Closing Date: January 3, 2014
Summary
Women’s World Banking seeks a Senior Savings Consultant to provide technical assistance for savings mobilization projects in Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania and other countries as determined. The projects are developed in collaboration with funders including Visa Foundation, UNCDF, AFD, FSD Africa and others, and support leading financial institutions in their strategies to expand savings services to low-income women and men, through agency and mobile banking approaches. The projects seek to understand the financial needs of women specifically and to deliver tailored solutions to meet them. The successful candidate will lead projects in managing, executing and monitoring all activities and results involved in the design and delivery of savings services.
About Women’s World Banking
Women’s World Banking is the global non-profit devoted to giving more low-income women access to the financial tools and resources essential to their security and prosperity. For more than 35 years we have worked with financial institutions to show them the benefit of investing in women as clients, and as leaders. We equip these institutions to meet women’s needs through authoritative market research, leadership training, sustainable financial products and consumer education. Headquartered in New York, Women’s World Banking works with 39 institutions in 28 countries with a reach of 14 million women to create access to finance on a greater scale than ever before.
Objectives
The consultant will be responsible for the following objectives:
1. Serve as lead consultant and technical advisor, providing the following technical assistance to Women’s World Banking network members and partners:
- Analysis of savings mobilization strategy of partner institutions for reaching low-income customers, especially women
- Identify gaps and developing an action plan to implement necessary changes
- Review products, channels and processes for savings mobilization, recommending improvements to promote accessibility to low-income women
- Review organizational structure, training and staff incentive system to optimize for savings mobilization, recommending improvements, providing support in implementation
- Work closely with Women’s World Banking to contribute to the design of market research and marketing strategy
- Provide recommendations for additional specialist consultant support, developing Terms of Reference, overseeing inputs, monitoring and evaluation of said consultants
- Develop performance metrics, including relevant reports, for the project and provide performance monitoring
2. Advise Women’s World Banking on further developing its savings strategy, including:
- Work with the Chief Product Development Officer on WWB’s point-of-view/theory in the areas of savings and agency and mobile banking, its framework for introducing savings products for low-income segments into downscaling commercial banks, and the business case for savings for low-income women
- Work with the Chief Product Development Officer to capture innovation and learning from work with Network Members for dissemination to the broader development finance sector
3. Knowledge
- Capture learning from savings projects including key analytical frameworks and templates, manuals and excel models
- Capture lessons learned and developing Best Practice
- Integrate current thinking, innovations and best practice in the area of savings mobilization and agency and mobile banking
Project Team & Location of Work
The consultant will work with a small team from Women’s World Banking including staff members and consultants. The consultant may be based in New York or internationally. The consultant may be required to travel.
Duration of Consultancy
The consultant will be procured for an initial period of twelve months and the contract may be extended by two one-year increments at the discretion of Women’s World Banking.
Preferred Qualifications
- Technical Skills and Knowledge
- Experience either running savings operations targeting low income populations or significant experience as a consultant helping institutions run the same, preferably in microfinance, or in a bank (s) or mobile program with a poverty focus.
- Expertise in leading change management processes in complex organizations.
- Awareness of major trends in savings and alternative channels, key debates, and current issues in the field.
Consulting Skills- Capacity to run project teams and to manage others, including external consultants, in the product delivery process
- Strong relationship management and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent written and oral skills including the ability to convince audiences of recommendations and make presentations in public arenas.
- Capability to turn own knowledge into products and processes that others can replicate with guidance.
- Self-initiative and resourcefulness in developing strategies, setting and achieving goals in a timely manner.
People and Project Management Skills- Extensive project management experience either in a financial institution or consulting company.
- Capacity to work effectively in teams and in diverse settings, ranging from non-profits to banks, and interacting with field staff as well as senior management.
- Capacity to work cross-departmentally within Women’s World Banking and coordinate with others to communicate key findings and implications of analysis.
- Capacity to design and manage programs.
Education / Experience- Language Skills – Fluency in English required, Spanish an advantage
- Five to seven years providing or managing direct technical assistance to financial institutions on savings, or as a senior-level manager in a financial institution with responsibility for managing savings.
- MBA or equivalent degree.
- Demonstrated ability to manage long-term relationships with clients and bring about change in local organizations.
- Demonstrated strong organizational skills, with the ability to coordinate teams of internal staff.
To Apply
Please submit a resume and any other pertinent details on relevant qualifications to submit@womensworldbanking.org by January 3, 2014. Please include “RFQ: Savings Consultant” in the subject line.
Applicants may submit their question(s) in writing to questions@womensworldbanking.org.
This RFQ does not guarantee or commit Women’s World Banking to proceeding with the above described work. Due to the overwhelming responses not all candidates will be contacted.
Women’s World Banking is an equal employment opportunity for all regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.
