Business Fellow, AppLab Money Incubator

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Job: Business Fellow, AppLab Money Incubator
Organization: Grameen Foundation
City: Kampala, Uganda
Job Posting Link: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=137ef2bbbadd5947&mt=application%2Fpdf&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2Fu%2F0%2F%3Fui%253D2%2526ik%253D30b0def462%2526view%253Datt%2526th%253D137ef2bbbadd5947%2526attid%253D0.1%2526disp%253Dsafe%2526realattid%253D09ad9279-613f-4fa3-b3a5-10c9ffa0faad%2526zw&sig=AHIEtbQFs1gJymwJY6WB3xicQMbe65CnzA
Field: Economics
Position Type: Temp Job
Minimum Experience: 2-3 years
Deadline: 08/01/2012

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Job Summary The Business Fellow will be the commercial expert within the AppLab Money Incubator team and will be expected to drive the development of truly innovative business models to provide financial services to the poor. He/she will be deeply embedded in all aspects of the product development process, from initial research and analysis to final prototyping and evaluation. The Business Fellow will be responsible for ensuring the mobile products we develop are sustainable for our partners while also meeting the needs of poor users. The project Mobile money has yet to reach its full potential. Though nearly 150 mobile network operators have deployed mobile money, few have successfully reached poor consumers. Even fewer have explored the latent demand for anything other than payments products—from savings, to micro-insurance, to loans. To address this problem, the Consultative Group Assisting the Poor (CGAP) and Grameen Foundation (GF) are working together to set up an incubator that tests innovations in mobile financial services. The incubator combines in-depth research approaches with rapid product testing to develop mobile financial services that are appropriate for the poor and move the industry beyond payments. The Business Fellow will be joining a diverse team of highly motivated individuals with a passion for developing commercially sustainable products for the poor. We comprise a range of skills – from a PhD in mobile money to research experts to an IT guru who has launched mobile deployments across Africa – and we are looking for a creative, commercially-minded team member to join us. Reporting and relationships The position will report directly to the Project Manager. Availability The Business Fellow will be expected to work a typical work week of 37.5 hours plus additional hours to get the job done. The position will be based in Kampala, Uganda. This position will need to be flexible to work in local conditions, and be available to work across different time zones. This position will require travel (15%-20%) within Uganda, and periodic travel to other countries as needed. Essential Job Functions Drive the process of developing innovative approaches to monetizing financial products: o Develop new models for sustainable mobile financial services products for the poor o Model the economics of these options and provide recommendations on a path forward o Work with our partners to ensure these models will be successful within their current operations • Work with the AppLab Money team to conduct research into the needs of poor households: o Conduct secondary and primary research activities to understand behaviors and needs o Analyze current financial services offerings and understand gaps that can be addressed Work with the team throughout the product development and piloting process: o Drive team ideation sessions to develop new ideas from field insights o Support development of prototypes and field testing with our product designers o Monitor and evaluate consumer testing of products throughout a series of pilots Support the project manager in maintaining the relationship with our donor and in developing new potential partnerships: o Help create and present materials to share our work with our partners o Identify and meet with other potential partners who could support new products Help the team document findings in various forms (blogs, monthly updates, reports etc.) Provide training and mentorship in business and commercial skills to junior staff team members Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Has a deep commitment to eradication of poverty and alignment with Grameen Foundation’s mission • Believes in the potential to leverage information and communication technology (ICTs) for the benefit of poor people • Is able to bring creativity, innovation, and a thirst for new ideas to our team • Has strong written and oral communication skills • Has strong analytical and business modeling skills • Has deep knowledge of Microsoft office products (excel, powerpoint, word, etc.) • Experienced working in developing countries preferred, but not required Education and Experience • A bachelors degree • 2-3+ years experience in management consulting or an equivalent role Physical and Environmental Conditions This position does not require unusual demands for physical effort. This position may occasionally require physical effort to lift and transport boxes weighing no more than 50 pounds. Work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of places such as offices, meeting or training rooms, residences, or commercial vehicles; e.g., use of safe work place practices with office equipment, and/or avoidance of trips and falls, and observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. Compensation The fellow will be compensated with a competitive monthly stipend and a round-trip plane ticket from his/her home country to Kampala, Uganda. All business-related travel will be covered throughout the duration of the fellowship. 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 to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. To Apply Interested candidates may apply by email to Lisa Kienzle (gro.noitadnuofneemarg|elzneikl#gro.noitadnuofneemarg|elzneikl). Please put “AMI – Business Fellow” in the subject line. No calls please.

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Contact:

Lisa Kienzle

Phone:
E-mail: [e-mail]

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