Product Associate

Career with BRAC International

BRAC is an award-winning international non-governmental development organisation, with the vision of a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination, where everyone has the opportunity to realise their potential. BRAC is a leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programmes to assist poor and disadvantaged communities in low-income countries, including in conflict-prone and post-disaster settings. It is an organisation of and for the people of the Global South, pioneering new development and social enterprise approaches to equip communities to achieve prosperity. As well as being the world's biggest NGO by number of staff and people directly reached, BRAC has regularly been ranked the number one NGO in the world by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor, an independent organisation committed to highlighting innovation, impact and governance in the non-profit sector. BRAC retained the top spot in 2020 among the top 500 NGOs for the fifth consecutive year.

BRAC was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. It started its first programme outside of Bangladesh in Afghanistan in 2002, and has since reached millions of people in 11 countries in Asia and Africa. BRAC has a holistic approach to development that uses a wide array of programmes and social enterprises, including in microfinance, education, health, agriculture, gender and human rights. BRAC believes that every person has inherent potential, and when an enabling environment is created and that potential is unleashed, even the poorest can become agents of positive change in their own lives, for their families and their communities.

BRAC International is seeking application from competent, dynamic and self-motivated individuals to fill the following position:

About BRAC International Holdings B.V. (BIHBV)

BRAC International Holdings B.V. (BIHBV) is a socially responsible for-profit organization, engaging people in sustainable economic and income-generating activities. The core focus of BIHBV is to provide microfinance services outside Bangladesh to people living in poverty who are unbanked and unserved by mainstream financial institutions. BRAC International Microfinance’s (BI MF) mission is to provide a range of financial services responsibly to people at the bottom of the pyramid, particularly focusing on women living in poverty in rural and hard to reach areas to create self-employment opportunities, build financial resilience, and harness women’s entrepreneurial spirit by empowering them economically.

BRAC International Microfinance is seeking applications from competent, dynamic and self-motivated individuals to fill the following position:

Product Associate, BRAC International Holdings B.V.

About the Opportunity

The Associate, Product will support the Manager, Product in product innovation across BRAC International Holdings BV (BIHBV) portfolio providing assistance to country microfinance entities in research, development, implementation, and monitoring and review of products. The key responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Support research, design, and implementation of new products (agrifinance, youth finance, etc.), as well as refinements to existing products, using human-centered design principles, in collaboration with country microfinance teams and cross-functional teams across BI MF
• Support countries in leveraging client data from system reports and from business intelligence solutions to analyse trends, better understand client segments, and develop new/refine existing products and processes
• Assist country teams in the development of operational, communication, and training materials (business requirements documents for IT, promotional materials, training modules, operational circulars/manuals, etc.) pre-testing/launch of any new or modified products
• Design appropriate survey and/or research plans and instruments for pilot monitoring and review exercises, ensure quality control of data and proper data management, and support countries in the analysis and synthesis of findings. Assist countries in developing product monitoring and review reports for sharing nuanced findings in an accessible format
• Work closely with communications team to support country teams in developing marketing materials and guidelines for scaling new products
• Work closely with IT and Digital teams to ensure product and channel innovations are synergetic and product roll out, and reporting is smooth and functional.
• Attend bi-weekly check-in calls with business development leads across BI MF countries and co-host quarterly business development peer group meetings and webinars, info sessions, etc. on product development topics
• Maintain the database and track Key KPIs of every ongoing product pilots
• Support developing training modules and training of operational and frontline staff on new product pilot, roll out and scale
• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme’s goals on safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place, encourage others to do so.

Skills and Competencies Requirements:

• Familiarity with the human-centered design process
• Demonstrated experience conducting individual-level qualitative interviews and fluency in quantitative research methods
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical skills and leading data collection practices and the ability to work with quantitative and qualitative information
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization with Power BI or other applications
• Drive, flexibility, resilience, and the ability to work under pressure
• Ability to effectively work remotely, across time zones and team locations, as well as in-person with a small team of stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work in ambiguous environments, with minimal structure
• Fluency in English required (spoken, reading, and written)
• Familiarity and experience with microfinance

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or Development Studies
• At least 1-3 year(s) experience in the development sector, preferably in microfinance

Employment Type: Contractual

Salary: Negotiable

Job Location:  Nairobi, Kenya

Female candidates and candidates from the African continent are encouraged to apply. If you feel you are the right candidate for this position, please follow the application instructions accordingly:

External candidates should email their CV/Resume and a cover letter to recruitment.bi@brac.net

Internal candidates should send their updated CV/Resume and cover letter mentioning BRAC PIN to internal.bi@brac.net

Please mention the name of the position and AD# BI 31/22 in the subject bar.

Only complete applications will be accepted and short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Application deadline:  3 April 2022

BRAC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share the same commitment. We believe every stakeholder and every member of the communities we work with has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation - regardless of age, race, religion, and gender, status as an individual with a disability or ethnic origin. Therefore, our recruitment process includes extensive reference and background checks, self-disclosure of prior issues regarding sexual or other misconduct and criminal records and our values are the part of our Performance Management System.

BRAC is an equal opportunities employer.