Policy & Advocacy Director, Africa at Women's World Banking

Reporting to: Regional Head, Africa
Classification: Full-time
Start Date: Immediate

Summary

• Women’s World Banking is looking for a talented Policy and Advocacy Manager to lead our government engagement and policy influence work for Africa.
• The role will be based in Lagos with a primary focus on Nigeria and a secondary focus on Egypt and other select markets in Africa.
• The Policy and Advocacy Director/Manager will join a small yet forward thinking, high-performing and collaborative team focused on delivering innovative customer experiences, banking services and products that create business and customer value for low-income women.
• This position operates within the Africa regional structure, reporting to the Regional Head, based in South Africa.
• The role also requires close collaboration with the Director of Policy and Advocacy, based in the United Kingdom.
• The ideal candidate will have a successful record of operations within the financial services or technology sectors with a sector expertise of government engagement and policy influence using research-based evidence.
• You will also understand and be able to manage influence on a broader scale, with relations in trade associations, chambers of commerce and the media.
• You will be passionate about women’s economic empowerment and eager to serve as a thought leader in the financial inclusion community.
• We are looking for assertive and self-motivated people who are eager to seek out opportunities and co-create with colleagues across the organization.

Responsibilities
Stakeholder Management and Thought Leadership:

• Complete market stakeholder maps identifying key policy makers, environment, points of view, relevant messages and engagement approaches
• Identify and establish relationships with the Central Bank of Nigeria, other policy makers and regulators, industry leaders, trade associations, key media and other influencers, in line with country/regional strategy
• Participate in regional conversations on financial inclusion and economic empowerment, highlighting the gender perspective
• Working with the research team to synthesize research findings to identify opportunities for different stakeholders to take defined action to advance women’s financial inclusion
• Present information, both internally and externally, in a clear and organized way. Outputs may include webinars, panels at conferences, executive-level briefings, internal presentations, and more.

Policy Influence:

• Working with the Director of Policy and Advocacy, define Women’s World Banking’s policy position for key markets in Africa
• Identify opportunities for evidence-based policy influence within policymaking institutions
• Facilitate development of women-centered policy design by policy makers and regulators
• Manage policy interactions to ensure we are reaching policymakers, with the right messaging, in a systematic and strategic manner such as through national Communities of Practice and our Leadership & Diversity for Regulators programme, to drive action.
• Engage relevant policymakers and local stakeholders in meetings, events and seminars through media and regional forums
• Create policy papers and positions on important regional topics using data-driven insights

Qualifications

• Undergraduate or Master's Degree in a relevant discipline
• 10+ years of work experience in work related to financial services, policy, public affairs and/or advocacy, women’s empowerment, or non-profit, with deep Nigeria expertise and working knowledge of policy landscapes across Africa
• Intellectual curiosity and creative problem-solving in research
• Successful track record working within a diverse, multi-cultural global organization, collaborating with remote colleagues, and delivering high quality work with minimal supervision
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Ability to travel within Africa, around the region, and occasionally to Europe and the U.S.

Within the first 75 days:

• Assume full responsibilities of the position
• Embrace Women’s World Banking’s values – Think Big, Own and Commit to It, Smarter Together
• Learn and comprehend Women’s World Banking’s business model
• Fully integrate into the Africa team.