The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 47 least developed countries. 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.

UNCDF’s financing models work through two channels: financial inclusion that expands the opportunities for individuals, households, and small businesses to participate in the local economy, providing them with the tools they need to climb out of poverty and manage their financial lives; and by showing how localized investments — through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance — can drive public and private funding that underpins local economic expansion and sustainable development. 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 and SDG 17 on the means of implementation. By identifying those market segments where innovative financing models can have transformational impact in helping to reach the last mile and address exclusion and inequalities of access, UNCDF contributes to a number of different SDGs.

Since 2008, UNCDF has been supporting digital finance with significant success, with digital finance currently the largest part of its inclusive finance portfolio. This includes digital innovations linked to on an off-grid energy, agriculture, employment, health and transport. UNCDF is also host to the Secretariat of the Better than Cash Alliance, a partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.

With 60 professionals with strong digital finance experience across the globe and with several hundred projects in digital on-going, UNCDF is one of the leading development agencies in digital finance with a mission and expertise to reach very low-income customers in some of the world’s most difficult markets. UNCDF’s digital team and resources are currently spread across several programmes and UNCDF is in the process of consolidating its financial and technical resources to create a comprehensive team of experts in various domains to drive its newly-launched Digital Finance strategy “Leaving no one behind in the digital era”

Based on this experience UNCDF started in 2017 to expand the scope of its programmatic agenda to go beyond digital finance. Through the “Leaving none behind in the digital era” strategy, UNCDF is supporting, through its digital finance interventions, the emergence of inclusive digital economies. The strategy recognizes that reaching the full potential of digital financial inclusion in support of the SDGs aligns with the vision of promoting digital economies for the following reasons:

• 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.).

UNCDF's ‘Leaving no one behind in the digital era’ strategy intends to move its focus only digitla finance (DF) to digital economies builds upon and constitutes a logical integration of UNCDF interventions in financial inclusion and digital, developed over many years. The legacy of UNCDF intervention programmes was built through a range of country/regional programmes and global thematic initiatives, which has established a very strong reputation for UNCDF vis-à-vis donors and peers.

Position Context:

In Asia, the strategy covers the following countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Nepal. In addition, with non-core resources, the strategy covers China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Other countries will be added during the implementation of the strategy.

The Regional Digital Hub Manager, Asia will be responsible for managing the programming, implementation results and learning of digital activities in Asia; but also to develop models on digital innovation that meet the needs women, youth, migrants and low income customers that can be exported to other countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

He/she will be responsible for managing the Country & Regional Technical Specialists in the Asia region. He/she will be responsible for developing the Digital Finance programme in the region, implementing annual work plans and reports, and overseeing the programme’s grant and loan fund in the region. S/he will be responsible for managing the regional level activities of Digital Programmes investment committee, consisting of its funders at regional level. The Regional Digital Hub Manager, Asia will also have responsibility for cultivating and managing a group of technical professionals (staff, consultants and firms) in the countries he/she manages. Finally, the Regional Digital Hub Manager, Asia will play a key role in identifying and securing fundraising opportunities for the strategy’s expansion in their region. He/she will report to the UNCDF Director Financial Inclusion on corporate/managerial issues while reporting to the Global Digital Manager, P-5 on technical matters related to digital strategy implementation.

This position will be based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Important: This is a re-advertisement. Candidates who applied earlier are welcome to apply again.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Regional Digital Hub Manager, Asia 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.

Summary of key functions:

• Lead the implementation, management and expansion of the digital strategy in the region
• Build, manage and provide technical leadership to talented team of digital finance 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

Lead the Digital Strategy implementation process in the region

• Manage the delivery of the digital strategy and outputs on time and on budget;
• Responsible for the implementation of r 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;
• Work closely with the FIPA 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;

• Outcome: An efficiently-managed, monitored and evaluated strategy with top digital financial services talent and expertise meeting or exceeding all targets

  Build, manage and provide technical leadership to talented team of digital finance experts in the region, providing them technical leadership and policy guidance in digital work.

• 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.

• Outcome: A strong technical community of practice for the digital strategy that meets their targets, including the underserved, women and rural users

  Provide regional leadership in building and maintaining strategic partnerships, capitalize on business opportunities and enhance resource mobilization for the digital strategy in the region, by focusing on achieving the following results;

• 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.

• Outcome: A well resourced and funded digital strategy

  Provide technical leadership in building a strong knowledge sharing network around digital finance & innovations

• Provides regional leadership in the active acquisition and sharing of learnings and knowledge around digital finance & innovations
• 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.

• Outcome: Government, private sectors, NGOs, digital innovation hubs, academia are informed on current trends in digital, market conditions, and special topics as needed and UNCDF is positioned as the “go to” organization for digital economies in the region

  Provide corporate support to Inclusive Finance Unit and UNCDF management:

• 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.
• Outcome: An integrated organization leveraging synergies globally, regionally and at country level.

Impact of Results:

The key result expected is the successful implementation and attainment of targets of the “Leaving no one behind in the digital era” strategy, including coordination with/reporting to all stakeholders, the Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) in UNCDF and the funders of the programme. Successful implementation will position UNCDF as a strategic partner to assist host country governments and regional bodies to leverage digital finance and digital innovations to achieve the SDGs. The Regional Digital Hub Manager, Asia will pursue the following key results of the programme in Asia:

• 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.

Competencies

Core Compentencies

• 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.

Technical/ Functional Competencies:

• Subject Matter Expertise: Possesses expert knowledge of advanced concepts in to digital & financial inclusion, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures.
• 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.
• Results Based Programming: Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree in technology, economics, public/business administration, social sciences or related discipline. A first university degree with two additional years of experience will also be acceptable, in lieu of a masters degree.

Experience:

• 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 digital financial services field;
• Demonstrable work-experience in managerial roles in Asia 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 particular in Asia is preferred.
• Proven experience in donor projects, developing proposals, corresponding budgets, and monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Experience in Quality Assurance is preferred.

Language:

• Fluency in English , with excellent communication skills (comprehension, verbal & written communication) required. Kowledge of another UN language will be an asset.

Disclaimer

Important information for US permanent residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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