Vittana is an early-stage non-profit startup bringing student loans to the developing world through the power of person-to-person microfinance. It is headquartered in the historic Pioneer Square district of Seattle, WA. It partners with MFIs throughout the developing world to support and catalyze new student lending programs. By connecting to students, it enables MFI partners to raise the right kind of capital to work with more and more students.
About the Job:
Vittana is seeking a Fellow. S/he will work on-the-ground with the organization's MFI partners abroad. S/he will be tasked with helping create, support, and evaluate student lending programs at organization's MFI partners. Current geographic priorities include Africa: Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda. In Américas: Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Perú (Spanish required). In Asia: Cambodia, India (Hindi required), Nepal, the Philippines, and in Middle East: Jordan, Lebanon (Arabic preferred or required depending on placement).
Vittana is seeking a Fellow. S/he will work on-the-ground with the organization's MFI partners abroad. S/he will be tasked with helping create, support, and evaluate student lending programs at organization's MFI partners. Current geographic priorities include Africa: Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda. In Américas: Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Perú (Spanish required). In Asia: Cambodia, India (Hindi required), Nepal, the Philippines, and in Middle East: Jordan, Lebanon (Arabic preferred or required depending on placement).
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Market research:
- Work with MFI staff and/or a third-party firm to perform an analysis of the potential demand for student loans by interviewing existing and potential clients, creating and distributing surveys to local students and MFI staff, and leading focus groups;
- Assist the MFI in the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative survey and focus group data.
- Product development and pilot launch:
- Support the MFI’s student loan product development process, culminating in a one-week organization-led innovation workshop with MFI management and staff;
- Ensure necessary logistics and benchmarks are met in advance of the launch of a pilot program;
- Serve as an intermediary between the MFI and other major stakeholders (i.e. students, vocational and technical schools, universities, etc.);
- Tailor the MFI’s marketing and operational resources to effectively integrate the student loan product into the MFI’s day-to-day operations;
- Design and run training sessions for MFI staff on organization's lending policies and procedures.
- Capacity building and evaluation:
- Liaise between organization and MFI staff to assess the pilot and identify areas for improvement;
- Ensure continued focus on and progress toward goals for the successful launch of the student loan as a core product offering;
- Generate multi-media content for the organization's website in the form of student stories, photos, and video interviews.
Qualifications:
- Willingness to commit a minimum of 12 weeks in-country (strong preference given to applicants able to commit to 4 months or more);
- Minimum 2 – 3 years of work experience or equivalent;
- Some international work, travel or life experience;
- Strong critical thinking, problem-solving skills;
- Proficiency with MS Office Suite and web tools (Gmail, Skype, WordPress, etc.);
- At least 21 years of age preferred;
- Project management and/or market research experience;
- Demonstrated interest in education, microfinance, or international development;
- Demonstrated track record for delivering results on challenging projects, whether professional, volunteer, or personal;
- Fluency in Spanish, Arabic, Hindi and/or Indian state languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Oriya, etc.), Filipino dialects, Vietnamese or Bahasa Indonesian (depending on placement).
2014 Vittana International Fellowship
![2014 Vittana International Fellowship]()
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