Small Business Finance Specialist at Chemonics International Inc.

Chemonics International Inc., a leading international development firm based in Washington, D.C (www.chemonics.com), seeks qualified candidates for the position of Small Business Finance Specialist for a five-year agricultural value-chain development project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The position will be based in Warri, Delta State:

Job Title: Small Business Finance Specialist

Location: Delta, Nigeria

General Summary of Small Business Finance Specialist position

• In addressing challenges of access to financial services by partners, the project is working with selected financial institutions to manage risks associated with agriculture financing so that more financial institutions can participate in lending to the sector.
• The Small Business Finance Specialist will assist selected agricultural enterprises (including SMEs, large and small-scale commodity processors, agro-input dealers, agricultural service and equipment providers) and/or commercially oriented agriculture producer and small processor groups with technical support required for the development and review of bankable proposals and loan applications.
• He/she will also facilitate contacts and linkages with lending institutions The Small Business Finance Specialist will facilitate producers' and processors access to credit through their participation in either out-grower/contract farming schemes, or in a cooperative endeavor including aquaculture.
• He/she will work with partner financial institutions in the Niger Delta on possible credit facilities for crop production, processing, fish farming and other activities along the project supported commodity value chains.
• He/she shall generally be responsible for promoting access to finance and related business support activities for partners in the Niger Delta.

Specific Duties of the Small Business Finance Specialist

• As instructed by the Director, Agricultural Finance or his designee, the Small Business Finance Specialist is charged with implementation of all credit activities in the Niger Delta, 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.
• Support the credit needs of targeted producer and small processor associations and partner businesses by assisting both credit providers and borrowers to complete financing transactions. This will involve working through partner commercial banks and microfinance providers such as; First Bank, Sterling Bank, Ecobank, Wema Bank, GroFin, Bank of Industry, Fidelity bank, BoA, Diamond, Ja'iz, LAPO, Bowman MFB, DEC and any new partner that may be identified.
• 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 inputs 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 out grower/contract farming schemes; fish farming and assist financial institution on possible credit facilities for crop production and processing.
• Educate and assist producers, processors and their associations to secure insurance cover against natural and unforeseen risks association, to secure, insurance cover against natural and unforseen risk associated with agribusiness activities.
• Be responsible for collating all financial services related reports from the Niger Delta for onward transmission to the Director Agricultural Finance.
• In coordination with the Value Chain Specialists and the Business Development Director, support all projects initiated business capacity building and training for associations, farmers and processors especially as they relate to enhancing financial services access and delivery.
• Assist with identification of 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 and small processor groups to provide credit related services to their members through training on saving and credit, inventory credit management, accounting, record keeping, negotiation skills and business planning.
• Provide input to work planning exercises.

Qualifications and Experience

• 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 Word 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.
• Demonstrable experience working with producer/processor associations, business membership organizations (BMOs) etc in the Niger Delta will also be added advantage.
• Experience working in a financial services project/s will be an added advantage.

Application Closing Date
28th July, 2014.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their full CV detailing all relevant professional experience and achievements, a cover letter detailing qualification in relation to the position, and three references to: [email protected]

Note: Please specify "Small Business Finance Specialist" in the subject line.