[Hiring] Consultant Technical Advisor, Digital Payment Systems @PATH

Role Description

PATH is seeking a Senior Technical Advisor with deep expertise in instant payment systems to provide independent technical oversight and quality assurance support for the development of governance and operational frameworks for Inclusive & Instant Payment Systems. This role supports PATH in fulfilling its responsibilities as a fiscal sponsor by ensuring that technical deliverables produced by consultants and vendors meet international standards, align with the approved scope, and are fit for implementation within the local regulatory and market context.

• Provide expert assessment of technical outputs against international standards (including Level One Project principles, ISO 20022, and applicable regulatory frameworks).
• Identify and flag technical risks, gaps, inconsistencies, or overengineering in proposed frameworks, architectures, and operational designs.
• Support informed decision-making on milestone acceptance, payment approvals, and vendor performance.
• Offer strategic advisory inputs to PATH and its partners on emerging technical issues, new project opportunities, and evolving market dynamics.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years’ professional experience in the design, implementation, or oversight of real-time or instant payment systems, payment switches, or national payment infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience with open-source payment platforms (particularly Mojaloop) and/or commercial instant payment system solutions.
• Proven track record of conducting independent technical reviews, quality assurance assessments, or technical due diligence of complex ICT or fintech projects.
• Experience working with or advising central banks, national financial switches, or regulatory authorities on payment system governance, scheme design, and operational frameworks.
• Familiarity with Level One Project (L1P) design principles, ISO 20022 messaging standards, and relevant regulatory frameworks in developing country contexts.
• Experience in African markets or comparable developing economy contexts is highly desirable.

Requirements

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to assess complex technical deliverables and identify gaps, risks, and opportunities.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, and actionable technical review memos and advisory notes.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate among diverse stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, technology vendors, and financial institutions.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent review workstreams across different country contexts.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Proficiency in French is highly desirable given country engagements in Guinea and Burundi.

Benefits

• The engagement is for a period of up to three (3) years from the date of contract signature, with an estimated level of effort of 10–40 hours per month.
• The engagement will be subject to annual performance review and renewal based on mutual agreement and the continued needs of the project.
• The master services agreement is designed to provide flexible, on-demand access to senior technical expertise that can be scaled up or down in response to the pace of country deployments and volume of deliverables under review.

Application Requirements

• Letter of expression of interest (cover letter) describing relevant experience and approach to the role.
• Curriculum vitae (CV) indicating all relevant experience from similar assignments, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references with experience in payment systems or financial infrastructure.
• A brief technical writing sample (e.g., a technical review memo, assessment report, or advisory note) demonstrating the candidate’s analytical and communication capabilities.
• Proposed daily rate in US dollars, exclusive of any operational or administrative costs.