Summary

Giga is building a Global Connectivity Marketplace. The marketplace is envisioned to operate at the intersection of a carbon credits market and a universal service/access fund, serving as a catalyst for incentivizing connectivity in individual countries by issuing tokens for companies connecting rural areas, underserved populations, and public facilities. Companies can redeem these credits for varied incentives, including tax reliefs, through respective Ministry of Finance or regulatory bodies, subject to individual country determinants.

Under the general guidance and direction of the Senior Adviser (Giga Financing and Market Shaping), the Programme Manager (Connectivity Credits Lead) will lead the operations and strategic development of a Global Connectivity Marketplace.

Your main responsibilities will be…

Conceptualize and drive the development of the marketplace:

• Develop a comprehensive understanding and layout of the Marketplace, addressing domicile, regulatory, legal, and financial frameworks.
• Work closely with the Giga Center in Barcelona to coordinate the development of country-level instances of the marketplace.
• Regular reporting and monitoring.

Oversee partnership building and stakeholder management activities:

• Forge strong alliances with global governments, with a keen emphasis on Swiss Government relationships.
• Develop corporate partnerships to ensure the marketplace’s supranational functionality, engaging with global tech companies.
• Support Giga’s partnerships team to grow and monitor existing partnerships related to the marketplace.

Manage the connectivity credits team:

• Recruit, lead, and manage a multidisciplinary team, including technologists in Geneva, responsible for building and supporting the global marketplace.
• Oversee the connectivity credits team members in Barcelona, ensuring cohesive development of the marketplace at the country level.

Ensure the legal and regulatory compliance of the marketplace:

• Collaborate with local legal resources in Geneva to explore and understand the diverse regulatory landscapes and options available for the marketplace.
• Work closely with the legal team at UNICEF to ensure legal compliance.

Lead the financial structuring and sustainability of the platform:

• Develop robust business cases focusing on independent financing and cash flows to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of the marketplace.
• Strategize the pathway for the marketplace’s evolution into an autonomous decentralized entity, maintaining UNICEF, ITU, and other Swiss interests in governance structures.
• Create a comprehensive plan for the potential spinoff of the marketplace, envisioning its transition into a decentralized entity with varied stakeholders on the governance board.

Lead communication and advocacy for the marketplace:

• Develop foundational communication materials in collaboration with Giga’s communication team, focusing on clarity, accessibility, and extensive reach.
• Advocate for the marketplace’s objectives, aligning efforts with ITU to ensure compliance and compatibility with regulators through its network.

To qualify for this position, you will have…

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s or higher) in business development, economy, computer science or related degree is required. 
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in managing and scaling technology-driven marketplaces or platforms, with a focus on innovative financing and partnership models in the public or private sector is required.
• Technical understanding of blockchain technology and decentralized systems and blockchain networks (e.g. DLT, Bitcoin and Ethereum, DApps, DeFi, DAOs)
• Experience working with public and private sector stakeholders
• Experience working with software products and service delivery.
• Experience working with development or humanitarian programmes. Familiarity with the UN system and UNICEF is desired.
• Deep knowledge of Telecommunications (TMT) and particularly engagements around universal service funds and universal access funds.
• Experience working in a multidisciplinary, multicultural team and with levels of uncertainty.
• Experience working in UNICEF programme countries is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

About Our Team

We are a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary team of software engineers, finance specialists, data scientists, policy experts, and much more. Our team is a distributed workforce and plans to remain distributed into the foreseeable future. We are growing fast. Our team has grown by over 400% in the last 6 months as we rapidly scale to meet our stated mission.