Access to Finance Specialist at Palladium Group

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Access to Finance Specialist

Ref No: req23874
Location: Nigeria
Mode of Employment: Full Time

Position Summary

• Propcom+ is promoting climate smart agricultural practices, low carbon emission approaches for agriculture and agribusiness operations, energy switching initiatives, and sustainable natural resource management and land use.
• In this regard, appropriate financing of productive use equipment, green financing, and climate financing initiatives are expected top priorities for this position. 
• The Access to Finance Specialist will be responsible for identifying and developing innovative and disruptive finance and investment business models that can improve commercial lending to agribusinesses and agricultural entrepreneurs. 
• Specifically, the position holder will generate ideas that can fix existing challenges and constraints inhibiting proper flow of finance (debt and equity) to different climate smart agribusiness initiatives being promoted by Propcom+. 
• She/he will be expected to be grounded in financial product development and adaptation, credit structuring and risk analysis, and investment facilitation. 
• This position is strategic to Propcom+ programme objectives as it generates finance and investment opportunities for commercially viable climate smart business models as well as emerging business models that are still undergoing trialing.

Reporting: 

• The position holder will report to the Programme Strategy Director.

Responsibilities
The Access to Finance Specialist will be required to:

• Develop and apply smart approaches for identifying and assessing viable financing innovations that align with programme objectives.
• Develop and apply approaches to generate ideas that address specific and relevant constraints in different financial (debt and equity) markets that are of interests to programme objectives and partners.
• Collaborate internally within and across technical and cross-cutting teams and with consortium partners as necessary for co-creation, in-depth analysis, and strategic solutioning. The collaboration must strengthen synergy and continually promote a One Programme, One Team approach.
• Build and manage relationships with financial and investment institutions and collaborate externally with market actors, particularly financial institutions (commercial, development, micro financial etc), agricultural insurance market actors, credit risk guarantee actors, collateral managers etc to create financing arrangements for climate smart agriculture/business models supported by Propcom+.
• Collaborate with innovators, donor-funded market system development programs, and other cross-cutting partners towards advancing innovative value chain financing instruments for different stakeholders.
• Coordinate equity and debt-related investments in agribusinesses and design business models that can be replicated and scaled to increase financial transactions to targeted programme partners.
• Manage and oversee potential transactions between agribusinesses, commercial banks, government intervention funds, grant making organizations, and other donor-funded projects through closure.
• Promote collaboration with other donor-funded projects.
• Strongly prioritise facilitation of debt and equity transactions with vulnerable groups, with a specific emphasis on women and youth.
• Design and deliver training programs that improve access to financial services for agribusiness MSMEs

Team Engagement:

• The role holder will directly collaborate with the Access to Finance Adviser, an external professional providing technical assistance to Propcom+ works on access to finance.
• She/he will also support other Propcom+ technical team members on a day-to-day basis and as may be decided by the Strategy Director.
• The role holder will be developing tailored solutions towards addressing access to finance challenges of agribusinesses and agricultural enterprises supported by Propcom+ in order to achieve the mobilization of £125 million private finance by 2030.

Stakeholder Management:

• Manage relationship within financial institutions (banks and non-banks), insurance companies, agricultural entrepreneurship and MSME ecosystem, as well as with representatives of the Government of Nigeria where necessary.
• Lead the creation of subnational-led credit risk guarantee scheme to incentivise commercial lending to agribusinesses and agricultural enterprises.
• Build partnerships and establish relationships with other development programs, donor organizations, market system actor groups to strengthen complimentary programming.

The Ideal Candidate: Who S/he is.

• A seasoned, and well-rounded professional with experience in the private sector, agribusiness and agricultural financing, commercial credit risk management and agricultural investment financing.
• Skilled in credit structuring, financial negotiation, financial and investment analysis, and financial risk modelling.
• A self-motivated individual with proven track records in developing innovative ideas and business models that are disruptive and novel in nature.
• Have proven records of partnership building, attracted private sector investments, and influenced positive and sustainable changes in agricultural market systems.
• Experienced in climate financing, low carbon economic promotion, asset financing, loan and guarantee syndication, and business performance optimization.
• Possesses strong problem-solving skill with ability to analyse complex problems and communicate ideas in simple, clear terms.
• A strong personality as starter-finisher, resource mobilizer, idea generator, entrepreneurial and collaborator.

Key Competencies / Experience:
Preferred candidate for this position must have a Master’s Degree in Economics, Banking & Finance, Investment Management, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Project Management, or other related fields. The candidate must also possess:

• At least 7 years of cognate experience facilitating and closing finance and investment deals, analysing and mitigating credit risks, supporting financial institutions to develop and adapt financial products and promoting inclusive value chain financing among others.
•  Experience in programs related to strengthening rural and agricultural MSMEs and facilitating their access to finance.
• Experience implementing financial services and risk-mitigating mechanisms in Nigeria.
• Prior experience in managing relationships with finance and investment stakeholders, particularly in supporting their capacity building.
•  Prior experience working on donor-funded projects, such as those funded by FCDO, USAID, GAC, The World Bank etc., will be an added advantage.
•  Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with institutional, private and public sector partners.
•  Excellent written communication skills, including ability to produce high-quality project reports.
• Ability to work independently under tight deadlines; motivate staff; and deliver high quality input on a timely basis.
•  Fluency in English required and must be a citizen of Nigeria.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online