Company Profile

Background:
IFDC (www.ifdc.com) is an International Public Non-Profit Organisation striving to improve the livelihood of people in developing countries throughout the world.

Job Description

Background:
IFDC is an International Public Non-Profit Organisation striving to improve the livelihood of people in developing countries throughout the world. IFDC seeks qualification seeks qualified candidates to fill the positions below for the new  2SCALE Project.

The Dutch-funded project entitled "Towards Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship" (2SCALE) aims at improving rural livelihoods and food security in Africa, in support to the six per cent agricultural growth target set under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) of the African Union's New Partnership for Africa's Development (AU-NEPAD).

The 2SCALE project will develop a portfolio of 500 agribusiness clusters in nine target countries in sub-Saharan Africa, including four West African countries (Benin, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria). These clusters are defined as a collaboration between all actors needed to build profitable commodity-based value chains (producers and their organisations, input suppliers, finance suppliers, processors, warehouses managers, traders, business development service, etc). The agribusiness cluster approach is designed to help rural smallholders move from subsistence farming to farming as a business and supply food for local, national, regional, and international markets. The project will partner with national and multinational agro-companies to improve efficiency and sustainability of supported agribusiness clusters. A special project intervention area focuses on the poor, who form the vast majority of people, and, therefore, the largest market for food products in Sub-Saharan Africa.

IFDC is seeking to contract full-time staff for the position which details are given below.

The Regional Access to Finance Specialist for the 2SCALE project in West Africa has responsibility for developing and implementing strategies to significantly improve access to finance for agribusiness cluster stakeholders.

Tasks:

• Identify key financial constraints in agribusiness clusters supported by the project and develop specific strategies to address them
• Support partner financial institutions to develop new financial products for farmers and rural entrepreneurs
• In close collaboration with other project field staff, pilot-test practical solutions and innovative practices to significantly improve loan disbursement and reimbursement within agribusiness clusters. Refine solutions and implement a roll-out programme
• Document refined solutions to improve loan disbursement and reimbursement, lessons learned and successes
• Develop and deliver training programmes and technical assistance to financial institutions as well as cluster actors. This includes capacity building activities for entrepreneurs in developing bankable business plans and loan applications
• Develop innovative partnerships with the private sector and professional financial service providers in particular, other IFDC projects/initiatives, other donors and funders to expand access to finance for rural entrepreneurs, develop appropriate financial products and leverage resources
• Provide "thought leadership' on how access to finance can grow and improve agribusinesses
• Stay informed of access to finance activities implemented by 2SCALE in East and Southern Africa. Exchange ideas and develop products and tools with the 2SCALE Access to Finance Specialist posted in Nairobi

Required Skills or Experience

Core qualifications:

• Master's degree in finance, economics, international development, business or other related field
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in West Africa, including at least 5 years in one or several of the following areas: small and medium rural enterprise finance, agricultural value chain finance, microfinance, business development services, financial institution
• Up-to-date knowledge of the agriculture finance environment and networks in anglophone and francophone countries in West Africa (mainly Benin, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria)
• Fluent in English and in French. NB: Candidates who are not able to work in both languages will be disqualified

• Competent in facilitating capacity building programmes with multiple stakeholders
• Familiarity with and a supportive attitude towards processes of strengthening local organisations and building local capacities for self-management
• Solid understanding of rural development, with a focus on joint management and gender issues

• Resourceful, innovative and ready to test new approaches
• Self-starter and independent, able to work with minimal supervision
• Demonstrated value for strengthening local organisations and building local capacities for self-management
• Service-oriented attitude towards work-providing positive and timely feedback to colleagues and staff of partner institutions
• Ability to explain highly technical results at a layman's level of comprehension
• Willingness to travel extensively (up to 50% of the time) and in difficult conditions to undertake regular field visits and interact with different stakeholders, especially primary beneficiaries