Mercy Corps Financial Services Manager Job in Nairobi, Kenya - AgriFin Accelerate Program

ercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. 

Driven by local needs, our programs provide communities in the world’s toughest places with the tools and support they need to turn the crises they confront into the opportunities they deserve. 

Mercy Corps is looking for committed and dynamic individuals to take up the following position.
 

Financial Services Manager – Nairobi, Kenya
 

This position is based on an award of funding.
 

Program Summary: The AgriFin Accelerate program will operate in three African countries (Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia) utilizing a market ecosystem approach, working with carefully selected partners to build sustainable models, where farm and crop management tools and financial services are "bundled" in affordable, unified platforms on mobile phone channels to promote mass uptake commercially. 

The program involves three interrelated components that seek to address low farmer productivity and capability, and improve institutional ability to deliver appropriate products and build ecosystems to drive scale. 

We work with farmers, banks, mobile network operators, MFIs, financial service providers, research institutes and other ecosystem players in well-defined partnerships to sustainably bundle services, leveraging the offer and outreach of all partners, while increasing the range of services, access points and value for farmers. 

The program works with partners to identify, prototype, test and scale successful mobile-enabled services for smallholders, with a key focus on expanding access to financial services, using a rapid iteration approach to product development and client-centric design techniques.
 

General Position Summary: The Financial Services Manager (FSM) will provide technical support and direction on all technical assistance and partner engagement with AgriFin Accelerate program partners across all three countries, including banks, MFIs, insurance companies, mobile-network operators, and agribusinesses. 

The FSM will assist with new mobile-enabled product development and delivery designed to enhance the financial inclusion of small-holder farmers in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia. 

These products can include payment systems, mobile-enabled insurance, savings and lending. 

Working under the direct supervision of the Deputy Program Director and closely with the Program Director, Country Managers, and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager, the FSM will tailor technical assistance to the needs of each AgriFin Accelerate partner engagement based on program strategies and partner roadmaps, ensuring their specific needs are met; identify and support external consultants as needed; and work specifically with the Digital Farmer Capability Hub manager to support the development of applicable capacity building plans across the program partners.

Essential Job Functions:
 

Program Implementation:

• Lead program learning in best practices and innovation in financial services to ensure that the full program teams across all countries are informed and working optimally.
• Support the external learning and communications agendas around financial services best practice and innovations for partners and ecosystem players.
• Conduct ongoing desk review of global best practice as well as ongoing learning meetings with program stakeholders related to financial services, working in coordination with country managers.
• Prepare field reports and blogs for mass communication regarding the financial services aspects of the program.
• Engage in the development of all partner relationships and product roadmaps related to financial services and channel development.
• Provide technical support to these engagements across all program countries, liaising directly with the Deputy Program and Country directors.
• Draw on rapid product iteration approaches and support Country Managers to identify technical consultants as needed in this area and provide support and oversight for consultants as required.
• Assist in development of partner business and work plans related to financial services, reviewing research, operational manuals, product and technology specifications and financial statements to do so.

Support for Marketing of New Financial Services

• Engage with program partners to ensure that adequate marketing strategies and resources are in place, including go to market plan, market entry & scaling, customer acquisition branding, incentive & commission structures, advertising and risk mitigation strategies.
• Lead the initiative to identify alternative data sources to drive the development and expansion of products and services, including conducting research, identifying and selecting prospective data partners and framing and implementing pilot tests of alternative data with partners.
• Work with country managers to structure and implement market assessments to drive meaningful financial product and service development, including agricultural value chain payments.
• Ensure that market assessments focus on the “pain points” of small holder farmers to guide product and service development to overcome the barriers for the small holder farmers so they can increase their access, usage and utility of services.
• Ensure that research targets leading and alternative financial institutions to provide services to smallholder farmers;
• Support the work of the Training Manager in all efforts to develop financial capability building materials for SHF related to the delivery of financial services and channels.
• Support the work of the MEL Manager around implementation of the MEL agenda related to the delivery of financial services and channels, including development of relevant business modeling and planning, taking in to consideration research findings, market assessments and strategy documentation.

Program Representation and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Serve as a representative for the program in matters related to financial services for SHF.
• Proactively engage with program stakeholders to inform coordination and collaboration.
• Develop and maintain relationships with financial services providers and link relationship management to country management.
• Actively support program planning and reporting efforts related to financial services delivery for SHF.
• Provide partnership recommendations with existing financial services programming both within and outside Mercy Corps programming.
• Ensure that programming works within Mercy Corps’ M4P rubric for financial services programming.
• Provide technical leadership within the team in the financial service sector, including regular trips to the radial offices to support Country Managers and Program Officers to build their capacity in the sector.

Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
 

Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Direct supervision of: N/A
• Reports Directly To: Deputy Program Director
• Works Directly With: Technical teams, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Manager, Digital Farmer Capability Lab Manager, Communications Manager, Finance staff.

Knowledge and Experience:

• MA/S or equivalent in finance, business, international development or related field of study
• 8 years’ experience in relevant financial services implementation including three years in a senior management position
• Strong understanding of the financial services sectors in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia including commercial banks, MFIs, insurance companies, and others.
• Demonstrated experience in mobile-enabled financial services
• Demonstrated experience in financial capability building activities
• Demonstrated experience in financial product design and implementation
• Understanding of and experience with improving financial inclusion for smallholder farmers
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English, including report development, writing and editing
• Experience in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia preferred

Success Factors:

• The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the three diverse countries which AgriFin Accelerate operates.
• S/he will be an excellent communicator, multi-tasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. 
• S/he will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures.
• S/he will be a team-player with a positive attitude toward problem solving and conflict resolution.
• Commitment to learning, open communications, impeccable professional standards of ethics and ability to manage successful partner relationships are essential.
• The successful candidate will be focused on team-building and open collaboration; be a strategic thinker and maintain a sense of humor.
• The FSM must be willing to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.
• The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hr@ke.mercycorps.org. 

The email subject line must clearly show the job title and location they are applying for. 

Applications without the right subject heading will be automatically disqualified. 

Please do not attach any certificates.

(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We will only get in touch with shortlisted candidates.)

NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.