Internal/External

Reference No: REC/031/22

Job title: Senior Financial Inclusion/BDS Officer

Location: SNNPR_ Jinka

Reports to: Financial Inclusion Team Leader

Number of Posts: 1/One/

Closing date: February 25, 2022

GOAL: is an Irish international humanitarian organization founded in 1977 and currently operational in 13 countries^[1]; in both protracted crisis and long-term development contexts. GOAL has four programmatic foci: people survive crisis; people have resilient health; people have food and nutrition security; and people have sustainable livelihoods.

GOAL’s programmatic approach:

To achieve sustainable change, which benefits vulnerable communities, GOAL applies a systems approach. GOAL understands that all people live and work within existing, interconnected socio-economic systems, such as health, education, legal and market systems. Where GOAL works, systems often function poorly or not at all, leading to inequality and exclusion, usually amongst the most vulnerable. GOAL appreciates that it is the permanent players (Government, civil society / communities and the private sector) who catalysts and sustain change. GOAL’s role is to facilitate the permanent players to create change so that those who are excluded can participate in, and gain access to socio-economic opportunities on a sustainable basis. GOAL does not intervene anywhere without first understanding the socio-economic systems in which we operate, in order to design effective interventions, which enhance these systems and does not displace permanent players. Initiatives blend social and economic objectives, strengthening the bottom line whilst contributing to social, economic and environmental outcomes for society.

Description of GOAL Ethiopia’s Country Programme:

GOAL was first operational in 1984, the current country programme has a strategic focus on those affected by crisis in health, nutrition, WASH, food security and sustainable livelihoods for women, men, children and refugees and those displaced. GOAL Ethiopia has a large geographic footprint (40 districts across six regions: Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromiya, Somali and SNNPP), an annual operating budget of ~€13 million and a team of ~700 people committed to creating sustainable change and assisting those in crisis.

Description of the RIPA Programme:

Resilience in Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Areas (RIPA) is a five-year initiative (2020 – 2024), implemented by PCI, iDE and GOAL, targeting pastoral and agro pastoral communities in Borana, Guji, South Omo and Dawa. The purpose of RIPA is to improve resilience through improved food security and inclusive economic growth, it is supported by USAID in Ethiopia with a budget of $30 million.

 The programme has five components, each led by a consortium member, PCI as the consortium lead have overall programme and grant management and are responsible for monitoring, evaluation and learning using USAID’s Collaboration, Adaptation & Learning (CLA) approach. The programme components are:

1. Disaster risk management including access to informal financial services, PCI will lead.
2. Diversified sustainable economic opportunities for people transitioning out of pastoralism, iDE will lead.
3. Intensified and sustained pastoral and agro-pastoral production and marketing, water and natural resource management and access to formal financial services, GOAL will lead.
4. Improved nutritional status of women and children, GOAL will lead.
5. A crisis modifier to respond to sudden onset shocks while preserving development gains, PCI will manage with all partners participating.

Description of the Role:

The Financial Inclusion Facilitator will participate in the co-design, co-invest and work with multiple partnerships with Financial Service Providers (FSP) to increase access to formal financial products and services for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities. Additionally, the post holder will provide Business Development Services and support private sector partners coaching role in the livestock and crop market system to secure appropriate investment. The post holder is required to engage and work closely with private sector partners to promote market led agricultural production and marketing. The incumbent shall work with minimal supervision and able to work independently, be solution orientated and have a strong business and finance background and the life and professional experience to work appropriately with corporate entities, SMEs and consortium partner

[1] Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone, S. Susan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Key responsibilities:

Financial services (demand & supply)

To have a detailed understanding of how the financial sector works, its players and their products and services and the barriers pastoral and agro-pastoral communities have to accessing financial services.

• Participate the market assessment of the financial sector (year 1.) and all the players (including mobile network operators) and understand all the financial products and services (financial literacy, bank accounts, savings, loans, insurance, mobile money, VSLA linkages, investment & business development services), available in the market at woreda, zonal and regional level.
• Take part in the market assessment of the financial sector (year 1.) to understand the social, cultural, gender, age and physical barriers to accessing financial services
• Keep the financial sector market assessment slide deck up to date and review regularly
• Work closely with Financial Inclusion Team Leader to review secondary data, including data from the previous USAID supported PRIME project to inform the market assessment of the financial sector.
• Provide up to date information to the Financial Inclusion Team Leader to update consortium team on financial products and services and support linkages between informal and formal financial services.

Partnership management

To identify and manage partnerships with financial service providers to extend financial services to pastoral and agro-pastoral communities.

