Manager, Research and Analysis – Remote (Eastern North America or Europe (GMT +/- 3 hrs))

A bit about us, and how we’re different

Digital Disruptions is a boutique US-based strategy and design innovation consulting firm focusing on fintech and digital financial services (DFS) in emerging markets. Since our founding in 2014, we’ve been re-thinking – and re-doing – the way fintech consulting work is done.  [Read more about our unique traits].

Our mission is to apply and adapt best-in-class innovation tools, methods, and mindsets to the fintech sector, and work diligently yet swiftly from research and design to build and launch phases.

We take a start-up style approach that fuses analytical and creative thinking and use our proprietary frameworks and workflows we have developed in-house. The result is tangible progress for our clients – and meaningful impact for the people and communities they serve.

​We’ve been trusted by top-tier clients in both the private sector (Amazon Web Services, Vodafone M-Pesa, Mastercard, Ecobank, BRAC Microfinance, VC-backed start-ups) and public domain (e.g., World Bank, IFC, International Monetary Fund, United Nations, World Economic Forum). [See our clients’ testimonials on 20+ case studies on our website’s Work section.]

Our work is guided by 5 core values:

1. Integrity: doing the right thing – even when no one is looking;
2. Quality: serving as experts in our craft and taking pride in delivering high-quality work;
3. User-Centricity: keeping the client and the end-user at the center of our engagements;
4. Bias to Action and Urgency: taking decisive action rather than overanalyzing scenarios;
5. Solution-Oriented Mindset: looking for optimal solutions, while being aware – rather than dwelling on – risks, unknowns, and obstacles.

 What we’re looking for 

We’re seeking to build a roster of Managers, one each at early stage (3 to 6 years of experience), mid-level (6 to 10 years), and senior (10+ years) experience levels, ideally with experience in fintech and/or financial inclusion.

You’ll bring your rigor and meticulousness in research and dig deep in all types of information and data (e.g., public sector studies, company presentations, analyst reports), complement them with primary research (e.g., online surveys, expert interviews). You’ll be able to cut through the noise and make sense of the key insights and relevant takeaways, and then write in a comprehensive yet concise manner for a wide variety of audiences, from payment enthusiasts to senior executives.

You should have a passion for social impact, knowledge of payments, and a fascination with emerging markets. On one hand, you should be ​proactive and self-motivated to work independently; on the other, you’ll work collaboratively with cross-functional subject-matter experts in different time zones. Most importantly, we are looking for someone who is both a thinker and doer, with a strong bias to execution.

What you’ll be doing

Digital Disruptions works on a you will wide variety of exciting, meaningful projects.  Some of the ways you will support include:

• Conducting secondary research to write a comprehensive landscape report on merchant payments for a large global public sector client;
• Analyze company reports and conduct stakeholder interviews to come up with a thought-leadership brief on key themes (e.g., AI opportunities for SME finance, rethinking digital financial literacy, opportunities in global supply-chain management for soft commodities);
• Obtain and analyze performance data for a fintech client’s money transfer product;
• Conduct descriptive analytics for a primary survey and craft compelling visualizations to enhance the key messages.

Engagements last anywhere from two weeks to several months. You’ll work closely with a broader team of specialists in marketing, design, user research, and strategy, depending on the engagement.

What we offer

• Impact-driven work: Opportunity to collaborate on innovation projects that improve lives in developing countries, focusing on low-income individuals and SMEs.
• Top-tier client engagement: Work with a range of leading clients in fintech from around the world.
• Flexible work arrangements: fully remote, and flexible work schedule (i.e., you can work around your other engagements).
• Competitive compensation, based on quality of experience, potential impact, and local market rates.
• Professional growth with focus on development opportunities and learning from expert colleagues in various fields such as marketing, design, research, and data analysis.

Sound interesting? You should have:

• Excellent verbal and written skills in English, especially technical writing.
• Hands-on experience working in research (competitive, secondary, market, etc.).
• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate insights, ideas and recommendations to internal teams and clients;
• Experience in conducting basic data analysis (collection, cleaning, interpretation, presentation).
• Based in GMT + or – 3 hrs time zone, with a preference for Eastern North America or Europe.

It would be a bonus if you also had:

• Experience working in the fintech or Digital Financial Services sector (ideally B2C); specific experience in payments, credit, remittances, or e-commerce highly desirable;
• Professional experience in multiple markets in one or more advanced economies;
• Working proficiency in Spanish or French a bonus;
• Experience or exposure to multiple markets in Africa, Asia, and/or Latin America;
• A portfolio of written publications;
• Practical experience with statistical software (such as Excel, SPSS, SAS) and mastery in data analysis languages including SQL, Python, and R.
• Master’s degree in Economics or related quantitative field

Please note that due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.