RE-Internal/ External/

Reference No:  REC / 115 / 22

Job title: Senior Financial Inclusion and Business Development officer

Location:  Harer, Meta and Babile (TBD)

Reports to: Financial Inclusion and Business Development Services Manager

Number of Posts 3 (Three)

Closing date:  June 24, 2022

GOAL’s mission is to work with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and recover from humanitarian crises, and to assist them to build transcendent solutions to mitigate poverty and vulnerability.

GOAL is a non-for profit organization that has been working in Ethiopia for over 30 years, towards ensuring the poorest and most vulnerable in our world and those affected by humanitarian crises have access to the fundamental rights of life, including but not limited to adequate shelter, food and livelihoods, water and sanitation, nutrition, healthcare and education. GOAL implements a range of multi-sectoral development, resilience, recovery and humanitarian responses programmes by being sensitive to cross-cutting issues including gender, accountably, child protection, HIV/AIDS. Currently, we work with pastoralist, agropastoral, pastoral dropouts, rural small holder farmers, rural/urban youth and street children to respond to humanitarian crises and build resilience in Ethiopia working closely with local communities, local government, donors and other key actors. GOAL E Humanitarian Response is centered on nutrition, WASH, livelihoods, multipurpose cash, NFIs and protection interventions in country wide while the recovery and development focus on livelihoods, economic opportunities, health, health and nutrition system strengthening and WASH with solid emphasis on integrated programming and community-based approach in Oromiya regional state. The Street Children programme is implemented with local partners in Addis Ababa and Hawassa.

We envision a world where poverty no longer exist, where vulnerable communities are resilient, where barriers to wellbeing are removed and where everyone has equal rights and opportunities. GOAL Ethiopia’s main donors Irish Aid, USAID/OFDA/BHA, EHF, ECHO and other private donors.

Description of the IFAA Programme:

Ifaa is a five-year initiative (2021 – 2026), implemented by CRS, CCL (Centre for Creative Leadership) GSAP (Global Sustainable Aid Project), GOAL, Harar Catholic Service (HCS), Land O’Lakes Venture 37 (V37), Making Cents International, Whiz Kids Workshops (WKW) and Feinstein International Centre, Tufts University (Tufts). The purpose of Ifaa is to improve food security of vulnerable households in targeted PSNP communities, contributing to a sustained reduction in rural poverty in Oromia. it is supported by USAID/BHA in Ethiopia.

 Ifaa will target 9 woredas (districts) based on poverty, Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) caseload/potential for scale, potential for continuum of response with other programs, partner presence, and opportunity for impact. This includes eight woredas in East Haraghe (Babile, Chinaksen, Deder, Fedis, Gursum, Jarso, Melka Belo, Meta, Midega Tola. Ifaa will prioritize pregnant and lactating women (PLW), with a particular focus on first-time mothers, caregivers, and influential community members to ensure children under 5 (CU5) receive adequate nutrition, vulnerable community members are reached, and behaviour change takes root to create lasting change.

The programme has three purposes, CRS as the consortium lead have overall programme and grant management and are responsible for monitoring, evaluation and learning using USAID/BHA’s Collaboration, Adaptation & Learning (CLA) approach. The programme components are:

• Vulnerable households and individuals have enough, quality and diversity of food at all times.
• Vulnerable community members' livelihoods transformed and
• PSNP systems deliver accountable, effective, and shock-responsive services.

GOAL will Lead the Livestock component which cut across the three purposes.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE

The Senior Financial Inclusion/BDS officer will co-design, co-invest and manage multiple partnerships at field level with Financial Service Providers (FSP) to increase access to formal financial products and services for pastoral and farming communities. Additionally, the post holder will be responsible to provide Business Development Services and support private sector partners in the livestock market system to secure appropriate investment. The post holder is required to work with multiple partners of diverse background (experience) and is responsible to make sure the market systems development approach is well understood and rooted in the consortium. Be able to work independently, be solution orientated and have a business and finance background and the life and professional experience to work appropriately with corporate entities, SMEs and consortium partners.

Description of Functional Relation Ships of the role

The Senior Financial Inclusion/BDS officer will directly report to Area Program manager. S/he will have a horizontal work relationship with the Financial Inclusion/BDS coordinator and Ifaa’s team in CRS and HCS at field level. Will also work with the Senior livestock production and marketing officers. Accordingly, the Area Program Manager is the direct Supervisor.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY/DUTIES 

1.     Financial services (demand & supply)

To have a detailed understanding of how the financial sector works, its players and their products and services and the barriers pastoral and formal communities have to accessing financial services.

