Project Manager, HERfinance

~ BSR is a global nonprofit organization that works with its network of more than 250 member companies and other partners to build a just and sustainable world. From its offices in Asia, Europe, and North America, BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. ~

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Position Overview

About the HERproject:

HERproject is a global public-private partnership to empower low-income women workers along global supply chains. HERproject drives impact for women and business via workplace-based interventions on health (HERhealth) and financial inclusion (HERfinance).

Operating in 14 countries with 45 international companies, 280 factories and farms, 20 civil society partners, and multiple health-care providers, HERproject has improved the well-being, confidence, and economic potential of more than 700,000 women, and contributed to better health behavior and outcomes, as well as financial inclusion for their family and community members.

HERhealth improves the health-related knowledge, behaviors, and access to health services and products for low-income working women. The HERhealth training curriculum includes hygiene, nutrition, reproductive health, infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections, maternal health, and family planning, among others. The program works to strengthen factory clinics and improve linkages to local health service providers to enhance women’s access to healthcare in the workplace.

HERfinance builds the financial capability of low-income women and men in global supply chains by delivering financial education programs and connecting factory employees to appropriate financial services. The HERfinance training curriculum includes financial planning, budgeting, savings, borrowing, and talking about finances with the family. The program works to enhance workers’ access to financial products and services by digitizating wage payments and introducing financial products and services to workers through their workplaces.

HERrespect promotes positive gender relations in the workplace and community. Using a set of coordinated activities, including training, peer outreach, policy/structure review, service linkages, community mobilization, NGO training, and advocacy events, the program aims to to prevent and control violence agains women in factories.

About the Position:

Based in either Hong Kong or Paris, the HERfinance Project Manager will contribute to a new innovative program referred to as HERfinance Digital Wages. HERfinance Digital Wages is a Gates-Foundation-funded program aimed at bringing garment workers in South Asia onto the formal financial system by converting their payroll systems from cash or traditional direct deposit into mobile money accounts.

The Manager will be responsible for program management and scaling in Bangladesh and India. The Manager will identify and liaise with local stakeholders in the mobile money and financial inclusion space, conduct research to understand and measure progress, oversee the design and implementation of financial education to support the rollout of mobile money, and select and train local partners and contractors for program implementation.

The Project Manager will work closely with the HERproject global team, as well as the HERfinance team members based in Paris, Hong Kong, Delhi, and Dhaka, and will be supervised by the HERfinance Project Director based in New York.

BSR is seeking an entrepreneurial individual with a relevant background and a passion for leveraging business to promote social justice and sustainability. Particular experience working on financial inclusion issues in emerging markets is highly preferred.

The position represents a unique opportunity to join a dynamic, global team and contribute to the scaling up of a successful and innovative project in the intersection between business and development.

Responsibilities

• Program Management: The Project Manager will be responsible for managing the HERfinance Digital Wages program activities in Bangladesh and India, working in collaboration with BSR’s long-term contract partners based in Delhi and Dhaka, the global HERproject team, and our NGO and research partners in each country. This involves creating and executing a detailed and outcomes-oriented workplan and communicating regularly with team members, funders, and other stakeholders.
• Donor Engagement and Grant Administration: The Project Manager will help manage relationships with key funders of the program in South Asia, which primarily are Gates Foundation and various corporate sponsors. The Manager will compile and present progress reports, support assessment visits, and meet all grant requirements.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Advocacy: The Project Manager will conduct research, outreach, and follow-up to identify new and/or manage current stakeholders and partners. S/he will support and coordinate advocacy efforts with key organizations and individuals in the target countries. S/he will also engage with local companies in each country, as well as multinational buyer audiences to encourage their participation in HERfinance Digital Wages programs to support scaling goals.
• Communications and Events: BSR will host a number of small workshops and larger events in each target country to support project objectives; the Project Manager will support planning and execution of these events. Further, the Project Manager will contribute to realizing BSR’s communications strategy for HERfinance, including local media engagement, production of editorial for BSR’s global audience, social media, and website.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: The Manager will support monitoring and evaluation practices with individual grant projects, as well as HERproject program M&E, including supporting external research partners, reviewing and improving M&E tools, and basic data analysis.
• Other responsibilities: The Manager may also be expected at times to contribute to other areas of work, based on availability and BSR need. Pending HERproject funding, the job function may change in the future.

Qualifications

Note:  Only candidates with these specific requirements will be considered:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in relevant area, such as business, public administration, international development, economics, etc., preferred.
• Minimum seven years of relevant work experience, in the area of international development and/or responsible business, with a strong preference for experience and networks in the microfinance or financial inclusion fields.
• Experience working in a public/private partnership environment desirable.
• Fluency in English required.
• Exceptional research and writing skills, project execution, and basic project management skills required, including partnership management.
• Practical field experience working and/or living abroad in country(ies) in the developing world.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to meet strict deadlines, communicate progress on projects, and work with managers to coordinate multiple projects concurrently.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, building strong relationships with internal and external persons, including colleagues, business, public sector, and NGOs.
• Knowledge of, or experience working on, supply chain, garment/apparel, women’s empowerment, and/or women’s health a strong plus.
• Capacity to work and thrive in a growing, fast-paced, entrepreneurial organization with a collaborative environment.
• Willingness to undertake frequent travel (up to 50 percent) to South Asia, including regular factory visits, as well as other regions for stakeholder meetings, or to attend relevant conferences and seminars.
• High ethical standards and commitment to BSR core values of leadership, respect, and integrity.

Diversity

As part of our dedication to diversity, BSR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals seeking employment at BSR are considered without regards to race, ethnicity, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, registered domestic partner status, caregiver status, marital status, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other legally protected category.