Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR)

Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) is a Rwandan not for profit company established in 2010 to promote financial inclusion and financial sector development. AFR is currently funded by Sweden, Jersey Overseas Aid, and the MasterCard Foundation. 

Access to Finance Rwanda is part of the broader Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) in Africa that seeks to create a transformative impact on the ending of poverty by supporting efforts to improve financial inclusion and financial sector development by helping financial institutions and markets drive a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. 

AFR supports the removal of systemic barriers that hinder access to financial services by low-income people, particularly the rural poor, women, youth and MSMEs. AFR supports the development and provision of financial services including savings, credit, insurance, investment, payments, and remittances. 

AFR is guided by the Market System Development (MSD) approach recognizing that efforts to increase financial inclusion and financial sector development must be market-led, profitable and sustainable.

https://www.afr.rw

About Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR)

AFR is a Rwandan not for profit company established in 2010 to promote financial inclusion and financial sector development. AFR is currently funded by MasterCard Foundation, Sweden, and Jersey Overseas Aid.

AFR is part of the broader Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Network in Africa that seeks to create a transformative impact on the ending of poverty by supporting efforts to improve financial inclusion and financial sector development by helping financial institutions and markets drive a more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. It is a gender-intentional organization and mainstream gender across all its programs.

AFR supports the removal of systemic barriers that hinder access to financial services by underserved groups, particularly the rural poor, women, youth, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and refugees. AFR supports the development and provision of financial services including savings, credit, insurance, investment, payments, and remittances.

It is guided by the Market System Development (MSD) approach recognizing that efforts to increase financial inclusion and financial sector development must be market-led, profitable and sustainable.

Access to Finance Rwanda seeks to recruit an Agriculture Finance Manager to support the effective implementation of AFR’s projects within the Agriculture Finance space.

The Role

The Agriculture Finance Manager is AFR’s in-house expert on Agriculture Finance and is responsible for leading the effective implementation of AFR’s projects within the Agriculture Finance space. Projects includes those seeking to test innovation and sustainable models for financing agrifood systems as well as those seeking to enhance MSMEs financing and Entrepreneurship ecosystem in Rwanda’s Agriculture sector.

Reporting line : The position reports to the Head of Finance for Growth and Jobs

Supervises: Relevant technical consultants

Location: Kigali, Rwanda.

Duration of the contract: Two years renewable based on performance.

Expected starting date: December 2024.

Scope of Responsibilities

The Agriculture Finance Manager will be responsible for the following key tasks:

• Participating in the development of AFR’s strategic plans and providing agriculture financing insights to design impactful programs and supporting the development of strategies for attracting impactful implementing partners (IPs).
• Participating in the analysis of the ecosystems that AFR is seeking to support (including supply, demand and enabling environment) and keeping up to date on developments and emerging understanding in agriculture finance, both regionally and internationally.
• Acting as AFR’s expert in Agriculture Finance and a leading source of expertise for key stakeholders; identifying a variety of instruments that might stimulate inclusive financial market development and taking responsibility for developing the sector in a meaningful and intentional manner.
• Managing the implementation of projects, ensuring that good practices in end-to-end project management are adopted, results are achieved, and learning from projects is fully utilized to maximise impact and innovation. This will include:
• Personal ownership of assigned projects to ensure the implementation of plans proceeds on time and to standards and that the planned targets are achieved.
• Developing detailed implementation plans, budgets, and cash-flow forecasts that will achieve fund utilization targets, ensure projects’ success, and address IPs identified capacity gaps.
• Providing expert agriculture finance advice and support to IPs and other stakeholders so that they are equipped to contribute effectively towards inclusive agriculture financing, financial markets development, job creation and/ or other key goals of a thriving agriculture sector.
• Managing and coordinating the projects reviews, implementing partners visits, and project related research as necessary to adaptively manage the performance of projects and achieve targeted outcomes and impact.
• Supervising consultants deployed to the projects; ensure that expectations are clear and manage any shortfalls appropriately.
• Participating in monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, ensuring that learning from projects is fully utilised to maximise impact and innovation.
• Ensuring each project’s theory of change is kept updated and that results are achieved, and risks are managed.
• Intentional gender and social inclusion mainstreaming across the project cycle.
• Contributing to the development of monthly, quarterly, and annual reports and knowledge management materials.
• Ensuring robust safeguarding measures for the youth participating in the projects.
• Managing the resources associated with Agriculture Finance projects, aiming to maximize the efficiency achieved with the available resources, and ensuring compliance with AFR and donor policies.
• Managing and building effective working relationships with key actors and stakeholders involved in assigned projects and use strong interpersonal skills to encourage mindset and/or behavioral change within the agriculture finance sector and its supporting functions.
• Ensuring that a comprehensive risk analysis is conducted for all assigned projects and risks are managed effectively.
• Other duties as assigned by Supervisor.

Educational Qualifications

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in agriculture financing; agriculture Economics, agriculture, agribusiness, or related fields.
• A Master’s degree is desired (in agriculture, agribusiness, agriculture financing, agriculture Economics or related fields).
• Additional professional qualifications and relevant accreditations are an advantage (e.g., SME Finance, Sustainable or climate finance certifications).

Experience and technical skills

Essential

• At least 5 years proven experience in agri-finance, agribusiness, agriculture economics and any other sector related to agri-finance.
• Demonstrated track record of providing advisory services in agribusiness, agriculture economics, agri-finance, emerging evidence of thought leadership (e.g., by publication/production of knowledge materials).
• Evidence of hands-on projects delivery with impactful outcomes.
• Ability to think conceptually and systemically.
• Proven ability to develop practical interventions and tools and to facilitate the capacity of others to operate in accordance with good practices.
• Track record of managing relationships and influencing key stakeholders; able to engage effectively at EXCO level.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Familiarity with major players in financial sector development in Rwanda.
• Familiarity with Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to programming.
• Languages: French, Kinyarwanda.

Attitude/ Competences

• Proven capabilities of being well organized, attentive to details, and use of concise, persuasive writing.
• Ability to work in a team, including providing strategic inputs and effectively contributing to joint planning and implementation of program activities.
• Ability to work independently, proactively, manage multiple tasks, and set priorities to meet deadlines inside and in collaboration with external stakeholders.

How to apply

All qualified applicants should submit their applications by clicking on the apply button below by latest 5^th November 2024 at 5 pm.

The application should contain a CV with an e-mail address, daytime telephone contact, qualifications, achievements, experience, and names & addresses of three professional referees, together with a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) summarizing why you consider yourself particularly well suited for the position. Do not attach any other documents at this point.

All applications will be selected on merit and only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews. 

Note:

• This position is open to Rwandan national candidates only.
• Qualified women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.