Jobs at GSM Association (GSMA)

About the Role

As a Manager in the GSMA Innovation Fund team, you will:

• Work in a team to review and assess grant applications for funding
• Support shortlisted grant applicants (approx. 5 per round), this will include conducting due diligence and an extensive review of their grant application (workplan and budget)
• Manage a portfolio of grant projects from contracting to completion, including providing tailored technical assistance (either directly or through a third party).
• Support the Senior Managers in key reporting activities including monthly and quarterly Socio-Economic KPI reporting.
• Manage and coordinate regular meetings with grantees assigned to you. This will include coordination with an Independent Fund Manager.
• Build relationships with mobile network operators (MNOs) across Asia in order to identify strategic opportunities to provide support and develop initiatives that align with the programme's core objectives.
• Build and manage other relationships with key regional and local stakeholders, including investors, local incubators/accelerators/tech hubs, government etc.
• Deliver projects (including running workshops) which provide hands-on support to selected operators that are willing to serve as innovation partners.
• Participate in and present at relevant GSMA or external events to disseminate resources and insights, as well as to continue to position the programme in these forums.
• Share insights with the broader M4D department, Advocacy and Regional leads, to help build strong positions which can be used to advocate with key stakeholders around the role of MNOs in the innovation ecosystem.
• Contribute towards shaping the overall strategic direction of the GSMA Innovation Fund, to ensure that GSMA continues to deliver valuable support to its members and other stakeholders and achieves its goal of creating more successful, scalable and sustainable innovative M4D products and services.

About You

This is a hands-on role with successful candidates required to be self-motivated and able to work effectively with a dispersed team.

The ideal candidate will display the following qualities:

• A proven track record of managing complex projects, with multiple stakeholders’ engagements, and within predefined budgets and timelines.
• Experience in successfully managing innovation fund grantees across emerging countries. This includes experience managing risk and helping grantees pivot.
• Strong understanding and experience working with start-ups in Asia, as well as networks within the ecosystem such as investors and tech hubs 
• Strong interpersonal skills, and a very collaborative approach to working with other teams across the M4D.
• Critical analysis of business models and an understanding of the path for sustainability for grantees
• The ability to think creatively of solutions to new challenges or a changing environment.
• Experience dealing with a variety of external stakeholders, in particular the innovation ecosystem players including MNOs.
• A passion for the work we do at M4D and the impact we are having on local societies and economies
• Fluency in English is essential 

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About the Role

This role will be responsible to manage the three rounds of the Humanitarian Innovation Fund (2022 to 2027) whose first round will kick start in 2022. The responsibilities for the successful candidate will be:

• Setting up of each round of the Humanitarian Innovation Fund, together with relevant internal stakeholders
• Successful operational delivery of each round of the Humanitarian Innovation Fund: this consists of the ownership of the whole process end-to-end (launch, short-listing, due diligence, Fund Panel, contracting, in-flight grant and closure) and the direct management of a handful of grantees
• Contributing towards shaping the overall strategic direction (including roadmap) of the GSMA Humanitarian Innovation Fund, to ensure that GSMA continues to deliver valuable support to its members and other stakeholders
• Ensuring that a close collaboration model with other teams is being always fostered, ensuring that the relevant information flows between teams and defined roles and responsibilities are adhered to. This applies, in particular, to:
  • The GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programme, whose learnings and results of the Fund are essential to the programme’s theory of change
  • The GSMA Operations team
  • The GSMA compliance team and external Fund Manager
  • Where synergies are relevant, the broader Innovation Fund team
• Line management of a new team

About You

We welcome applications from individuals with the following demonstrated qualifications and experience:

• A demonstrable and substantial experience in grant management in low and middle-income countries is an absolute must-have for this role
• A demonstrable track record of managing complex projects, with multiple stakeholders’ engagements, and within predefined budget and timelines is a must have for this role
• A demonstrable track record of collaborating with a diverse set of internal (operations, compliance, subject-matter experts…) or external stakeholders is a must-have for this role
• Strong presentation skills with the ability of representing the Innovation Fund to external stakeholders (e.g. Fund Panel etc…) is a must have for this role
• An ability to think creatively of solutions to new challenges or a changing environment and adapt to them
• Experience of/genuinely interested in both the commercial and social benefits that are presented by mobile access and use in low and middle-income countries
• Experience or understanding on how mobile / digital can support the delivery of humanitarian assistance is desirable.
• Strong interpersonal skills are highly desirable