Global efforts to expand digital financial inclusion hinge on whether governments, regulators, and commercial providers adopt evidence-based interventions which have been proven to expand the poor’s access to digital financial tools. The Program Officer (PO), Digital Financial Services (DFS) Research, will develop and implement a research strategy to generate this evidence. More specifically, the PO will identity areas where rigorous data can trigger the adoption of policies, regulations, and commercial strategies which expand the poor’s access to DFS tools and increase the welfare impacts of those services. (S)he will then work with the FSP team to develop and manage grants, contracts, and other interventions to fill these data gaps.
This role will report to the Deputy Director, FSP Innovation and Research, and will be based in Seattle.
The Financial Services for the Poor (FSP) team manages a research portfolio which includes randomized control trials, large-scale national surveys, analysis of administrative data, iterative A-B testing, and qualitative research. The PO will be positioned within the FSP Regulation, Policy, & Research team. Specifically, the PO will:
- Proactively identify and develop grants, contracts, and other interventions which generate rigorous data that triggers an expansion in digital financial access among the poor. Priority research topics will likely include:
- DFS infrastructure and public service delivery: Identifying how governments can leverage payments and identity infrastructure to reduce corruption, increase fiscal space, and reduce poverty. Research in this area will examine how DFS infrastructure can be used to i) cut leakages and increase the welfare impact of government payment programs; ii) trigger payments-linked commodity subsidy reforms in order to increase fiscal space and boost household welfare; iii) strengthen government transparency and citizen oversight over public service delivery; and iv) broaden the tax base in a progressive manner
- Platform impacts vs. discrete products: Testing the welfare impact of accessing an integrated DFS platform (relative to the impact of accessing discrete products, such as savings, credit, or payments)
- DFS & women’s economic empowerment: Testing the impacts of digital financial tools on women’s economic empowerment, and identifying how those tools can best be designed and delivered to maximize this impact
- Cash transfer design: Identifying the elements which should be layered onto digital social protection payments (CCT/UCT blend, labels, messages, savings defaults) in order to maximize their welfare impact
- Consumer protection: Identifying measures to protect low-income consumers from the risks posed by DFS tools
- Act as thought partner to FSP team leadership on key data and research-related questions
- Partner with FSP country program officers to understand and address market-specific needs for research and data
- Provide technical advice and research support to policymakers and commercial partners
- Critically evaluate and synthesize relevant research studies and evidence to inform FSP’s broader strategy
- Write and produce analyses which advance the world’s understanding of how to expand digital financial inclusion through evidence-based government policy, regulatory, and commercial interventions
- Publicly represent the foundation among key partners, including universities, think tanks, governments, regulators, grantees, donors, international standard setting bodies, and commercial providers
- Consult with grantees and other partners to maximize the impact of projects and ensure optimal learning. This may include site visits and convening meetings of key stakeholders.
Candidates should have the following experience:
- Deep expertise in data analysis, statistics/econometrics, and other quantitative methods
- Expertise in the design and management of large-scale surveys and randomized experiments
- Expertise in the financial decision-making of low-income households
- Expertise in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve public service delivery, such as cash transfer programs
- Experience managing large research portfolios that have measured the impact of digital finance on poor people
- Ability to organize/prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast paced environment with multiple and competing demands
- Capacity and initiative to resolve problems with energy and positive attitude
- Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively in a cooperative and collegial fashion
- Inventive, out-of-the box thinker who is hands-on and willing to go as deep or broad as necessary to achieve outcomes
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to question and challenge colleagues, including managers, in a constructive manner
- Ability to travel up to 20-25% of time, as needs dictate