The Program Officer, Special Products and Client Engagement, will be based in Nairobi, Kenya and will report to the FISFAP Team Leader. The job holder shall have special focus on ensuring that every stage of financial services delivery is client-led and that the product design, access, usage, refinement and outcomes are ensured for clients in an appropriate, timely, accessible, and affordable manner.
Specific responsibilities will include:
· Formulating a framework and guidelines for essentially setting up a client engagement and product design “live-lab” · Providing inputs on program design and partnership strategy to scale lessons from the lab; · Designing appropriate program feedback systems to track the relationship between farmers and value chain actors and financial institutions, that is, act as the client voice – being the relationship manager between the farmer (client) and the service provider (banks and VCA); · Building partner capability – financial and otherwise - on developments in behavioral finance, human centered design, related data, research and analytics across the program to really ensure that client preference, behaviors and outcomes are being used to develop products and services, measured and taken into account in business decision making; · Given that so far the AGRA team has largely focused on credit, this position would also be responsible for building an appropriate savings portfolio in the program; · Monitoring tangible shifts in customer orientation and service delivery across partners and aggregating lessons with support from other team members to ensure that the program overall delivers on enabling access to a range of products and services in a sustainable manner. · Ensure that indicators on availability, access and quality of products and client voices (with the M&E Officer) are integrated into the overall FISFAP M&E framework
Responsibility:
· Results-oriented, accountable, with proactive leadership skills. Ability to lead by example, drive change and move from program concept to on-the-ground reality. · Determined, hard-working, individual who is prepared to work around barriers that arise in the course of an initiative. · Have an optimism that African farmers and consumers can benefit from innovative financing. · Ability to excite others about new opportunities and new ways of getting old jobs done · Use scientific judgment to evaluate grant ideas. · Decide on best way to shape and develop new ideas. · Prioritize across different work streams. Work on complex problems. Analysis of situation or data requires an in-depth evaluation of various factors. · Serves as a point of contact on issues for key stakeholders, both internal and external. · Provide support in external relationship management, keeps current of key developments in partner institutions. · Represent AGRA with broad stakeholders: grantees, universities, donors, international organizations, beneficiaries. Maintains a wide network of stakeholders and contributors to the work. · Negotiation skills to bring diverse collaborators together and advocate for their work.
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Typical Education, Certification and Experience:** ·
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Typical Education, Certification and Experience:** ·
- Be a holder of a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Agriculture Economics, Behavioral Economics, Economic Anthropology/Sociology or its equivalent from a recognized university with 8-10years.
- Should be a reputable individual well versed in financial service provision and innovative products and establishing financial linkages and intermediation in Sub Saharan Africa.
- Should be well networked with leading edge agencies working on behavioral finance, human interactions with technology and financial services and approaches that facilitate adoption, usage and outcomes of products and services.
- Should have substantial experience in the provision of advisory services to financial institutions in agricultural finance innovative financial products operations particularly from the perspective of the business case for embedding customer orientation.
- Should have substantial experience in the execution of projects which specifically target small-scale farmers, value chain actors or rural populations · Ability to travel up to 50% of time required.
HOW TO APPLY:
AGRA is seeking to recruit an exceptional and experienced team to fill Program Officer, Special Products and Client Engagement; based in Kenya
Please send your CV and cover letter to fisfap@agra.org no later than April 25, 2015
