Summary

The role holder will support all Aceli programme activities in Kenya and coordinate lender capacity building at the country and regional level (this is a regional function with Aceli’s lending partners across five countries). The role holder must have experience in relationship management, project management, donor reporting, and stakeholder engagement in agricultural development and/or financial inclusion. The role will report to the Aceli Country Director for Kenya with a dotted-line to the Head of Financial Sector and coordinate extensively with Aceli team members on relevant programme activities.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Direction, Planning and Reporting

• Contribute to the country strategy (planning/implementation) aligning with Aceli’s overall strategic goals and collaborating with the Country Director and colleagues.
• Support the Country Director in compiling quarterly/annual plans and reports.
• Support the rollout in-country of Aceli’s Learning & Development strategy, helping to embed a culture of reflection and learning in the team.
• Provide inputs to ensure timely and accurate reporting of programme activities for Aceli’s donors.
• Take the initiative to identify and implement other key priorities in close coordination with the Country Director for Kenya and other Aceli colleagues.

Lender Engagement and Capacity Building

• Support outreach and relationship management with current and prospective lending partners for Aceli’s financial incentives programme in Kenya.

Support and encourage the adoption of the lender activation tool to drive lender behavior and capacity building needs across all five countries where Aceli is operating in East and Southern Africa. Coordinate capacity-building activities for lending partners at a regional level, including

• identification of capacity building needs, managing service providers and the process from
• diagnostic to roll-out and closure.
• Expand the reach of lender capacity building to existing and new lenders at a regional level.
• Encourage peer-to-peer learning and build a community of practice amongst lenders to deepen cross learning at a regional level.
• Coordinate with the Aceli impact team and external learning partners to ensure timely submission of data and to set up and implement impact studies, including site visits and surveys, with SMEs and their affiliated farmers and employees.

Representation and Internal Liaison

• Build and maintain relationships with in-country service providers, Kenyan government officials, donors, industry associations, and other key stakeholders.
• Recruit, screen, register, and manage the participation of agricultural SMEs in Aceli’s technical assistance programme and facilitate SME introductions to lenders.
• Support stakeholder engagement and project management related to innovation and policy.
• Collaborate across Aceli teams to achieve highly integrated programme direction and delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, International Development, Agriculture, or a related field.
• 7 to 10+ years of professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing strategic relationships with financial institutions, agricultural development organizations, and international donors.
• Exceptional communication skills and ability to present information, both in writing and verbally, in a structured and insightful manner.
• Go-getter who takes initiative and can work independently and collaboratively with a multi- country team in a rapidly evolving environment.
• Professional with a demonstrated record of the highest integrity and ethical conduct.
• Passionate about social impact and applying financial and business acumen to improve; and, farmer livelihoods, food security, opportunities for women and youth, and climate resilience in Kenya.