JOB OPPORTUNITY

BRAC is a global leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programs to empower the most marginalized in extremely poor, conflict-affected, and post-conflict states. BRAC now works in more than 20 countries in Asia and Africa and takes a holistic approach to alleviate poverty, running programs in education, healthcare, microfinance, women and girls’ empowerment, agriculture and food security, and human and legal rights.

No. of Vacancies: 1

Job Title: Access to Finance Specialist, FSNR

Staff Category: National

Tenure: 1 year

Salary: Negotiable

Reports to: TBA

Duty Station: Monrovia

BRAC Liberia is a sub-awardee on the USAID Food Security, Nutrition, and Resilience (FSNR) Activity in Liberia working with RTI International as the prime. This is a five-year (2023-2028) activity that will target smallholder subsistence farmers, cooperatives, women, and youth groups in rural and peri-urban communities to improve food and nutrition security and households’ resilience. The project will work with smallholder farmers in rural agricultural communities to increase agricultural productivity and build household and community resilience. FSNR will emphasize crop diversification to increase the production and marketing of higher-value and nutritious foods.

BRAC Liberia is seeking applications from competent, dynamic, and self-motivated individuals to fill the position of Access to Finance Specialist to support the attainment of the FSNR Activity project goals and objectives by providing technical advice and direction as appropriate.

Job Summary:

The Access to Finance Specialists will contribute to intermediate Result 2 (strengthen farmer and community resilience) and in particular increased access to financial services.

This position will be based in Monrovia, Liberia.

Key Duties/Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

∙ Oversee implementation of all project activities under Intermediate Result #2, access to finance for smallholders’ farmers and other market actors.

∙ Establish strategic partnerships with credit providers, prioritizing those with aggressive agribusiness lending strategies to increase access to finance at Micro, SME, and Corporate levels and other lending models, e.g., in-kind lending.

∙ Overseeing strengthening linkages between VSLAs, women’s groups, youth groups, and cooperatives and the formal banking system, including the BRAC Liberia Microfinance Company Ltd., building farmer groups’ capacity through increased formalization and greater access to markets, and strengthening local market systems through increased engagement of the private sector.

∙ Capacity building of farmer groups’ through increased formalization and greater access to markets, and strengthening local market systems through increased engagement of the private sector, scaling financial education, awareness creation, and savings schemes to assist in converting needs into demand.

∙ Promote financial innovations and technologies which enhance access to finance, by enabling visibility and traceability of transactions, lower transactional costs, and facilitate cashflow-based lending.

∙ Linking farmer cooperatives with value chain actors and tools including processors, traders, entrepreneurs, government counterparts etc. through business-to-business (B2B) workshop. Contract farmer/sales systems, forward contracts, tripartite agreements, structured payments for proceeds and assignment of proceeds.

∙ Provide support to consultants to assess the existing cooperatives and develop strategic and business plans for their sustainability.

∙ Identify the need for financial literacy training for the staff, Community Service Providers, and beneficiaries;

∙ Identification of the financing requirements of the farmer’s groups, agro-entrepreneurs, and other market actors and support design of collective marketing structures and organizations: targeting economies of scale for FSPs (e.g. bulk loan screening), and third-party risk management.

∙ Link the farmer’s groups/cooperatives/agro-entrepreneurs to the financial institutions so that they can access finance for their farming/business development;

∙ Quarterly meeting in Sales and Service Center (SSCs) in different market actors to provide services and aggregate products and supplying products to the buyers.

∙ Organize quarterly meeting with Private Sector Engagement Forums.

∙ Linkage meeting among cooperatives, aggregators, wholesalers and butchers for strengthening crops, vegetable, poultry and livestock markets including sources of the improve seeds and animal breed.

∙ Provide support for the preparation of project reports and policy recommendations related to access to finance.

∙ Coordinate work on agriculture finance models, tools, and products

∙ Strengthen linkages between VSLAs, women’s groups, youth groups, and cooperatives and the formal banking system, including the BRAC Liberia Microfinance Company Limited. ∙ Maintain good relationship and coordination with the local and international NGOs for better collaboration for agriculture developments.

∙ Carry out any other duties assigned by the management.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

∙ Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme’s goals on safeguarding implementation ∙ Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment

∙ Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action

∙ Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do the same

Education and Experience:

∙ A degree in agricultural development, finance, business, marketing, or other relevant equivalent field is required. A Master’s degree in these disciplines is preferred.

∙ At least 5 years experience in project implementation, financial inclusion, financial literacy and overall management in an international organization;

Required Knowledge, Skills & Competencies:

∙ Facilitate technical support to project staff, coordination and problem-solving skills through field experiences

∙ Implementation planning, staff supervision and critical decision making skills ∙ Significant exposure to agriculture, social business and development programs in developing settings especially in Sub-Saharan Africa

∙ Knowledge of agriculture finance is required;

∙ Experience and knowledge of business development services are an advantage; ∙ Analyze and develop data and information related to access to finance

∙ Through understanding and knowledge of cross-cutting issues as nutrition, gender & its integration into agriculture and development programs addressing food security & hidden hunger

∙ Exceptional people (interpersonal) skills and communications (oral & written) skills, solid stakeholder relations experiences, excellent public relations and facilitation skills ∙ Proven track record of working in challenging (both rural and urban) field locations ∙ Computer skills: Advance user of MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and Google apps ∙ Proven ability to perform under pressure and prioritize with multiple competing demands. ∙ Familiarity with BRAC’s work and/or experience working on livelihood and food security program.

Others

∙ Ability to travel frequently within project areas in Liberia

∙ Exceptional interpersonal, management and communication skills

∙ Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English

All qualified and interested applicants can submit a cover letter with their CVs with three referees, one of which should be your current or most recent employer/line manager, along with copy of your educational qualification. Applications should be submitted by email to: bimcf.liberia@brac.net , with the position title on the subject line.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY SHORT LISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED