Vacancy: Agribusiness & Digital Finance Specialist

Company Profile

Since 1963 and in 146 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that delivers technical and management assistance in agribusiness, financial services, enterprise development, community development and food security in order to promote broad-based economic growth and vibrant civil society. 

Job Description

Overview

The USAID-funded Ghana Market Systems and Resilience Activity (MSR) is a five-year, $35.9M follow-on project to USAID/Ghana ADVANCE II project which commenced in 2022. MSR is leveraging over a decade of experience linking smallholders to markets, inputs, and services in Ghana. The Activity will strengthen commercial relationships between market actors, improve the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem to enable greater market participation, particularly for women and youth, expand the availability of agribusiness services, and link targeted policy initiatives to improved local economic governance. These activities will result in competitive, stronger, and more resilient markets, thus increasing inclusive agriculture-led economic growth in northern Ghana.

Pursuant to its mission, ACDI/VOCA is seeking experienced and talented professionals for the Agribusiness and Digital Finance Specialist position. The position will be based in Tamale and reports to the Agribusiness & Financial Services Team Lead. The Agribusiness and Digital Finance Specialist is responsible for supporting financial institutions to innovate and expand financial services within the Agricultural Sector in Northern Ghana. The Specialist will lead the drive to promote digital financial inclusion of MSR Activity participants, especially women and youth, Out grower Businesses (OB’s), aggregators, processors, and buyers along the value chains by deploying cost-saving, user-friendly digital means to reach currently excluded and underserved populations with a range of formal financial services suited to their needs that are responsibly delivered at a cost affordable to customers and sustainable for providers. The specialist will also design and implement strategies for the digitization of the activities and operations of VSLA groups, including digitizing meeting records, savings and loans and social fund, and linking groups to main street and rural financial institutions to facilitate provision of financial services. 

Responsibilities

1. Collaborate with MSR teams and stakeholders to promote and expand digital financial inclusion to reach currently excluded and underserved populations with a range of formal financial services suited to their needs. 


2. Design and implement strategies to support digitization of the operations of VSLA groups with the view to enhance transparency and cooperation among members and to facilitate linkages with formal financial institutions to promote expansion of financial services. 


3. Collaborate with stakeholders to address constraints to solutions provided by rural banks, fintech, mobile money, and others, and to develop innovative digital finance products targeted at lower income groups and currently excluded/underserved populations.  


4. Liaise with stakeholders to develop a proposal to access the Partnership Innovative Fund to promote digital financial inclusion and development of innovative financial services and products targeted at lower income and marginalized groups and  


5. Together with the Capacity Building Team, design and implement training and other activities to improve digital literacy and the use of regular and smart phones by project participants, especially women, youth and marginalized groups 


6. Ensures the gender and youth mainstreaming plan and environmental management plan (including clean production/processing practices) are incorporated into daily operations of actors 


7. Support the activities of the Collaborative Learning and Adaptation (CLA)/Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning department by undertaking the following (but not limited to): 
   
   
   
   1. Supporting the input, tracking and analysis of business and network records, project indicators, and other useful statistics to prepare quality and timely periodic reports using  
   
   
   2. Monitoring closely and reporting the performance of their assigned actors and documents all changes (both qualitatively and quantitatively) in line with the program’s M&E framework and guidelines for tracking the transformation process and ensures that all such data and information is shared within the program. Assists the M&E Officers and M&E Coordinator to feed data into the MIS system. 
   
   
   3. Participating in evaluations, selected research activities, and baseline surveys by providing the necessary program and organizational support. 
   
   
   
   

Required Skills or Experience

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, management or finance.  


• Five (5) years of experience in implementing financial inclusion, digital finance and related activities, preferably in the agricultural sector. 


• Proven knowledge and experience with approaches to facilitating finance and growth of private businesses, especially microenterprises. 


• Proven knowledge and experience with mobile money platforms and applications. 


• Excellent critical thinking skills and judgment. Proven willingness to make timely and sound decisions. Ability to define problems, collect and analyze data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. 


• Strong written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to write required documents in a clear, concise, well-organized manner. 


• Advanced computer skills in a Windows based environment including Word, Access, Power Point and Excel, and the use of mobile devices and apps. 


• Proven ability to plan appropriate training in ICT4Ag services and systems management, create collaborative relationships, create and sustain a participatory environment, guide group to appropriate and useful outcomes, and model positive professional attitude. 


• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, both independently and in a team environment, in an atmosphere of multiple projects, shifting priorities, and deadline pressures.