Associate - Payments and Digital Financial Services

ABOUT GENESIS

In a world undergoing convulsive technological and political change, Genesis partners with key actors to deliver urgent, lasting impact in critical areas.

Genesis, an impact firm founded, incorporated and headquartered in Africa, has worked in 46 African countries and more than 100 countries globally. Uniquely, Genesis is focused on the Young World – the arc of countries with young populations stretching across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. 

By 2030 four in five children will be born in the Young World, making this region central to the future. With growing markets and young, productive populations, Young World countries have the most positive potential trajectory in the world. It is here that investments of all kinds will have the highest social and economic returns.

Our job at Genesis is to help societies, governments and businesses across the Young World succeed at three fundamental historic transitions:

• Reconfiguring economies: creating income for large, rapidly urbanising youth cohorts within a global economy undergoing profound changes
• A human transition: a fundamental rethink of how societies, governments and markets can ensure the health and cognitive and social well-being of all those young people, including the most vulnerable
• A just climate transition: both to decarbonise and to manage the human and economic impacts of a global crisis they did not cause

To do this work, we are building a new type of impact firm.

THE PAYMENT & DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES (DFS) SERVICE LINE

Across Africa, access to financial services is growing, but usage remains limited. While 55% of adults on the continent now own a transactional account, only 16% made a digital payment to a merchant. This gap reflects a deeper reality: financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by enabling people and businesses to use payments in ways that are affordable, trusted, and embedded in daily life. This is the problem we exist to solve. We are building a borderless, real-time economy in emerging markets where every individual, business, and government is digitally enabled to participate and thrive. Therefore, we aspire to help ensure every citizen in the young world has access to a digital account and the real-time payment systems necessary to fully engage in the modern economy.

To achieve this, our Payments & Digital Financial Services service line delivers end-to-end support across five integrated workstreams. 

• Strategy: We develop market-aligned growth pathways and digital financial ecosystem roadmaps. 
• Research workstream: we bring rigorous market insight to opportunity sizing, user needs, and product fit. 
• Policy & Regulation workstream: Anchored in our dedicated DFS Policy Agency Services, we support central banks and regulators to shape enabling governance, frameworks, consumer protection regimes, and policies. 
• Program Management: We help governments and operators design, implement, and optimise national payment systems and modernization programs. 
• Impact Assessment: We work with donors and institutions to measure, learn, and communicate the social and economic outcomes of their investments.

Joining the service line means collaborating with colleagues in Financial Services, Digital Economy development, and beyond. No two assignments look alike: one week you may be modelling the economics of an instant-payments scheme; the next, translating complex regulatory reforms into compelling stories for investors, policymakers and the public. Whatever the challenge, you will be at the forefront of finding innovative, measurable solutions that move societies toward inclusive digital finance.

Requirements

ROLE DESCRIPTION – PAYMENTS AND DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATE

The Associate will provide crucial support for the design, implementation, and evaluation of digital payment strategies and initiatives. The Associate will apply strong analytical skills to conduct research, analyze data, and support the development of high-quality strategic and policy outputs. The role will also involve assisting with stakeholder engagement and contributing to project deliverables under the guidance of senior team members.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery

• Leads specific work streams within projects from inception to completion
• Manages analysts working on assigned work streams, including task allocation and quality review
• Guides and supports analysts on research approaches, methodologies, and deliverable quality
• Takes ownership of work stream timelines and ensures milestones are met
• Produces work stream deliverables that meet service line quality standards

Business Development

• Leads proposal development from start to submission, ensuring adherence to service line standards
• Coordinates proposal inputs, manages timelines, and ensures quality of final submission
• Supports senior team members on business development through concept notes and client presentations
• Develops understanding of client needs and contributes to solution design

People Management (second year associates only)

• May serve as the official line manager to one or more analysts
• Provides ongoing mentorship and guidance to analysts
• Conducts regular check-ins and supports analyst professional development

 Working Groups & Initiatives

• Actively participates as a member of one or more working groups (Recruitment, Partnership, Communication, and PR)

Requirements

Genesis consultants carry a balanced combination of powerful intellect, strong technical skills, and a consulting character to match. Successful candidates for roles at Genesis:

• Are passionate, self-motivated and energetic problem-solvers
• Value integrity and exhibit ethical behaviour
• Are analytical thinkers and fast learners with an excellent academic record

The successful candidates will thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy the flexible nature of the job, and like to hit the ground running. You are pro-active and hands-on, with the ability to not only work effectively as part of team, but also to motivate the team and ensure they can excel. 

You are likely to have:

• Master's degree in Economics, business administration (MBA) or a related field
• 3+ years of experience in consulting or payments or DFS 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Commitment to excellence and client service

How to apply

• Please follow the online application process on the career portal of the Genesis website, we are unable to accept any e-mailed CVs or applications
• Your application will primarily be considered for this role. If that are multiple roles that you are interested in, please submit your application to each position 
• Once you have applied via our career portal, you will receive a system-generated confirmation e-mail that your application was received
• NOTE: Please be advised that uploaded documents/attachments cannot be bigger than 4MB in total, as the system will not accept your application if the uploaded documents exceed 4MB
• Communication will be with short-listed candidates only - if you do not receive any feedback on your application within 3 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful
• Genesis Analytics reserves the right not to proceed with an appointment of any advertised role
• All appointments will be made in line with Genesis Analytics’ Employment Equity Plan and Transformation Policies
• At Genesis, we prioritise your privacy by collecting essential personal information for job applications, which is reviewed confidentially by authorised hiring personnel to assess your suitability and communicate with you about your application status.