Agribusiness Finance Specialist at Connexus Corporation

About the Opportunity

• Connexus is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Agribusiness Finance Specialist for the anticipated USAID/Nigeria Value Chain Activity. The Agribusiness Finance Specialist will play a critical role in enhancing financial inclusion and access to finance for smallholder farmers (SHFs), agribusiness, and other value chain stakeholders. Note: this is a preliminary position description and may be clarified further after solicitation release.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Develop strategic approaches that address the needs of the financial service delivery market, especially access to agricultural finance for agric-MSMEs, including farmers.
• Conduct assessments of the financial landscape for SHFs and agric-MSMEs, including identifying existing barriers to accessing finance and investment and opportunities for improvement for specific value chains.
• Build strong partnerships with financial institutions, including banks, MFIs, and other financial service providers to facilitate the delivery of tailored financial solutions for the agriculture sector.
• Coordinate training of local financial service providers in agricultural value chain finance, agricultural loan portfolio management, new product development and delivery mechanisms, operational policies, systems and processes, among other needs, and enhance their ability to serve SHFs and agribusinesses effectively.
• Design business models for agric-MSMEs financing opportunities that can be replicated and scaled.
• Coordinate with Business Development Service (BDS) providers to assist firms to understand the needs and requirements of partner financial institutions and assist in addressing corporate governance issues; developing comprehensive business plans that involve strategic planning, financial structuring, feasibility analyses, and market research; and completing loan applications with financial and cash flow projections.
• Contribute to Activity reporting, documentation, and knowledge management activities, including capturing lessons learned, best practices, and success stories related to access to finance programming.
• Stay abreast of latest developments, research findings, and innovations in access to finance, and adapt approaches, as necessary, to reflect newest and most relevant access to finance innovations and principles.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or another relevant field with a minimum of 9 years of professional experience, preferably for USAID or another donor-funded project; or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or another relevant field with a minimum 11 years of experience, preferably for USAID or another donor-funded project.
• Experience designing and implementing agribusiness financial services and risk-mitigation mechanisms on international development agriculture programs.
• Understanding of the Nigerian financial landscape, including regulations, key players, and emerging trends.
• Excellent written communication skills, including ability to contribute to high-quality project reports.
• Fluency in English required and other local languages desired.
• Must be authorized to work in Nigeria.