Description
The Digital Payments Specialist/ Coordinator will provide technical assistance to Mercy Corps AgriFin partners, including mobile money providers, financial institutions, agri and fintech companies, and other ecosystem actors, strengthening rural payments adoption and expand access to affordable, inclusive, and reliable digital financial services for smallholder farmers and agri-SMEs.
The role requires deep knowledge of digital payments, financial inclusion, and emerging fintech models, coupled with the ability to translate technical expertise into practical solutions for partner organizations. This role also requires an understanding of the different kinds of adoption incentives that can be tested with smallholder farmers and rural merchants to create scalable pathways for agri-payments adoption.
In addition to direct technical support, the Digital Payments Specialist/ Coordinator will drive thought leadership and learning by capturing and sharing best practices, emerging trends, and lessons from AgriFin’s work with ecosystem partners. This includes contributing to knowledge products, industry forums, and learning events that position AgriFin as a leader in shaping inclusive, innovative, and sustainable rural payment systems.
The Digital Payments Specialist/ Coordinator will work under the direct supervision of the Technical Director-Programs, as a member of the Technical Matrix Team, while providing support to Country Managers and country level teams, and the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Accountability and Learning (MERAL) team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Technical Assistance & Advisory:
- Provide tailored technical support to partners (mobile money providers, banks, fintechs, agri-techs) to design, test, and scale incentives and pathways to drive inclusive rural payments and other financial solutions.
- Collaborate with the technical team to identify and select engagements in line with the focus areas of the program.
- Engage in the development of all partner relationships and product planning roadmaps related to digital payments and related focus areas of individual projects.
- Support the integration of climate-smart, gender-responsive, and youth-inclusive approaches into digital payment solutions.
Partnership & Ecosystem Engagement:
- Build and manage strong relationships with financial and non-financial service providers, regulators, donors, and ecosystem actors to drive collaboration.
- Attend industry working groups, ecosystem dialogues, and external forums to influence and shape inclusive digital payment ecosystems.
- Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships to accelerate access to finance and technology for smallholder farmers and other players in the digital ecosystem.
Thought Leadership & Learning:
- Document and disseminate learnings, case studies, and success stories from AgriFin’s digital payments-related work.
- Contribute to programme research, publications, blogs, communications and learning activities and events (including AgriFin Learning Event).
- Track global and regional trends in digital payments and translate insights into program strategies and partner support.
- Active contribution on thought leadership spaces, highlighting innovations and lessons from Africa’s payment ecosystems.
Program Representation & Reporting:
- Support monitoring, evaluation, research, accountability and learning (MERAL) efforts by defining and tracking relevant metrics.
- Ensure that programming works within Mercy Corps’ M4P rubric for agricultural and financial inclusion programming.
- Ensure compliance with Mercy Corps’ and donor guidelines across all payments-related programming.
Personal learning and development:
- Develop and implement a learning and development plan for yourself to ensure continuous improvement and growth in line with your performance goals and Mercy Corps commitment to organizational learning that allow as you to dedicate 5% of your working time to learning.
Adherence to Policies and Procedures:
- Personal conduct should always be professional and respecting local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
- Accountability to participants – Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to program participants and to international standards guiding international development work, while actively engaging ecosystem as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
- Diversity and Inclusion – responsibility to create a positive culture and to safeguard equity, inclusion, dignity, and respect for all. Each employee is expected to be a role model for others and ensure alignment with MC diversity and Inclusion values.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- Advanced degree in Finance, Economics, Business, Technology, International Development, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
- 5–8 years of professional experience in digital payments, fintech, financial inclusion, or related sectors, with at least 5 years working directly in Africa or other emerging markets.
- Proven track record of designing, implementing, or scaling digital financial services (DFS) solutions, particularly in rural contexts.
- Demonstrated experience working with mobile money providers, banks, fintechs, or agri-tech companies.
- Strong understanding of payment infrastructure, interoperability, agent networks, payment flows and value chains and last mile distribution models.
- Experience engaging with regulators, industry bodies, or development partners on financial inclusion and digital finance.
- Excellent project management and partner engagement skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in dynamic environments.
Skills & Competencies
- Deep technical expertise in payments and broader DFS, with the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable solutions.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret market trends, data, and research insights.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce high-quality reports, case studies, and thought leadership pieces.
- Comfort in representing programs externally, including at conferences, workshops, and policy forums.
- Strong experience delivering technical assistance to diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, with experience integrating gender and youth considerations into DFS solutions.
- Self-starter with strong problem-solving abilities and a collaborative, team-oriented mindset.
- Team-player with positive attitude to problem solving and conflict resolution.
- Ability to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines, and to calmly and diplomatically deal with unexpected events impacting program operations.
Success Factors
The most successful Mercy Corps members possess: a positive, flexible attitude; a strong commitment to
teamwork, impact, and accountability; an entrepreneurial spirit; and a nearly fearless devotion to building
a better world.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Team Engagement and Effectiveness
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).
