Regional Consultant – Digital & Financial Capacity for Women-Owned SMEs

About the role

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa is seeking a Regional Consultant to support the Development Account Tranche 18 project, which aims to strengthen the digital and financial capabilities of women‑owned micro, small and medium enterprises (W‑SMEs) in North Africa. The consultant will work from the Sub‑regional Office for North Africa in Rabat and will coordinate activities across Egypt, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of digital and financial inclusion gaps affecting W‑SMEs in the selected focus country.
• Organise and facilitate the national stakeholders workshop that launches the project in the focus country.
• Develop a country‑specific module on the institutional and regulatory ecosystem for digital trade and finance, including accessibility for SMEs with disabilities.
• Prepare a policy paper with actionable, gender‑responsive recommendations and an implementation plan for national policymakers.
• Design and adapt training materials on digital trade, fintech solutions and digital financing for the four target countries.
• Deliver capacity‑building workshops, conduct pre‑ and post‑training surveys, and compile workshop reports.
• Collaborate with three national consultants to ensure consistency and quality of deliverables.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in economics, trade, digital economy, business administration or related field; a PhD is an advantage.
• Minimum seven years of progressively responsible experience in SME development, trade policy or related areas.
• Proven experience facilitating stakeholder consultations and delivering capacity‑building workshops.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate gender equality considerations into economic and policy analysis.
• Fluency in French and Arabic; working knowledge of English is an advantage.