Project Manager: E-commerce & Digital Financial Services

Job Advert: Full-Time Position – Project Manager: E-commerce & Digital Financial Services

 ABOUT ACCESS TO FINANCE RWANDA:

Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) is a Rwandan Not for Profit Organization, established in March 2010 by the governments of Rwanda and the United Kingdom (UK) and is currently funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), USAID, Sweden, and the MasterCard Foundation.

Guided by the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach, AFR’s strategic focus is to stimulate financial sector development and address constraints that prevent the financial market from reaching Rwanda’s low-income population. For more details visit our website: www.afr.rw  

 THE POSITION:

Access to Finance Rwanda seeks to recruit a qualified and competent individual to fill the full-time staff position of a Project Manager for its upcoming project “Accelerating growth of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through expanding the e-commerce sector in Rwanda”.  The purpose of the position is to provide leadership, support, organize, and supervise the project team to achieve project objectives.

The role is responsible for ensuring excellent relationships with, and service delivery to, implementing partners, and ensuring that the project delivers against the goals and targets laid out in the results management framework.   

The Project Manager reports to the Head of Digital Financial Solutions (DFS) at AFR.

This position will be based in Kigali, Rwanda, and is contingent upon project award to AFR.

 THE PROJECT:

The “Accelerating growth of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through expanding the e-commerce sector in Rwanda” is a project implemented by Access to Finance Rwanda in partnership with Rwanda’s ICT Chambers and BFA Global.

The project aims to spur the growth of livelihoods and employment opportunities through digital commerce, which works together to address the barriers and promote an enabling market system for e-commerce with onboarding MSEs into the digital economy at the core. 

The main program elements are:

1. enabling MSE’s sell on digital platforms and expand digital payments
2. developing a network both for the MSE’s and workers that provides linkages across e-commerce value chains and value-added services
3. creating linkages and partnerships with financial service providers

Working through an ecosystem approach the project will seek to address systemic solutions to draw the underserved groups of the MSME sector into the digital economy to derive its benefits: the informal microenterprises, the young men and women in informal employment, to unlock their potential and for them to strive for decent and meaningful work. This pilot program seeks to reach up to 1,500 MSEs and 2,000 young women and men workers directly through digital onboarding. It also seeks to spur the e-commerce system to engender wider, more inclusive adoption and crowd more investment and actors into the market system afterward.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. The Project Manager will carry out standard project management duties and overall coordination of implementing partners and industry resources for the implementation of the project. This will entail the following:

• Project Planning
• Stakeholder management, project monitoring, reporting and communication
• Project control including risk management, issue management, scope and change management
• Overall project quality control including review of implementing partners and consultant’s deliverables.

1. Participate in conducting Partner training needs analysis to determine, design and deliver appropriate capacity building interventions
2. Contribute towards the implementation of projects, ensuring that the desired results, and final impact, are achieved on time and to standard;

• Work collaboratively with other AFR project team members to ensure the success of AFR projects
• Proactively build relationships with each implementing partner (IP), ensuring their satisfaction with each stage of the project
• Work with implementing partners to assist them in implementing their projects according to the project plan
• Support implementing partners in producing M&E reports on time and to standard

1. Champion Communications and Advocacy objectives of the project

• Working with the Head of Digital Finance and Head of Communications & Market Development to carry out communications and advocacy activities as per the communications strategy and plan.

REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• A minimum of five years’ professional experience in project management, having supervised a team
• Past experience working with the private sector in business development
• Strong e-commerce acumen and knowledge of best practices
• Practical experience promoting the growth of e-commerce for Micro and Small Enterprises
• A sound understanding of Digital Finance and an ability to drive innovation
• Excellent project management skills including business planning, financial management, and monitoring.
• Experience working in the development sector

OTHER COMPETENCIES:

• Team leadership
• Demonstrated ability to liaise and negotiate with the government, partners, and stakeholders
• Excellent analytical skills
• Excellent technical report writing skills
• Familiarity with impact assessment is an advantage.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Good understanding of written and spoken Kinyarwanda

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Statistics, Information Technology, or another relevant field.
• Certificate in Project Management (PMP, Prince2) is an added advantage
• MS Office Experience

DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT:

One year contract with possible extension based on performance and availability of funds.

HOW TO APPLY:

• All qualified applicants should apply through Job in Rwanda by using the following link; “Apply for this job” button below by the 24^th of July 2020.
• The application should contain a CV with an e-mail address, daytime telephone contact, qualifications, achievements, experience, present position, and names & addresses of three referees together with a cover letter (maximum 1 page) summarizing why you consider yourself particularly well suited for the position. Do not attach any other documents at this point.
• All applications will be selected on merit and only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews.
• For any questions regarding the application process please contact Job in Rwanda.
• The position is open to Rwandans only
• Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

 Short-listed candidates will undergo written examination and oral interview.