Expression of Interest: Manager, Digital Public Finance

Adam Smith International is a strategic development company that helps people prosper by making economies stronger, societies safer, and governments more effective. Our clients are governments, international organisations, companies, and foundations. They come to us to develop strategies and to design, deliver and evaluate programmes that, in turn, stimulate growth, stability and good governance. 

Our core team of managers and technical experts, in offices around the world, ensures the quality of delivery and high ethical standards that we and our clients require. We bring together a global network of specialist experts, who contribute their experience and know-how, where and when it is needed.

ASI is dedicated to making a meaningful difference in complex, challenging situations and we are committed to corporate integrity and a triple bottom line of social, environmental and financial performance.

ASI’s Public Financial Management (PFM) team, part of our Governance and Stability Practice, helps governments raise, allocate, spend and account for public money more effectively. A fast-growing part of this work is digital public finance: how governments use technology, data and digital public infrastructure to transform their financial management systems – from budget and treasury systems and government payments to data exchange, interoperability and fiscal transparency platforms. Alongside our traditional bilateral and multilateral clients, we increasingly work with philanthropic foundations and specialist digital delivery partners to design and deliver this work across Africa, Asia and fragile and conflict-affected states.

We are looking for a Manager to help build and deliver our digital public finance portfolio. This role is open to candidates based in the UK or Kenya. This a hybrid role that sits at the intersection of technology, product and government. You will understand what it takes to build digital products and how large systems fit together, and you will be just as comfortable working with finance ministry officials as with engineers. You will help shape new ideas and partnerships, oversee the delivery of digital PFM work day to day, and keep projects on track and on budget. This is an exciting opportunity to shape a new and growing area of work within ASI.

Key tasks and responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• A degree in computer science, engineering, data science, public policy, economics or another relevant field, or equivalent practical experience;

• Relevant experience at the intersection of technology and public policy or government (level will reflect experience);

• Hands-on experience building or managing digital products, for example as a product manager, technical project manager, developer or founder;

• Coding and technical literacy: working knowledge of at least one programming language (e.g. Python or JavaScript) and a sound understanding of how software is designed, built, tested and deployed, including APIs, databases and cloud services;

• Systems thinking: an understanding of how large information systems, data flows and integrations work, including the challenges of legacy systems;

• A good understanding of how government works – policy-making, budgeting, procurement and institutional and political constraints – ideally from working with or in government;

• Experience of project management and financial management (budgets, tracking, forecasting, reporting);

• Outstanding written and spoken English, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences and policy context to technical teams;

• An entrepreneurial approach, with experience of developing new ideas, partnerships or business; 

• A pre-existing right to work in the UK or Kenya.

• Knowledge of public financial management or digital public finance (e.g. IFMIS, government payments, Treasury Single Accounts, fiscal transparency);

• Experience with digital public infrastructure (digital identity, payments, data exchange), open-source solutions or digital government standards;

• Experience in a tech start-up or scale-up environment;

• Experience working with philanthropic foundations or other non-traditional funders;

• Experience of data analytics or AI applications in the public sector;

• Experience working in low- and middle-income or fragile contexts, and willingness to travel.

This role is intended for a professional who combines technical and product experience with an understanding of government and public policy. The level will be agreed based on experience. It requires someone who can move comfortably between strategy and detail – shaping new ideas with partners and funders one day, and reviewing a system design or a project budget the next – and who can earn the trust of both government officials and technical teams. ASI’s digital public finance portfolio is expanding, and this position offers the chance to help shape and grow it.