• Develop professional relationships with financial service providers in the woreda, zone and regions
• Map financial service players against the incentive and capacities matrix to identify providers with increased will and skill to extend financial services to pastoral and ago pastoral communities.
• Leveraging the data from the market assessment of financial services, co-design co-investment proposals with financial service providers to extend their reach towards pastoral and agropastoral communities.
• Manage joint initiatives adaptively to identify what work (and what does not) and take successful initiatives to scale.
• Ensure due diligence processes are undertaken and manage milestone-based agreements
• Verify milestones reached prior to new installments.
• Ensure all partnerships follow GOAL’s SME partnership guidelines, is documentation, appropriately approved, closed out and filed.

Business Development Services (BDS)

To build business capacity with private sector partners who have capacity to grow and extend access to goods and services in the livestock and crop market systems.

• Have a thorough understanding of BDS and investors available in the market and their products and services and terms and conditions.
• Identify existing private sector partners who have the incentive and capacity to absorb and benefit from an external BDS engagement (capacity building).
• Identify existing private sector partners who have the incentive and capacity to absorb and benefit from a BDS engagement and provide BDS to them.
• Identify investment opportunities for private sector partners, link and support their application and management.

Team management

This position has no direct supervisory role but it requires the incumbent to work closely with Production and Market officers and Consortium team members assigned in the Zone where the position holder is assigned, in order to achieve RIPAs financial inclusion objectives to increase access to formal financial services for pastoral and agro pastoral communities.

Collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA)

To manage joint initiatives adaptively to identify what work (and what does not), take successful initiatives to scale and contribute to learning in financial inclusion for pastoral and agro-pastoral communities within the consortium and more broadly within the sector.

• Work collaboratively with the RIPA MEAL team to ensure the monitoring and evaluation plan (as regards financial inclusion), is fit for purpose, and reflects all internal and donor reporting requirements.
• Work collaboratively with the RIPA MEAL team to develop the financial inclusion learning questions and ensure that appropriate data is being collected and analyzed.
• Work closely with Financial Inclusion Team Leader to produce at least one financial inclusion learning brief each year, prior to the annual learning event
• In collaboration with Financial Inclusion Team Leader, set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within financial service provider partners proposals which align with financial service providers own information systems and contribute to project indicators
• Manage joint initiatives with financial service provider partners adaptively, monitoring KPI very regularly to know what is working and what is not, adapt initiatives and either stop those that are not working or take to scale those that are
• Convene at least quarterly informal learning events with key stakeholders (e.g. government, communities / civil society and financial service providers and private sector partners) in the Zone, to learn about what is working and what is not.
• Plan and manage the financial inclusion content and participants for the RIPA annual learning event.
• Review and report financial inclusion data monthly to the Financial Inclusion Team Leader 

Job Requirements

JOIN US

Do you want to join an exciting organization that brings high level impact to the community and add value to your professional advancement? Then join us if you have:

Essential Requirements:

• Solid knowledge of the financial inclusion sector as evidenced by minimum 6 years of professional experience in business and commercial finance
• Practical experience in conducting assessments with financial sector to map out financial service providers, their incentives, and capacities  
• Diploma or degree in finance or business
• Able to work independently and act on own initiative.
• Good communication, facilitation, and negotiation skills
• Good computer skills with ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.
• Good English language skills

Desirable Requirements:

• Qualified and experienced candidates who originate from agro / pastoral communities.

Language Requirement

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Excellent written and verbal communication(Local language is advantageous)

Note: Those with only NGO experience are discouraged from applying.

REMUNERATION and BENEFITS:

• GOAL will pay a competitive basic salary based on the salary grading with addition benefits.
• A chance to develop tangible experience.
• Being part of a team who continue to make a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable people. 

COMMITMENTS:

GOAL’s recruitment procedure is fair and transparent which is also in line with the organization’s commitment to its integrity, honesty and culture. GOAL is committed to ensure that, its performance complies with the terms and conditions of relevant agreements, applicable laws & regulations. Hence, pre-employment background checks will be conducted, and employees are required to read, understand, sign and implement different polices including safeguarding and child protection policy, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and abuse policy, sexual harassment policy, code of conducts and any other policy, rules and regulation of the organization.

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested and qualified applicants need to submit ONLY once their application ONLY with CV for one vacancy via email: goaljobs@et.goal.ie

Note: The vacancy reference number(REC/031/22) along with the title & Duty station need to be written in the application letter and subject of the email. Please do not attach any other supporting document. GOAL strongly encourages female candidates to apply Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview and exam. Shortlisted candidates will need to submit other supporting documents upon request at later stage.

GOAL is not able to contribute towards any costs incurred by candidates during the recruitment process