Agriculture, Market Systems and Climate Finance Senior Advisor

Job description

VisionFund’s work seeks to end intergenerational poverty through financial products and services. We’re about the long-term change that ensures children can break free of the poverty cycle, for good.

By supporting people and communities living in poverty to develop and grow their livelihoods, VisionFund is catalysing sustainable economic growth to break the cycle of poverty, so that children can reach their potential as communities thrive.

Learn more about us: visionfund.org

Overview

VisionFund is World Vision’s microfinance provider serving vulnerable clients through loans, savings, and insurance. We enable families to grow their livelihoods in hard to reach, rural locations in 28 countries so that caregivers can create secure futures for their children. We believe in brighter futures for children; empowering families to create incomes and jobs; unlocking economic potential for communities to thrive. Join VisionFund as we seek to end intergenerational poverty through microfinance.

VisionFund primarily focuses on rural clients and 40% of its 466m portfolio is in Agriculture. This new position is to provide technical support to agricultural finance provided by our MFI network. The position is a grant funded position and will primarily focus on 10 countries, but will also be able to provide support to the rest of the network. To date much of VFIs agricultural finance has been simple “vanilla finance” and balloon loan as being often the only distinguishing component. This position will seek to provide more hands-on technical support in the assessment, design, pilot and roll out of new agricultural products that will allow VF MFIs to finance farmers that World Vision is facilitating through its local value chain work (LVCD) and as savings groups (S4T) continue to grow with the support of FAST. Additionally, as climate change increasingly impacts our rural clients the position will look to expand both our capacity and profile in developing climate appropriate products and services. The position will also seek to bring together all our learnings and practices to enable VFI to more competitively compete for grants and position us as more of a leader in the agricultural finance space

Job Purpose

The Agriculture, Market Systems and Climate Finance Senior Advisor will be the technical lead and focal point internally and externally for these three important connected and strategic areas of intervention for VisionFund. This role will provide technical advice on best current practice, support the development of related products, guide strategy and organisational positioning whilst supporting Resource Development for and programme management of related Agricultural, Climate and Market systems initiatives and grants.

In particular the role will manage the CrediEnterprise (a credit product supporting Agri, Climate and Market systems interventions) pilot project in nine countries in Africa and Central America as part of the THRIVE 2030 programme and ensure it delivers on its targets, while coordinating with and reporting to World Vision partners. This includes grant reporting, project management, operational delivery, capacity building of national staff and integrating this component with other interventions within the THRIVE 2030 programme.

This role will provide technical leadership positioning VisionFund for obtaining institutional funding to support its growing Agri, Climate and Market systems interventions globally. This will involve pre-positioning with appropriate donors, grant writing and supporting the Resource Development team in VisionFund with technical content in proposal development processes.

Major Responsibilities

Technical Advisory

The role will be the technical, communications and resource mobilisation lead on Agri, market systems and climate financing and the focal point internally and externally for the VisionFund network, using their industry knowledge to advise on best practice for the VFI network.

• Provide technical advice to VisionFund Operations and MicroFinance Institutions in the network on Agricultural, Market Systems and Climate industry best practices
• Take a leading role in VisionFund’s Internal Climate Financing working group, using their knowledge and experience to shape VisionFund strategy, products and positioning in the market.
• Represent VisionFund in technical working groups such as Environmental and Climate Action forums to communicate VisionFund strategy and brand visibility within the World Vision partnership.

Resource Development

Support resource development activities for Agricultural, Climate and Market systems, supporting on grant writing, review and donor positioning

• Provide technical advice and content in support of the design and writing of new and existing agricultural, market systems and climate finance grant applications

• Lead VisionFund efforts on positioning our work with agricultural, climate and market systems focussed donors and opportunities
• Lead efforts to leverage learnings on the implementation of CrediEnterprise in the THRIVE 2030 programme to obtain additional institutional funding
• Represent the Organization in technical grant calls and donor visits as needed.
• Establish a mechanism for tracking ESCA climate-finance engagements and opportunities.
• Provide technical advisory on the implementation of new and ongoing institutional funding on agri/climate or green/market systems in partnership with the RDM and Operations teams.
• Lead sector learning, evidence documentation and dissemination for VisionFund to support positioning and acquisition activities

Operational Delivery

Oversee implementation of CrediEnterprise as part of the THRIVE 2030 programme and other relevant agri, climate and market systems projects.

