Start Date: As soon as possible.

Duration: The project is expected to conclude on 31 August 2027

Type of contract: Full-time position.

Compensation: Competitive, dependent on experience.

Location: Pakistan.

ABOUT FINANCIAL INNOVATION FOR IMPACT

Financial Innovation for Impact (Fii)is an international, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of scalable, sustainable, and evidence-based financial and regulatory innovation. We work with academic institutions, digital finance ecosystem partners, and other stakeholders to create knowledge and apply data-driven insights to inform the development of fintech and the decision-making of central banks, securities regulators, and other financial authorities. Fii generates research, develops digital tools, and delivers capacity building at scale through technical assistance programmes to benefit financially excluded, marginalised, and disadvantaged populations.

The Technical Assistance Directorate

Fii's Technical Assistance Directorate delivers practical, evidence-based technical assistance to central banks, financial regulators and policymakers. This role will support Fii’s 12-month technical assistance programme with and for the benefit of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), working with SBP on its approach to overseeing and supporting Pakistan’s evolving digital financial services ecosystem, in collaboration with Fii international specialists and the wider Pakistan-based team.

THE ROLE

Fii is seeking a Pakistan-based Technical Specialist to provide authoritative local insight on Pakistan's financial sector, digital financial services ecosystem, regulatory environment and political economy. The role will help ensure that programme diagnostics, policy options and implementation recommendations are accurate, relevant and feasible in Pakistan.

Working alongside Fii's international digital financial services experts, the Technical Specialist will contribute across the various project workstreams wherever Pakistan-specific technical, market or institutional judgement is required. The role requires in-depth knowledge of the Pakistani ecosystem and the ability to contextualise specialist advice.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide expert advice on Pakistan's financial sector and digital financial services ecosystem, including market structure, regulatory mandates, institutional arrangements, implementation capacity and political-economy considerations relevant to the programme.
• Advise Fii international specialists on how comparative regulatory and policy approaches can be adapted realistically to Pakistan's legal, institutional, market and operational context.
• Contribute substantive Pakistan-specific evidence and analysis to programme diagnostics, stakeholder interviews, policy options, workshops, technical notes and implementation plans.
• Gather and synthesise relevant local evidence from regulations, supervisory practice, market data, institutional processes and stakeholder perspectives, identifying material gaps, assumptions and areas requiring validation.
• Draft and review technical outputs for factual accuracy, local relevance, internal consistency and implementability, and clearly flag recommendations that require further evidence, institutional decision or stakeholder validation.
• Support substantive engagement with Pakistani authorities, financial institutions, fintechs, payment providers, industry bodies, consumer representatives and other relevant actors, working with the Relationship Manager on access and stakeholder approach.
• Apply an inclusion and gender lens to local analysis, including barriers affecting women, rural users, lower-income consumers, small merchants and first-time digital finance users where relevant to workstream design.
• Monitor material regulatory, market, institutional and political-economy developments in Pakistan and advise the programme team on implications for sequencing, risks and implementation.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will combine the experience and judgement required for the role with a practical commitment to collaborative, locally grounded delivery.

Essential

• Based in Pakistan, with sustained professional engagement in the country's financial-sector and digital-finance ecosystem. 
• Substantial relevant experience in Pakistani financial services, digital financial services, fintech, payments, financial regulation, public policy or closely related advisory work. 
• Deep knowledge of Pakistan's financial-sector market structure, regulatory environment and digital financial services ecosystem, including the role and priorities of Pakistani regulatory authorities. 
• Batchelor’s degree or equivalent professional expertise in economics, finance, law, public policy, technology, development studies or another relevant field. 
• Strong understanding of Pakistan's institutional arrangements, political economy, implementation constraints and local professional ways of working. 
• Proven ability to analyse regulatory and market evidence, draw out practical implications and produce clear, well-structured written contributions for senior policy and technical audiences. 
• Ability to assess international approaches critically and translate them into proportionate, implementable options for Pakistan.  
• Excellent written and spoken English and native-level Urdu, with the confidence to contribute to senior interviews and technical workshops. 
• Sound judgement, a thoughtful and considered approach and a collaborative working style, including work supportively alongside international specialists and handle confidential or market-sensitive information appropriately. 

Desirable

• Previous experience within or advising SBP, another Pakistani financial authority, or a government body.
• Experience contributing to regulatory diagnostics, policy design, regulatory drafting or technical-assistance programmes.
• Expertise in payments systems.
• Well-connected network across Pakistani authorities, financial institutions, payment providers, fintechs, industry bodies and/or consumer organisations.
• Experience integrating financial inclusion, consumer protection or gender considerations into financial-sector policy and implementation work.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A job and a team with a purpose. This is a chance to work on important challenges in the financial sector that greatly affect our economies and society, and to have a real impact using data and tech to transform the public sector.
• Opportunity to innovate and to break new ground in this field.
• Exposure to leading thinkers, researchers, and solution creators in the financial and technology space and academia.
• Opportunities to frame evidence-based discussions in a rapidly evolving industry.
• Opportunities to work and collaborate with exceptional teammates, experts, and partners globally.
• Competitive compensation and benefits as per the location.
• Flexible work schedule.

INCLUSION

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you require any adjustments to support your application or participation in the selection process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should apply by 14th September.