digital technology and changes in national policy are clearing away obstacles that once kept these services out of reach for many, but many more tough challenges remain.

Position Summary and Responsibilities

We are looking to hire an interim program officer to lead the Financial Services for the Poor’s strategy on cash-in cash-out (“CICO”) networks while the current program officer is on parental leave.

This role reports to a Deputy Director on the Financial Services for the Poor based in either Seattle or DC.

Why CICO?

As the FSP team, we believe that CICO networks are crucial building blocks required to enable a digital financial system that is inclusive and works for everyone. CICO networks provide the ability for people to convert their money between physical and digital form factors, often serve as an onramp to a broader set of digital financial tools, and can play a critical role in providing a human interface to a digital economy.

Our strategy is comprised of investments that are anchored around three pillars – research, advocacy, and innovation – and they collectively work towards increasing the reach and improving the quality of these networks around the world.

In the first phase of FSP’s CICO strategy, we focused on building the CICO fact base and establishing platforms to conduct research, advocate for more inclusive CICO networks, and catalyze CICO innovations. In this phase of the CICO strategy, we are focusing our work on driving change at the country level through the development and testing of CICO innovations and driving inclusive-CICO policy changes, while continuing to collect and disseminate CICO best practices and research globally.

The CICO strategy sits within FSP’s initiative on usage and emerging technology.

The following are select investments and research that illustrate the CICO strategy:

About You
We are looking for someone who enjoys working on complex problems and building product and policy solutions that have the potential to improve the real and financial lives of millions around the world.

We seek a creative and curious leader who has an excellent track record of achievement and leadership in roles of growing responsibility. You should be prepared to work across a diverse set of subject areas and work with flexibility, efficiency, and tact in an exciting and challenging environment.

You should have a strong understanding of the financial inclusion industry, the role of philanthropic capital, and how the interplay of design, technology, and community can play a catalytic role in transforming households and communities around the world.

In this role, you will:

• Advocate for the voice and needs of low-income citizens and communities
• Work with FSP’s country program officers on driving CICO improvements within FSP’s focus countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
• Partner with key organizations to drive the CICO innovation agenda in emerging markets, support the development of pro-CICO policies, and generate new investment opportunities that advance the broader CICO strategy
• Build a global network of CICO specialists and operators to continuously improve and innovate on different CICO models

The Opportunity

This is a nine-month opportunity to learn about how philanthropic capital can be used to drive product and policy innovations in emerging markets. If you have led innovation programs in the private sector, this is your chance to bring that experience into the development space. If you have spent your career within implementing organizations, this is your chance to work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and gain firsthand experience in the art and science of grantmaking.

You will thrive in this role if you have the following sets of experiences, expertise, and mindset:

• Prior experience in or familiarity with philanthropy, international development, financial inclusion, and FinTech
• Experience leading innovation initiatives that create real world impact, including expertise in human-centered design, prototyping, experimentation, and scaling innovations in corporate and/or startup environments. Bonus points if you’ve done this in emerging markets.
• Strong strategic and creative problem solver with experience driving strategic change within and across organizations
• A diligent attention to detail and strong technical intuition as well as the ability to set and handle expectations at the executive level
• Possess the demeanor, business maturity, intellect, and integrity required to establish immediate credibility with key partners within the public and private sectors.
• Confirmed effectiveness as a phenomenal teammate and team builder across silos and org charts
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills
• Innovative and forward-thinking approach to all aspects of work
• Ability to question and challenge colleagues, including managers, in a constructive manner
• Equally comfortable in the board room, leading workshops, building prototypes, and conducting design research in emerging markets

The employee transfer policy applies to internal backfill positions. An employee may apply for an open position after at least 12 months in their current position. If you meet this requirement and wish to pursue a backfill opportunity, you are required to have a conversation with your manager to confirm their support before you apply. In rare cases, the requirement of a minimum of 12 months in a position may be waived if a transfer is critical to the foundation’s goals and is approved by the current manager and their HR Consultant (HR Business Partner or Generalist).

All backfill positions are posted as LTE roles. With current manager support, if selected for the role, FTEs will retain their FTE status during the backfill assignment. Managers will have the option of backfilling for the individual moving to the interim position for a similar duration via the same hiring channels and options as this position. However, current managers may be unwilling or unable to hold headcount for the duration of an interim assignment and may deny the employee’s request. In such cases, the employee may apply for the open LTE position, but if selected, would effectively be resigning as an FTE and would be hired as an LTE for the duration of the interim assignment. As an LTE, employment with the foundation is expected to end at the end of the assignment, and the employee would not be eligible for severance.”

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve the mission of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to:

* Race

* Color

* Age

* Religion

* Pregnancy

* Sex

* Sexual Orientation

* Disability

* Gender Identity

* Gender Expression

* National Origin

* Genetic Information

* Veteran Status

* Marital Status

* Prior Protected Activity