Position Summary
Reporting to Innovative Finance, the Program Officer will make a significant contribution towards ensuring access to appropriate and affordable financial services for smallholder farmers. The role holder will drive the improvement of access to finance for all actors in the Agriculture value chain by developing partnerships with financial institutions like banks, savings and loans companies, cooperatives, rural banks and MFIs, mobile network operators and value chain actors like agro dealers, farmer based organizations and processors. The role holder will also bring value to partnerships by contributing agricultural knowledge and know-how, relevant networks and sound knowledge of financial instruments which will be deployed to better serve smallholder farmers and SME agribusinesses The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. Key Duties and Responsibilities
Provide leadership and spearhead AGRA’s investments in Innovative Finance and Agribusiness Development in the context of AGRA’s country business plans;
Develop a portfolio of public and private sector partners and projects that will enhance Access to Finance for the agricultural sector actors such as smallholder farmers, agribusinesses and traders;
Provide support to grantees in the design of their proposals and interventions pertaining to innovative finance and financial literacy interventions;
Monitor on going AGRA partnerships and projects in the area of Innovative Finance;
Provide (financial) business advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises in the agri-sector and financial institutions that are supported by or supporting AGRA interventions;
Contribute to networking, learning activities with AGRA’s Program Officers on issues related to agribusiness development and innovative Finance; and,
Contribute to AGRA’s Knowledge and Innovation Base;
Identify market opportunities and potential partners for improving Access to Financial Services for Smallholder Farmers and Agribusinesses;
Identify potential partners (Financial Institutions and Value Chain Actors) and coordinate an engagement team (Financial Institution Relationship, Donor/Investor Relationship, AGRA/Government Relationship, and Product Support) through the process of further specifying client (SME and farmers) needs, developing a tailored solution as a project proposal or program, facility structuring, documentation and product delivery;
Develop relationships (AGRA – Government – Financial Institution – Donor/investors) to facilitate delivery of local and national financial solutions to AGRA beneficiaries and other agribusinesses and financial institutions in AGRA focus countries;
Develop and implement blended finance initiatives and solutions as a key part of the innovative finance strategy;
Pro-actively contribute to Resource Mobilization for AGRA focus countries;
Establish and maintain network in agricultural finance and stay abreast of market developments to proactively disseminate knowledge & experience to AGRA’s partners and other stakeholders in Africa;
Representing AGRA in Innovative Finance platforms that include stakeholders such as financial institutions, governments, agribusinesses, farmers’ representative bodies, research institutions, donors and investors, international organizations;
Develop strategic partnerships to achieve goals set in AGRA’s new strategy as well as the Innovative Finance Strategy;
Participate in the end-to-end development and establishment of AGRA’s flagship Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (IRSAL) funds in partnership with African Governments, Central Banks and other key stakeholders;
Engage African Governments to roll out IRSAL funds across the continent;
Providing business advisory services to agribusiness and financial institutions by: –
o Assisting and advising agribusinesses in financial management in view of making the companies investable by financial institutions such as banks and equity funds;
o Advising on capital structure of the company, management accounts analysis, fund raising strategy, and governance in view of improving the (financial) performance of the AGRA supported; and,
o Linking agribusinesses to suitable financial services providers enabling the companies to grow their turnover, client base and profitability
Key Qualifications and Experience required
Bachelor’s degree and an MBA or other advanced degrees in a relevant field like Finance, Business, Economics, or related areas
8 – 10 years’ relevant experience in Banking, Agricultural finance, or financial management of agribusinesses.
Demonstrated experience of having worked with financial institutions, agribusinesses and national and local governments as trusted advisor and partner;
Be entrepreneurial with a demonstrated capacity for working effectively within multi-disciplinary teams for collective success;
Ability to excite others about new opportunities and news ways of furthering financial access for smallholder farmers
Strong knowledge across relevant technical area/expertise, particularly ability to learn new content quickly, identify connections and second-order implications and demonstrate competence with internal/external teams.
Effective as a collaborator in complex internal and external organizations.
Works with efficiency and diplomacy.
Excellent listening skills
Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally to engage with AGRA teams and government units in AGRA’s focus countries.
go to method of application »