• Actively participate on the market assessment of the financial sector and all the players (including mobile network operators) and understand all the financial products and services (financial literacy, bank accounts, savings, loans, insurance, mobile money, VSLA linkages, investment & business development services), available in the market at a zonal, regional and national level.
• Actively participate on the market assessment of the financial sector to understand the social, cultural, gender, age and physical barriers to accessing financial services.
• Keep the financial sector market assessment slide deck up to date and review regularly.
• In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager leverage secondary data, including data from the previous DFSA and other projects to inform the market assessment of the financial sector.
•  In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager provide up to date information to the consortium team on financial products and services and support linkages between informal and formal financial services.

2.     Partnership management

To identify and manage partnerships with financial service providers to extend financial services to pastoral and farming communities.

• Assist the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager in developing professional relationships with financial service providers.
•  In collaboration with Financial Inclusion/BDS manager map financial service players against the incentive and capacities matrix to identify providers with increased will and skill to extend financial services to pastoral and ago pastoral communities.
• Leveraging the data from the market assessment of financial services, co-design co-investment proposals with financial service providers to extend their reach towards pastoral and farming communities.
• Follow up and support joint initiatives adaptively to identify what work (and what does not) and take successful initiatives to scale through the implementing partner organizations.
• Advise all partners so that all documentation is appropriately approved, closed out and filed.

3.     Business Development Services (BDS)

To build business capacity with private sector partners who have capacity to grow and extend access to goods and services in the livestock market systems.

•  Have a thorough understanding of BDS and investors available in the market and their products and services and terms and conditions.
•   In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager identify existing private sector partners who have the incentive and capacity to absorb and benefit from an external BDS engagement (capacity building).
•   In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager identify existing private sector partners who have the incentive and capacity to absorb and benefit from a BDS engagement and provide BDS to them.
• In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager identify investment opportunities for private sector partners, link and support their application and management.

4.     Collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA)

To manage joint initiatives adaptively to identify what work (and what does not), take successful initiatives to scale and contribute to learning in financial inclusion for pastoral and farming communities within the consortium and more broadly within the sector.

• Work collaboratively with the Ifaa’s Livestock Market System Learning Coordinator and the In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager ensure the monitoring and evaluation plan (as regards financial inclusion), is fit for purpose, and reflects all internal and donor reporting requirements.
• Work collaboratively with the In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager and Livestock Market System Learning Coordinator team to develop the financial inclusion learning questions and ensure that appropriate data is being collected and analyzed.
•  In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager produce at least one financial inclusion learning brief each year, prior to the annual learning event
•  Manage joint initiatives with financial service provider partners adaptively, monitoring KPI very regularly to know what is working and what is not, adapt initiatives and either stop those that are not working or take to scale those that are.
• Attend and contribute to quarterly informal learning events with key stakeholders (e.g. government, communities / civil society and financial service providers and private sector partners), to learn about what is working and what is not.
• Actively participate and contribute to the financial inclusion content and participants for the Ifaa’s annual learning event.
• Follow and report financial inclusion data on a monthly basis to the In collaboration with the Financial Inclusion/BDS manager

Commitments:

GOAL’s recruitment procedure is fair and transparent which is also in line with the organization’s commitment to its integrity, honesty and culture. GOAL is committed to ensure that, its performance complies with the terms and conditions of relevant agreements, applicable laws & regulations. Hence, pre-employment background checks will be conducted, and employees are required to read, understand, sign and implement different polices including safe guarding and child protection policy, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and abuse policy, sexual harassment policy, code of conducts and any other rules and regulation of the organization. GOAL is strongly committed not to harm the people under its care.

Job Requirements

Essential Requirements:

•  BA degree from recognized University in economics, agricultural economics, agri-business, accounting, business administrations and related disciplines
•  At least 6 years of previous experience in private business agencies and commercial finance preferably from the bank and micro-finance industries
• Able to work independently and act on own initiative
• Good communication, facilitation, and negotiation skills
• Good computer skills with ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
• Good English language skills
• Knowledge of local language is desirable

REMUNERATION and BENEFITS:

• GOAL will pay a competitive basic salary based on the salary grading with addition benefits.
• A chance to develop tangible experience.
• Being part of a team who continue to make a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable people. 

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCEEDURE:

Interested and qualified applicants need to submit ONLY once their non - returnable application with CV for one vacancy. The vacancy reference number along with the title & Duty station need to be written in the application letter and/or subject of the email. Applicants can apply using the following option.

• Applicants can directly apply online using CLICK HERE

GOAL strongly encourages female candidates to apply!

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview and exam.

Shortlisted candidates will need to submit other supporting documents upon request at later stage.

GOAL is not able to contribute towards any costs incurred by candidates during the recruitment process