Senior Director, Consumer Protection, Center for Financial Inclusion

Accion International•Washington, D.C.,

6d•$125,000 - $155,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Consumer Protection, will advance the Center for Financial Inclusion’s vision of a world where all people can use financial services and participate in the economy to improve their lives and prosper. The role leads CFI’s consumer protection research and technical industry engagement, translating evidence into practical solutions for low-income and vulnerable consumers. CFI is an independent think tank housed at Accion, with a history of pioneering consumer protection work and convening industry participants. Reporting to CFI’s Deputy Managing Director, the Senior Director will lead a research portfolio examining how emerging business models, market incentives, and provider practices affect low-income consumers, including risks from fraud and scams. The role turns findings into knowledge products and pilots sustainable solutions that can inform industry practice and strengthen CFI’s influence. In collaboration with CFI and Accion Communications teams, the Senior Director also provides technical leadership for strategic convenings and related industry engagement, linking research priorities with convening themes, expert participation, and follow-up opportunities. The role oversees two complementary areas: research and industry engagement. Research responsibilities include setting and implementing CFI’s consumer protection strategy and agenda; designing and overseeing studies and solution pilots; supervising staff and consultants; ensuring research quality, ethical review where applicable, and timely delivery; sharing findings through thought leadership and industry events; and working with Accion colleagues on funding, partnerships, coordination, and learning. Industry engagement responsibilities include setting technical agendas for consumer protection convenings, including the Responsible Finance Forum and PROTECT Talk series; engaging subject matter experts; using participant feedback to shape programming; aligning engagement with organizational objectives; and connecting research findings to policy and industry practice.

Requirements

12 or more years of relevant experience in consumer protection, financial-sector policy, applied research, or related fields, including leadership of research initiatives and stakeholder engagement.
Project management experience coordinating concurrent workstreams, managing timelines and resources, and monitoring delivery against agreed objectives.
Ability to lead research from conception through dissemination and uptake, translating strategic priorities into actionable plans and practical outputs.
Strong background in applied policy research and analysis, with deep expertise in financial consumer protection, financial-sector policy, or related fields, and ability to connect that expertise to low-income and vulnerable consumers.
Experience designing and leading policy research, including comparative analysis of regulatory frameworks and market practices, and translating findings into recommendations for policy and industry audiences.
Expertise in quantitative or qualitative research methods, or both, with ability to select appropriate methods and assess research quality.
Track record of research in financial services or consumer protection, preferably both, evidenced by publications, knowledge products, or documented contributions to policy or practice.
Experience managing Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals.
Human Subjects Research Certification, or progress toward certification.
Ability to lead and motivate staff and consultants, set clear priorities, and deliver high-quality work across competing demands.
Ability to translate complex research into clear strategic advice for C-suite executives and other senior decision-makers, and communicate persuasively through writing, presentations, and industry convenings.
Track record of developing organizational and industry initiatives and building collaborative relationships with policy bodies, practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States; Accion is not sponsoring work visas or other forms of employment work authorization.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in a relevant technical or functional field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as CFI’s primary technical lead on consumer protection and develop and implement its consumer protection strategy.
Contribute to related work on responsible finance and financial health.
Identify emerging consumer financial protection challenges and prioritize opportunities to influence policy and industry practice.
Lead consumer protection research and solution development, translating findings into actionable recommendations and pilots.
Develop a research agenda with clear deliverables, timelines, and measures of progress.
Design and lead studies and solution pilots, and supervise staff and/or consultants delivering knowledge products.
Oversee research methods, quality assurance, applicable ethical review, and timely delivery.
Engage consumer protection stakeholders to identify developments in inclusive finance and inform research priorities.
Translate findings into accessible thought leadership and represent CFI at relevant industry events.
Partner with Accion’s partnerships and growth team to identify research funding opportunities and contribute technical content to proposals, donor engagement, and reporting.
Build working relationships across Accion to coordinate complementary research and learning and avoid duplication.
Lead the technical content and strategic direction of industry engagement in collaboration with CFI and Accion Communications teams.
Set evidence-based technical agendas and session content for consumer protection convenings, including the Responsible Finance Forum and PROTECT Talk series.
Engage existing and new subject matter experts and use participant feedback and follow-up engagement to assess relevance and inform future programming.
Ensure industry engagement aligns with CFI’s and Accion’s strategic objectives and links research findings to opportunities to influence policy and practice.
Work with Accion’s partnerships and growth team to identify funding and partnership opportunities for convenings and contribute technical input to engagement proposals.
Build and manage strategic relationships with global policy bodies, including the G20, GPFI, and United Nations, to advance CFI’s consumer protection agenda.
Lead and motivate staff and consultants, set priorities, and deliver high-quality work across competing demands.
Exercise sound judgment in identifying business, legal, ethical, and reputational risks and coordinate appropriate mitigation.
Develop colleagues through coaching, constructive feedback, delegation, and opportunities to build leadership skills.