Chemonics International Inc. recruits Credit Specialist

Chemonics International Inc., a leading international development firm based in Washington, D.C (www.chemonics.com) seeks qualified candidates for’ a five-year agricultural value-chain development project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

We are recruiting to fill the following position:

Job Title: Credit Specialist

Location: Abuja

Responsibilities

• Reports to the Director, Agricultural Finance
• As instructed by the Director, Agricultural Finance or his designee, the Credit Specialist is charged with implementation of all credit activities, directly or via delegation, as is appropriate. These include but are not limited to the following tasks:
• Assist with the development and implementation of credit specific plans of action, and designing of partner’s training programs as needed to strengthen producer associations and other value chain partners, and increase producers’ and other value chain partners’ access to credit providers.
• Assist with the planning, implementation and monitoring of credit specific activities and supervisory review of the credit development action plans and the effectiveness of activities.
• Assist both credit providers and borrowers to complete financing transactions through partnerships with commercial banks and microfinance providers such as; First Bank, Sterling bank, Ecobank, Wema bank, Stanbic IBTC, Union bank, Unity, Fidelity bank, BoA, Diamond, Ja’iz, LAPO, Bowman MFB, DEC and any new partner to support credit needs of targeted producer groups and partner businesses.
• Under the supervision of the Director Agricultural Finance, work with small credit providers and larger commercial banks to help them assess the credit worthiness of agricultural enterprises (including producers, agricultural input and service providers, and processors) interested in obtaining loans for productive purposes; assist selected enterprises and/or producer groups with the development and review of bankable proposals and loan applications and facilitate contacts with lending institutions.
• Assist producers to access credit through their participation in outgrower/contract farming schemes; and assist financial institutions on possible credit facilities for crop production and processing.
• Educate and assist producers to secure insurance cover against natural and unforeseen risks associated with farming.
• Be responsible for collating all financial services related reports from Kano, Lagos and mid-belt regional offices for onward transmission to the Director Agricultural Finance
• Be responsible for consolidating credit related data collected from all partners across the country for input into the quarterly, semi-annual or annual reports
• Assist with identification of new potential lenders and develop credit instruments to facilitate the spread of commodity alliance activities in collaboration with project and business partners. These instruments should help to reduce risk for lenders and increase their willingness to improve producer and producer group access to credit.
• Assist with strengthening the capacity of commercially oriented producer groups to provide credit related services to members through training on credit/inventory credit management, accounting, record keeping, and negotiation skills
• Provide input to work planning exercises.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Banking/Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration,Agricultural Economics or related field and minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience with credit appraisals in commercial banks and/or managing rural/micro credit schemes is highly desirable.
• Excellent skill in using computer Microsoft office applications such as Words and Excel;
• Good data management skills
• Demonstrate knowledge of the financial regulatory environment in the country
• Patience, good humor, and an ability to work in a multi-national team, sometimes in demanding and/or busy circumstances;
• Ability to develop bankable business plans and proposals is essential.
• Ability to work collaboratively, foster goodwill, and build coalitions with relevant groups, organizations, agencies, and businesses, private or public
• Ability to perform audits of rural credit schemes
• Ability to travel extensively to rural areas to work with farmers and other partners as the case may be
• Experience working in a financial services project/s will be an added advantage

Application Closing Date
23rd May, 2013

Method Of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CVs detailing all relevant professional experience and a cover letter detailing qualifications in relation to the position to: recruitment@nigeriamarkets.org please specify the position in the subject line