Grameen Foundation Job Vacancy: Financial Services Advisor - Colombo, Sri Lanka

Grameen Foundation Job Vacancies 2020
  • Position: Financial Services Advisor (FSA), WAGE Sri Lanka
  • Status: Full-Time Consultant (2-year contract)
  • Location: Either in one of the project districts (Ampara/ Jaffna/ Kurunegala) or in Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Starting Date: Immediate (Oct, 2020)
Sri Lanka nationals/ individuals who have existing authorization to work in Sri Lanka.

About GFI: Grameen Foundation India (GFI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grameen Foundation USA, has been set up with the mission to enable the poor, especially women, to create a world without poverty and hunger. GFI’s program portfolio spans the sectors of financial inclusion, livelihoods, women’s economic empowerment, and health and nutrition. It is particularly recognized for its work on developing and deploying cutting edge technology platforms and digital solutions to solve the most pressing problems faced by the poorest and vulnerable segments.

About WAGE Program: “Strengthening the Role of Women Leaders in Promoting Peace and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka (WAGE)” program funded by the US Department of State/Global Women’s Initiative (DOS/GWI), in partnership with Search for Common Ground and other local partners in Sri Lanka. Grameen Foundation India (GFI) provides technical assistance to WAGE Sri Lanka in the area of Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Reporting and relationships: The position reports to the Technical Manager (WAGE Sri Lanka) in GFI. The FSA will work in close collaboration with local implementing partners and contractors related to the project in Sri Lanka.

Availability: This is a full-time position. The FSA will be expected to work a typical work week of 40 hours, and sometimes, may need to put in additional hours to get the job done. The position will be based at the project site in one of the project districts: Ampara, Jafffna or Kurunegala or at Colombo, Sri Lanka. This position will need to be flexible to work in local conditions and be available to coordinate with colleagues across different time zones. This position will require travel (40 to 60%) within Sri Lanka and periodic travel to other countries as needed.

Job Summary: Financial Services Advisor will use comprehensive experience, skills, and knowledge to coordinate and direct all activities related to women-centered financial services and digital financial services, in Sri Lanka. He/she will work directly with the Grameen Foundation’s global and country-level teams to uncover opportunities and innovative solutions and services in partnership with Financial Service Providers (FSPs), project beneficiaries, and local implementation partners, develop project plans and execute projects. Prior experience and training in pro-poor financial services, financial inclusion, microfinance, digital financial services, rural community engagement, would be essential for the role.

Essential Job Functions
  • Lead Financial Services and Digital Financial Services Activities on the project
  • Coordinate the implementation of project financial services activities
  • Use Human-Centered Design process to research client needs and context regarding adoption of Financial Services, integrate those learnings in the project plan, and develop systems and processes to onboard low-income clients (beneficiaries) onto financial services
  • Integrate a deep understanding of the needs, constraints, and resources of rural women entrepreneurs (a gender lens) into financial product design and innovation for women in vulnerable communities.
  • Identify and develop partnership with pro-poor FSPs (financial service providers, such as Banks, MFIs, Digital Payment Companies, Cooperatives) to design and roll out pilot projects and/or scaling up women-centered financial products to rural women entrepreneurs.
  • Identify and implement innovative approaches to delivering financial services to rural women. Develop ideas on how to leverage (or customize) digital channels to deliver safe and gender-responsive financial services and/or products to women.
  • Learn from global best practices and innovations in digital financial services, client protection, and social performance management and integrate relevant ideas in the WAGE program.
  • Provide high-level management and supervision support to the implementation of women-centered financial services pilot
Design pilot, scale-up and replication strategy
  • Work with selected FSP(s) to develop project work plans, budgets, and M&E plans for women-centered financial services pilot
  • Keep internal and external stakeholders informed on the progress of the projects o Create and manage budgets, and track progress against budgets
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Deep commitment to eradication of poverty and alignment with Grameen Foundation’s mission
  • At least 5 years’ inexperience implementing programs focused on financial services for the poor, mobile and/or digital financial services programming in rural areas
  • Deep understanding of the financial services ecosystem in Sri Lanka and the various channels of financial service and digital financial service providers in the country
  • Hands-on experience of working on Project management tools
  • High proficiency in using digital tools and platforms such as Google Meet, Facebook, Skype etc to support the delivery of virtual trainings and work processes if and when necessary
  • Ability to act as a representative of the project in public forums
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Sinhalese & Tamil.
  • Excellent cross-cultural skills and ability to work productively with people of diverse ethnic, religious, and language groups
  • Ability and willingness to travel extensively to remote project locations in Ampara, Jaffna, and Kurunegala Districts (except during times of COVID or other public health crises or emergencies)
  • Results-oriented and able to work well independently
  • Sri Lanka nationals/ individuals who have existing authorization to work in Sri Lanka.
Education and Experience
  • At least 7 years of relevant professional experience, such as in Banking, financial inclusion, or microfinance sector.
  • Master’s degree in a relevant discipline, such as MBA, Banking and Finance etc or equivalent
  • Compensation: GFI offers a competitive compensation package. This position carries an all-inclusive compensation of approx. LKR 3.5 million per annum.
Additional Comment: The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made in appropriate circumstances.

How to apply: GFI is an equal opportunity employer. Interested candidates may apply by sending their updated resumes, letter of motivation, your current and preferred location for this position, and current and expected compensation to mghose@grameenfoundation.in mentioning “Financial Services Advisor” in the subject line and confirming the earliest joining date.

Closing Date: 20 November 2020

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