ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance

Applications are now closed.
Please contact us if you would like to receive updates on future opportunities.

Transform Lives Worldwide. Transform Your Career.

Imagine taking your career to the next level while serving your country and helping millions of people around the world build a bridge out of poverty.

If you work at the intersection of finance and technology, the new ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance offers you a rare opportunity to put your experience in fintech, digital finance, and financial inclusion to work in new and innovative ways in the U.S. Government.

The program seeks to advance global financial inclusion as a tool for poverty alleviation by bringing expertise and diverse perspectives on digital finance to the U.S. Federal government. As a ProInspire Fellow in Digital Finance, you will have a hands-on role in advancing these efforts through a unique public service and learning opportunity.

You will be part of a cohort of ProInspire Fellows in Digital Finance that will work within selected U.S. Government agencies, as well as across agencies on collaborative projects, to expand government capacity, create opportunities for unbanked and underbanked individuals across the globe, open new markets, improve efficiency and financial integrity, strengthen the U.S. economy, and enhance security and counter terrorism and crime.

ProInspire Fellows in Digital Finance will also engage with world-class advisors from companies including MasterCard, McKinsey, PayPal, and Visa; and nonprofit thought leaders such as Accion, Aspen Institute, Center for Financial Services Innovation, and CGAP.

ProInspire Fellows in Digital Finance will be considered uncompensated employees of the U.S. Government, however each Fellow will receive a stipend from ProInspire that provides competitive compensation, benefits, and professional development. ProInspire will also manage the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the program during the year-long fellowship. Upon the discretion of each participating U.S. Government agency, Fellows may have the opportunity to extend their fellowships beyond the initial year.

ProInspire plans to sponsor four or five fellows in the initial cohort. Here’s how you can be a part of the inaugural cohort of ProInspire Fellows in Digital Finance:

Apply for a ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance. ProInspire will recruit and select a pool of finalists to be considered for the ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance. The finalist pool will comprise expert candidates with skills sets and experiences to advance digital finance.
Selected finalists will then be interviewed by U.S. Government agencies, which are responsible for selecting their Fellow(s).

You can read more about the Fellow role descriptions here.

About the ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance

ProInspire, a nonprofit focused on developing leaders for the world’s greatest challenges, has launched a Fellowship in Digital Finance — a highly competitive, one-year program (with potential to be renewed beyond the first year) for established professionals with a minimum of seven years of professional experience, and expertise in fintech, digital finance, or financial inclusion.

The ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance is designed to help each fellow:

Engage in public service
Understand how the Federal government operates and how global policy and regulations are developed
Learn how to apply your technical expertise within the public sector
Expand your knowledge of the impact digital financial services can have on global poverty alleviation
Build capacity to excel and lead in the digital finance field
Gain exposure to industry leaders and innovators
Establish a network that will support professional growth and advance digital financial inclusion

Fellows begin the 12-month program and join their fellowship cohort upon receiving their security clearance. Fellows spend the year working in targeted positions where, in partnership with their host agency, they will use their knowledge and skills in digital finance to help expand government capacity and advance policies and programs that will create opportunities for unbanked and underbanked individuals across the globe; open new markets; improve efficiency and financial integrity; strengthen the U.S. economy and security; or help counter terrorism and crime.

Throughout the year, fellows participate in inter-agency projects with other members of the cohort and learning activities with industry leaders. Fellows bring fresh thinking and best practices in digital finance to their agency and an eagerness to learn about and partner with the Federal Government.

Participating agencies for the first cohort may include:

Millennium Challenge Corporation
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
U.S. Agency for International Development
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of Treasury

This is a highly competitive program, as only four or five fellows will be selected in the first cohort. Read more about the fellow role descriptions here.

Fellow Benefits

Candidates selected as Fellows by a participating U.S. Government agency will receive a stipend from ProInspire and as such will be uncompensated U.S. Government employees, sponsored by ProInspire. This stipend includes:

Compensation of $110,000/year (paid as a monthly fellowship award)
$1,000 per month for health insurance
Reimbursement of relocation costs (limited funds available)

While fellows will serve in full-time positions in their agencies, they will also have access to learning and professional growth opportunities. Fellows will have the opportunity to:

Apply for funding to support professional development, conference attendance, and other related opportunities during their fellowship year.
Interact with industry leaders from the ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance Advisory Committee and gain exposure to digital finance activities in their organizations.
Engage with world-class advisors from companies including MasterCard, McKinsey, PayPal, and Visa; and nonprofit thought leaders from Accion, Aspen Institute, Center for Financial Services Innovation, CGAP, and others.

The select group of professionals chosen as ProInspire Fellows in Digital Finance will undergo a once-in-a-lifetime experience and will emerge from the program with new skills, deeper experience, and valuable connections. They will gain a greater understanding of the workings of government and how it intersects with the nonprofit and private sectors on issues central to fintech and financial inclusion.

Ultimately, fellows will have the power to chart the trajectory of their careers, returning to the marketplace with expertise and insights that are in high demand and difficult to replicate. Whatever path they choose, fellows will be equipped to make a lasting impact.

Selection Criteria

The ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance is open to established professionals with at least seven years of work experience related to fintech, digital finance, or financial inclusion, drawn from the private sector, nonprofit sector (including NGOs, foundations, associations, and others), multilaterals, or academia.

Candidates must:

Be a U.S. citizen.
Have at least seven years of relevant work experience.
Be able to obtain a security clearance. The clearance will be processed by the host agency prior to the start of the fellowship.
Fellows are uncompensated U.S. Government employees subject to government ethics rules. Fellows are encouraged to consult with an ethics official in their assigned agency before assuming their duties.
Have expertise in fintech, digital finance, or financial inclusion, specific to the particular role requirements.

Applications are now closed.

Learn more about the ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance, and the selection process for it, by reading our FAQs.