Applications are invited for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Social Finance Programme 2021.
About ILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and oldest specialised agency of the UN.
About the Programme
The ILO’s Social Finance Programme invites applications from qualified professionals with expertise in insurance, microfinance and development for inclusion in its Fellowship Programme roster and for potential placements in Africa and Asia. The projects are expected to start at the end of 2021, although are contingent on the COVID-19 situation and may be delayed.
Objective of the Programme
The objective of the programme is to match qualified professionals with organizations working on the frontiers of impact insurance and financial inclusion, bridge skill gaps and create a new generation of professionals with experience serving low-income populations.
Each Fellow will be placed with a host organization for at least a year to support an innovation project. The project could range from the implementation of a risk management product, public-private partnership, digital solution, or distribution partnership. The project will focus on the following themes:
- Designing integrated risk-management solutions for small enterprises and/or low-income households that bundle insurance with other financial and non-financial services to improve consumers’ ability to manage risk and increase their productivity capabilities
- Enhancing public-private partnerships that help achieve public policy objectives aligned to the UN’s SDGs, especially those related to decent work, food security, climate change and universal health coverage
Who Should Apply?
The ideal candidates for a fellowship should:
- have relevant expertise to contribute to insurance and/or microfinance activities;
- be interested in working in developing countries and in development issues;
- have serious commitment to providing microinsurance and/or microfinance consulting services or practising as a microinsurance/microfinance professional on an ongoing basis after the assignment;
- have project management skills;
- be resourceful and capable of arranging practical necessities related to travel, life and work in a new environment
- be ready to work in a developing country for the duration of the fellowship
Successful candidates would also have:
- considerable self-initiative to be a proactive learner and to drive agreed upon activities forward
- the ability to achieve objectives and solve problems independently
- a willingness to challenge existing methods and explore a fresh approach to issues
- strong social skills and collaborative spirit
- the ability to work effectively and efficiently with staff at all levels of the relevant organization(s)
- a willingness to learn from all of those in the host environment
- a nurturing attitude that enables the fellow to pass on his/her technical expertise to the staff of the host organization.
How to Apply?
- To apply, complete the application form available here. Email the completed application form along with a curriculum vitae and a cover letter to socialfinance@ilo.org by July 25, 2021 23:59 CEST.
- Include “Fellowship application” as the subject line of the email. Only submissions that include all three documents will be considered as complete.
Application Deadline
July 25, 2021