ABOUT FIRST CONSULT

First Consult is a leading economic development consulting firm implementing projects in Ethiopia. Founded in 2006, First Consult (FC) has grown to design and implement projects across the agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors. Our multidisciplinary teams combine a capacity to execute with clarity of the local context. As a result, we have delivered at-scale real impact in terms of jobs creation, business formation, business growth, and investment attraction and mobilization.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

MESMER is a 5-year program launched in October 2022 to support 72,200 MSMEs and 410,800 jobs by creating access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to realize their growth prospects and resilience. MESMER also work to provide support to MSMEs through business development support, psychosocial services and technical assistance to financial institutions. MESMER is a countrywide program implemented by First Consult in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation as part of the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy and will strive to create dignified and fulfilling work for the youth, most of them women. MESMER is a national scale-up of the MSE Resilience Facility launched in 2020 to support enterprises affected by the COVID pandemic. The project mainly follows a four-pronged approach to meet its objectives: a) Grants and soft loans to MSMEs through a risk-sharing liquidity fund arrangement, b) Technical assistance to financial institutions, c) Business development services and life skills, d) Psychosocial support for conflict affected areas. The FDRE Ministry of Labour and Skills the main government counterpart for the program. Other partners include financial institutions (microfinance institutions, banks, and digital financial service providers), BDS, and psychosocial support providers.

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Credit and Grant Fund Management Officer will be responsible for the implementation of the credit and grant component of the program in collaboration with other implementation team members. He/she will coordinate all access to credit-related activities and ensure the program resources are effectively and efficiently used to achieve program goals and objectives. The Credit and Grant Fund Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Credit and Grant Fund Lead and will be responsible for the facilitation, implementation, and monitoring of credit disbursement to MSMEs in partnership with Banks, MFIs, Lease Companies, and Digital Financial Service providers. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

TECHNICAL

• Understand the MESMER program in its entirety and contribute to high-quality design and successful implementation of the MESMER program.

• Maintain strong working relationships and oversee the work with the selected partner financial institutions and key stakeholders to ensure timely disbursement of grants and credit as per the approved selection criteria.

• Coordinate regional credit and grant line coordinators for maximum delivery and target achievement.

• Pay regular field visits to the partner financial institutions and beneficiary MSMEs to observe progress, with a focus on ensuring disbursement and proper use of funds.

• Ensure that both credit line facilities are availed to eligible MSMEs in a timely and transparent manner.

• Take part in the credit’s day-to-day activities of the project to ensure that it achieves its ultimate objective of creating access to finance for MSMEs and contributing to job creation.

• Support the credit and grant fund lead in preparing quarterly reports.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of credit and grant fund component activities.

• Assist in targeting eligible MSMEs in line with program requirements.

• Monitor and track the disbursement process of funds to eligible MSMEs.

• Perform any other duties as may be required by his/her immediate supervisor.

 REPORTING

• Conduct and submit reports on credit disbursement to eligible MSMEs.

• Provide regular progress updates/reports on activities performed and the overall performance of the participating financial institutions.

• Continuously keep abreast of developments in the financial sector, analyze the impact of any changes to MESMER’s financial sector interventions, and communicate to the team.

• Working closely with the monitoring and evaluation team to monitor the effectiveness, direct and indirect results of MESMER credit and grant funds on MSMEs and start-ups.

• Work closely with the monitoring and evaluation team to capture the overall impact of MESMER.

• Any other activities as requested by the supervisor 

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business administration, economics, or a related field.

• Proven experience (at least 2 years) in access to finance programs.

• Strong understanding of financial services and products, particularly within the context of MSMEs.

• Proactive and adaptable, with the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

• Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Strong partnership-building and networking abilities.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Proficiency in English, both written and spoken; knowledge of local languages is a plus.

• Previous experience working on similar projects is highly desirable.

How to Apply

First Consult invites all well-qualified candidates to apply. If you have the relevant skills and experience, we would love to hear from you. Competent candidates should submit their one-page cover letter and updated CVs only to:  jobs@firstconsultet.com before September 4, 2024. Candidates MUST refer to the position title "Credit and Grant Fund Management Officer " in the subject line of their email and applications.

The applicant is required to carry out his/her duties in accordance with First Consult’s Code of conduct, HR and Safeguarding policy. All applicants should be aware that our organization is committed to safeguard our programme participants, staff, representatives of the organization and community members we work with is our top priority in everything we do, including recruitment. By applying, you acknowledge and agree to adhere the First Consult recruitment procedure in which all offers are subject to satisfactory background checks. By submitting your application, you consent to the use of your personal data for recruitment purposes. All documents requested by First Consult at various stages of the recruitment process will be used for recruitment purposes only.