Asia - External Consultant - Philippines

Accion; Cambridge (MA); Remote; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A nonprofit organization is looking for a consultant to support projects in the Philippines. The role involves engaging with local partners and facilitating project execution. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in product design and digital financial services, with strong communication skills in English and Tagalog. This position is aligned with our mission to create a fair and inclusive economy globally.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in product design or product management.
• Proven track record in financial product delivery in emerging markets.
• Hands-on experience with design thinking methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Act as local liaison supporting ongoing projects.
• Identify and engage potential partners in the Philippines and Indonesia.
• Facilitate communication between Accion's BD team and partners.

Skills

Product design experience

Digital financial services familiarity

Strong communication skills (English and Tagalog)

Agile methodology

Cross-cultural advisory experience

Job description

About Accion:

Accion is a global nonprofit on a mission to create a fair and inclusive economy for the nearly two billion people who are failed by the global financial system. We develop and scale responsible digital financial solutions for small business owners, smallholder farmers, and women, so they can make informed decisions and improve their lives. Through targeted investment strategies, advisory solutions, and expert thought leadership, we work with local partners to develop and scale cheaper, more accessible, and customer-friendly financial solutions. Since 1961, Accion has helped build 267 financial service providers serving low-income clients in 75 countries, reaching 440 million people. More at https://www.accion.org.

Individual Consulting Agreement

Annex A - Statement of Work

General Information:

• Project Name: Banko - Philippines
• Project Start Date: 01-10-2025 (tentative)
• Place of Performance: Manila, Philippines
• Project End Date: 12 months from start date

Scope of Work

The consultant will act as Accion's local representative in the Philippines and be involved in:

1. Acting as a local liaison and supporting execution and implementation of ongoing projects in the region
2. Support ongoing business development activities in Asia with a focus on Philippines and Indonesia.

This includes:

• Identification and initial reach out to potential partners to execute financial inclusion driven projects with FSPs, fintech, platforms etc. in the regions.
• Acting as a liaison between Accion's BD team and potential partners, i.e. making introductions, supporting discussions, pitching ideas etc.

Deliverables

The relevant activities, deliverables, milestones, and timing are as follows:

• Pipeline of 3-5 potential partners in Philippines/Indonesia
• Support on project execution for 1-2 projects in the region:

• UX/UI vendors onboarded, coordinated, and delivering against a clear set of product requirements
• Field research insights translated into user personas and prioritized pain points
• First set of improved customer journey maps and wireframes reviewed and approved by Accion and implementing partners
• Accion and implementing partner teams view the consultant as a trusted interface and catalyst, reducing response delays and misalignment

Project Schedule

All work will be completed between October 2025 and September 2026 unless the engagement is extended and approved by Accion in writing, or a new SOW is entered into.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in product design/digital product design, or product management in banking, or e-commerce.
• Proven track record in designing, delivery and scaling of financial product to customer ideally through a mix of traditional and nontraditional digital channels in emerging markets, particularly in the Philippines.
• Deep familiarity with digital financial services (loans, payments, wallets, BNPL, microfinance) and/or B2B commerce apps (inventory ordering, small business enablement).
• Hands-on experience in product design and implementation using design thinking methodologies, customer research, and usability testing.
• Ability to bridge strategy and execution - comfortable engaging senior stakeholders (CEOs, product owners) while also working with execution teams such as product managers, designers and engineers.
• Strong communication skills (English and Tagalog must) to manage workshops, interviews, and daily coordination.
• Strong facilitation and synthesis skills: able to turn field insights into actionable product requirements for product design and delivery
• Preferably familiar with start-up style, agile sprints and MVP launch cycles.
• Previous consulting or cross-cultural advisory experience is a plus.
• Interested in our mission and working globally.
• Willingness to embody our values of excellence, respect and passion for social change.

Accion is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. Accion seeks qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, change of sex or transgender status, or any other basis protected by law. Accion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.