ABOUT FIRST CONSULT                                                                                                          

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

ABOUT THE PROGRAM                                                                                                             

MESMER is a five-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 growth prospects and resilience. MESMER will 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, the majority of them women.                                                                                                                                   

MESMER is a national scale-up of the existing MSE Resilience Facility launched in 2020 to support enterprises affected by the COVID pandemic. The programme will mainly be following 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. The FDRE Ministry of Labour and Skills will be the main government counterpart for the program. Other partners include financial institutions (micro finance institutions, banks, and digital financial service providers), BDS, and psychosocial support providers. 

POSITION SUMMARY                                                                                                                  

The Credit and Grant Fund Lead will be responsible for the overall , implementation and management of the programme's credit and grant components, as well as coordinating all PFIs. Ensure the programme resources are effectively and efficiently used in order to achieve programme goals and objectives. The Credit and Grant Fund Lead will work closely with the Deputy Programme Lead and will be responsible for credit and grant disbursement speed and quality and report on performance on a regular basis. The lead will also be responsible for ensuring financial and operational information is provided for programme leadership, and the technical team maintaining quality control and timeline for timely decision-making.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serve as a focal point and coordinate with partner financial institutions and directly manage the grant resource to ensure that both grant and credit line facilities are availed to eligible MSMEs in a timely and transparent manner.

• Provide technical assistance to partner financial institutions on the facility to ensure that objective and consistently high standards are maintained.

• Supporting the Investment Committee (IC) in defining the fund’s investment strategy, targeting, selection criteria and implementation arrangements.

• Providing regular update to IC and seeking IC resolutions to address implementation challenges

• Maintain strong working relationships and oversee the work with the PFIs and key stakeholders on timely disbursement of grants and credit to eligible enterprises.

• Supervises and coordinates the work of the credit and grant management officers and oversees the programme’s field-based activities.

• Oversee the overall credit and grants day-to-day activities of the programme to ensure that it achieves its ultimate objective of creating access to finance for MSMEs and contributes to job creation.

• Contribute to the development of knowledge materials on MSME lending.

• Monitor and follow up on the repayment performance of PFIs, communicating with relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.

• Conduct regular scanning of the financial sector and over economic condition and recommend strategic actions to be taken to ensure the program achieves its objective in the dynamic economic environment.

• Track and monitor program progress and ensure annual and quarterly targets are met 

• Collaborate with other components of the program.

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

Job Requirement

• Master’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience or bachelor’s degree with 8 years of relevant experience 

• Proven skills with credit evaluation, grant management and risk management 

• Familiarity with major donor rules and regulations

• Excellent understanding of the financial sector in Ethiopia.

• Proven ability to lead teams effectively and maintain effective relationships with various stakeholders.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capacities – the ability to identify issues with contractual implications, ensure consistent donor reporting and support teams in providing appropriate analyses of activities.

• High adaptability – the ability to work with a large range of actors including institutional donors and partners and to develop an understanding of various contexts.

• High attention to detail in reviewing and providing inputs to reports, proposals, and other documents. 

• Advanced interpersonal skills to support staff in ensuring compliance with donor requirements.

 REPORTING                                                                                                                                    

The Credit and Grant Fund Lead reports to the Deputy Programme Lead.

How to Apply

First Consult invites all well-qualified candidates to apply. Competent candidates should submit their one-page cover letter and updated CVs only to: jobs@firstconsultet.com(mailto:jobs@firstconsultet.com) before April 25, 2025. Candidates MUST refer to the position title "Credit and Grant Fund Lead" in the subject line of their email and applications.

Female applicants are highly encouraged!