Senior Program Coordinator—Digital Financial Services and Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative

Position Summary: BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), based at BRAC University, seeks a Senior Program Coordinator (SPC) for the Women’s Economic Empowerment and Digital Finance (WEE-DiFine) initiative. The SPC, under the supervision of the Initiative Director, will be the key point of contact for funded teams and will manage BIGD’s subaward apparatus. Additionally, he/she will support event planning, content creation, logistics, and contract management, and supporting day-to-day activities of the initiative. A successful candidate will have a very strong background in project management, excellent communication skills, and exceptional attention to detail. Candidates must have authorization to work in Bangladesh and the ability to work in-person out of BIGD’s Dhaka office.

WEE-DiFine Initiative: There is a growing body of evidence on the welfare impacts of access to digital financial services (DFS) and the product and policy design choices unlocked through the digitisation of financial services. Women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is a crucial development issue, which DFS can impact through a number of pathways. Understanding these pathways—the causal mechanisms between digital financial services and women’s economic empowerment—is essential for advancing practical policy recommendations on the effective use of these services to empower women economically. But rigorous and generalisable evidence on the impact of DFS on WEE, particularly on the causal mechanisms between the two, is limited. BIGD’s WEE-DiFine Initiative seeks to fill this critical evidence gap by funding rigorous research studies by leading researchers for projects across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

WEE-DiFine manages the selection and funding of compelling research projects, which may be implemented through any qualified field partner, including but not limited to BIGD’s own internal research project teams. An independent Academic Steering Committee (ASC), composed of academics with a strong interest on the issue, selects the proposals for funding.

About BIGD: By influencing policy and practice through rigorous research and quality academic programs, BIGD aims to promote innovation in governance and development processes toward a more just and prosperous society. Partnering with academics around the world, BIGD conducts multi-methods research on governance and development issues in close collaboration with several crucial departments of the Government of Bangladesh, large non-profits such as BRAC, and international organizations such as the World Bank. BIGD oversees BRAC International’s Independent Research and Evaluation Cell (IERC), which works in ten countries across Asia and Africa. BIGD also hosts the Country Office of the International Growth Centre (IGC), London School of Economics (LSE); and the ED of BIGD heads the IGC Country Office.

Responsibilities:
Project Management (60%)

  1. Manage BIGD’s subaward apparatus, under the supervision of the Initiative Director
  2. Proactively communicate with subaward teams regarding deadlines, deliverables, invoices, etc.
  3. Track subaward timelines and deliverables via WEE-DiFine’s online platform
  4. Support in the review of deliverables received from subawardees

Communications (25%)

  1. Provide support in organizing and managing events, including conferences, seminars, and webinars
  2. Support the Initiative Director with external communications, including representing the initiative through events, presentations, networking opportunities, etc.

Potential Additional Responsibilities (subject to meeting eligibility) (15%)

  1. Assist in content creation, including editing blogs and original thought pieces.
  2. Scanning for recent research related to the initiative's objectives, identifying rigorous journals for publication, etc.
  3. Support the RFP process, as needed
  4. Carry out additional responsibilities as assigned by the Initiative Director

Qualifications:

Required:

  1. Master’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy, Management, or a related discipline
  2. At least 8 years of project and process management experience
  3. At least 6 years of experience in a manager-level position
  4. Excellent communication skills, including clear and convincing English writing and speaking skills
  5. Exceptional attention to detail
  6. Ability to multitask, manage processes, and successfully complete projects on tight deadlines independently and with minimal supervision
  7. Willingness to work hard, be self-motivated, learn, and adapt quickly
  8. Willingness to work with individuals located in different time zones

Preferred:

  1. Working experience in research grant-making facilities
  2. Ability to understand academic research and synthesize research findings
  3. Skills in organizing high-profile events with international stakeholders
  4. Ability to understand and communicate how rigorous research can influence policy decisions
  5. Excellent communications skills in Bangla

Reporting and Base: The position will report to the Initiative Director, WEE-DiFine, and will be based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Eligibility: BIGD will recruit one individual with the right to work in Bangladesh. BIGD recognises the value that diversity brings to the organisation in terms of experience, skills, talent, and cultural perspectives. The organisation is committed to building an environment and culture where all staff feel valued, are treated fairly, and are respected. BIGD is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all current and prospective staff members and will not discriminate on grounds of sex (female, male or other) race, age, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, medical condition (with certain exceptions based on job role), class, caste, ethnicity, disability, location, pregnancy, maternity or paternity, or religion. BIGD’s commitment to equal opportunity covers all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, selection, compensation, promotion, professional development, termination, and participation in BIGD-sponsored employee activities.

Application Instructions: Please send your resume (not more than three pages) along with a cover letter, clearly explaining your interest in and qualifications for this position. Your resume must include the names of at least two references who can speak about your credentials in project management. Send your application to wee_difine@bracu.ac.bd and mention “Application for the position: Senior Program Coordinator” in the subject line. Applications that do not comply with the instructions will not be considered.

Last Date of Application: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until August 31, 2023.

The selected candidate will be offered a competitive compensation package.