Responsibilities Identify, contract and direct projects
Develop and identify new business for the CI team that aims to tackle product design problems and implement solutions by applying user-centered design processes
Stay abreast of new trends and ideas in the fields of HCD, UX, and design, ensuring that BFA remains a top choice for thought leading work in design for financial services for low-income people
Lead the design of and successfully manage the CI team to execute projects that may include:
User interviews, user surveys, usability testing
Creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes for products and service
Producing user personas, use case scenarios, user journeys and storyboards
Implementing products and features with engineers and business analysts on other BFA teams
Think creatively about how to enable low-income people to solve problems and achieve goals in all areas of their lives, through new and improved financial services
Review outputs, ensuring the highest standards of quality for BFA’s clients
Effectively manage budgets and timelines and ensure profitability of Consumer Insights projects
Communicate stage of the project process effectively, keeping clients updated throughout all phases of implementation
Set expectations accurately and define scope of projects to ensure client satisfaction
Collaborate effectively across other practice areas of BFA
Understanding the content areas of policy, supply-side analytics and financial to be able to identify and enhance the ability of the Consumer Insights team to collaborate across practice areas
Contribute to strategic direction of firm
Serve as an active member of BFA’s Leadership Team, including review of pipeline and associate utilization. Contribute to discussions around strategic areas for growth for the firm
Maintain focus on social impact and work to ensure that projects translate to measurable improvements in the lives of poor people (even if indirectly)
Manage associates
Manage a team of five Consumer Insights associates with expertise in how low-income people manage their finances
Ensure Consumer Insights team members have an appropriate work load
Coach and mentor staff, particularly strengthening their design skills and the use of cutting-edge, lean tools and methodologies
Represent BFA
Represent BFA at conferences and events, including public speaking engagements
Maintain strong client relationships
Qualifications
Bachelor Degree in anthropology, engineering, marketing, economics, journalism, or other similar area.
Masters or other type of qualification in digital design, graphic design, human-computer interaction (HCI) is a plus
A minimum of 10 years of work experience in design and its application for international development. Experience working in developing countries and a commitment to improving the lives of low-income people required
Demonstrated expertise in design for poverty alleviation in developing countries
Professional familiarity with different cultures and languages
Intuitive understanding of the environments and conditions in which low-income people live their lives
Demonstrated success in managing others and advocating for their professional advancement
Strong communication skills and comfort with public speaking and ability to represent technical topics accurately
Creative thinking and storytelling skills, and ability to connect individual stories with information needs of BFA’s clients
Willingness to travel internationally up to 25% of the time
Advanced English skills
Any of the following will be considered a plus:
Proficiency in languages other than English
Familiarity with financial inclusion, microfinance, digital financial services or other topics related to money management
Knowledge of design and prototyping tools such as Balsamiq Mockups, Photoshop, Illustrator
Understanding of HTML, Android Design Guidelines, CSS and JS