• Project manage implementation of CrediEnteprise- reaching THRIVE 2030 targets, working closely with MFI Country managers and World Vision field offices.
• Supervise rollout of the CrediEnterprise product training providing ongoing coaching and mentoring to MFI staff
• Support the gathering of commodity profiles for the agrocalculator.
• Lead the replication of standard tools and processes developed by Operations, into CE projects.
• Ensure that CrediEnterprise figures are accurately reflected in core banking systems and Impact tracking systems and monitor performance metrics (PAR, GLP, Clients, disaggregated by PG vs IL)
• Assess progress, resolve implementation bottlenecks and agree on corrective actions in support of MFIs to address challenges that arise in the implementation of CrediEnterprise (whether operational, institutional or market constraints). Refer issues to Regional and Operational Directors
• Ensure quality control on partnerships MFIs develop for implementation of CrediEnterprise (eg: with equipment suppliers, offtakers etc), ensuring that these partnerships follow minimum quality standards in VFI Network Credit Policy.
• Ensure the integration with other financial products, such as Insurance and savings.
• Ensure coordination and differentiation between the Savings group linkage and the Credi Enterprise product.
• Support VF microfinance institutions in recruiting of Agri and Business Development Officers to support CreditEnterprise, and provide training to understand THRIVE 2030, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework and Reporting Standards.
• Build capacity of CreditEnterprise managers to utilize e-THRIVE platform and other WV digital platforms for decision making

Programme Reporting and Knowledge Management

Lead on market systems, agricultural and climate finance reporting, in particular to deliver on CrediEnterprise THRIVE 2030 Programme reporting, learning and knowledge management

• With guidance from and in collaboration with VFI Global Impact team, establish a structured monitoring and evaluation framework to track CrediEnterprise product’s performance, gather field data, and assess client feedback.
• Coordinate technical input into VisionFund’s quarterly DME and narrative reporting for THRIVE 2030 quarterly AP and donor progress reports in alignment with THRIVE DME indicators.
• Review quarterly THRIVE 2030 market systems reports to identify opportunities to scale up funding for CrediEnterprise financing across THRIVE countries.
• Participate in regular country specific quarterly THRIVE report reviews
• Develop annual priorities, implementation plans and budgets for the function in alignment with available budget.
• Develop case studies, implementation briefs and other learning products for Community of Practice learnings.

Knowledge, Skills and Capabilities

Required Professional Experience

• 10 years’ experience agri, climate and market systems finance, preferably in Africa
• Agricultural Economics or relevant agricultural degree (or equivalent practical experience). Post-graduate level degree
• Proven experience in market systems and agricultural lending i.e. understands farmer value chains production cycles and cashflows
• Able to communicate the fundamentals of market systems and climate resilience
• Proven ability to implement projects – action oriented, proven ability to implement and follow up
• Good communication skills with staff and partners
• Demonstrated experience in partnering, grant applications, reporting and other writing skills
• Experience across a range of countries (not limited to one or two places is a plus)
• Experience of Value chain/market systems financing or finance to agricultural cooperatives
• Demonstrated experience of working on and or designing programs with a climate change component

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications

• Experience of working with NGOs, agricultural partners and market actors
• Experience in delivery of training in value chain and market systems development
• Any formal training courses/ certificates in agricultural/market systems/agri finance
• Digital experience
• English preferred [Spanish or French spoken is a plus]

Travel and/or Work Environment Requirement

• The position requires ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 35% of the time.
  High level of English written and verbal. Preference for speaking English

Applicant Types Accepted:

Local Applicants Only

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation with a mission centred on following Jesus Christ in service to the world´s most vulnerable children. Therefore, in all locations to the fullest extent legally permissible, the successful applicant will affirm our core documents, observe conduct compatible with Christian principles, serve at a high level of professional ethics and strive to act in accordance with cultural sensitivities. Furthermore, regular attendance with team and office devotions, chapel and prayer gatherings are expected in line with policies in the World Vision host location and its departments.