Global Communities,Access to Finance Lead Jobs Vacancy

Job
opportunity

Job
title: Access to Finance Lead

Global
Communities, formerly CHF International, is an international non-profit
organization that works closely with communities worldwide to bring about
sustainable changes that improve the lives and livelihoods of the vulnerable.

Global
Communities is seeking a Business Advisory Lead for an anticipated five year
USAID-funded project in Rwanda. The purpose of this proje

ct is to facilitate
the emergence of a dynamic off-farm sector that can generate greater employment
for many Rwandans currently engaged in subsistence agriculture and other
marginal economic activities. The program will alleviate constraints to
entrepreneurship and increase access to financing. Off-farm businesses will be
created and grow to provide productive employment for rural populations in
order to reduce poverty.

The
program will address the following four objectives:

Expand
the capacity of the financial sector to accurately assess risk and return.
Increase
the reach of entrepreneurship support organizations.
Increase
the capacity of firms to attract and use finance.
Reduce
barriers to entry for new financial institutions and investment flows.

The
following positions require excellent verbal and writing skills and preferred
experience working with USAID and/or other major U.S. government donors.
Management experience where relevant.Rwandans are strongly encouraged to apply:

The
Access to Finance lead will implement program activities that expand the
capacity of the financial sector to accurately assess risk and return. He/She
will serve as a senior member of the project team and implement innovative
approaches to link banks and financial service organizations in Rwanda with
entrepreneurs and small, medium, and large enterprises seeking financing. The
Access to Finance Lead will collaborate closely with financial service organizations
in Rwanda to provide training and guidance. He/ She will be responsible for
maintaining long-term and productive relationships with lenders and program
beneficiaries.

Responsibilities:

Develop
a network of banking relationships to foster improved access to finance in
the off-farm agribusiness marketplace.
Provide
capacity building and technical assistance to financial service providers
to improve outreach, increase their entrepreneur and SME lending
portfolio, and improve provision of effective financial services to those
groups.
Facilitate
relationships between financial services providers, entrepreneurs and
SMEs.
Identify
risks and opportunities for financial services in the off-farm
agribusiness marketplace.
Explore
new and innovative financial services models.
Identify
and/or design SME and entrepreneur-relevant, cost-effective and
sustainable financial products.
Work
with team to develop relevant finance solutions for vulnerable groups such
as women and youth entrepreneurs and business owners.

Qualifications:

A
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, and/or a related discipline.
Masters’ degree preferred.
At
least seven years’ of lending-related financial services experience in the
SME marketplace and/or access to finance programs.
Practical
knowledge and understanding of key access to finance opportunities and
constraints in Rwanda as well as knowledge of the economic and business
environment in Rwanda.
Experience
implementing donor-funded programs.
Experience
in training and capacity building of financial services providers, SMEs
and entrepreneurs.
Experience
addressing gender inequality and other minority groups in financial market
systems preferred.
Supervisory
experience required.
Excellent
communication skills in both written and spoken English required. Oral and
written fluency in Kinyarwanda is desirable.