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Vacancy: Access to finance and business development advisor (fulltime, based in Amman, Jordan)
Who we are
Advance Consulting is a business development consultancy that operates in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our North Star is to develop vibrant, green and inclusive Small and Medium Enterprises in the Agrifood and Renewable Energy sectors.
In 2050, the number of people who live on this planet will have doubled. We believe that that Agrifood Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will play a key role in feeding this population, as they occupy critical positions along the value chains as producers, input suppliers, off-takers, processors, and distributors. At the same time, access to affordable energy is a pre-condition for sustainable development and renewable energy production in developing countries already surpassed the capacity generated by fossil fuels. SMEs in the renewable energy sector are pivotal in assuring that 900 million people, who currently don’t have electricity, will gain access to affordable energy by 2030.
We are contributing to these goals by facilitating private sector development of the Agrifood and Renewable Energy sectors of Africa, Asia and Latin America in an environmental-friendly, socially responsible and commercially sustainable way.
Our work in Jordan
In Jordan, we support the development of a sustainable and competitive agriculture sector through an increasing number of programs and partnerships. Amongst others, we are co-implementors of a 3 year program that aims to improve the income opportunities and longer-term resilience of horticulture smallholder farmers, cooperatives and SMEs in Balqa, Irbid, and Ajloun and strengthen the broader horticulture sector. The program will support horticulture smallholder farmers, cooperatives and SMEs to improve their production of high quality crops and business practices, support to the broader horticulture value chain to improve efficiencies, and support various Governmental and sector organizations.
Under this program we will aim to improve access to finance for smallholder farmers by developing, piloting and scaling financial products in close collaboration with the Agricultural Credit Cooperative. In addition we will work with chain actors to develop viable business cases to improve product and service provision to smallholder farmers.
The position
To support aforementioned program and our growing project portfolio in Jordan, we are recruiting a Access to Finance and Business Development Advisor. He/she will be based in our office in Amman, and will report to the Country Director. Tasks and responsibilities of the A2F and Business Development advisor may be adjusted to some extent depending on the background and technical expertise of the applicant, but will at least include:
- Support the development of two loan products for smallholder farmers in collaboration with the ACC, in close collaboration with the AC Jordan Country manager;
- Provide tailored training support and advice to ACC employees with regards to piloting, evaluating and scaling of the aforementioned financial products;
- Facilitate linkages between target groups (smallholder farmers), innovation suppliers and financial institutions;
- Support data collection and reporting on key loan portfolio metrics, in addition to documenting lessons learned and success stories;
- Create and maintain a good working relationship with relevant actors in the sector, such as financing institutions, and ACC, with the aim to strengthen existing portfolios and/or expand loan portfolios to include smallholder financing;
- Support in evaluation and management of credit risk, provide advice on potential cost reductions and potential for scaling the smallholder loan portfolio;
- Support in the identification and development of viable business cases of chain actors with the goal to improve product and service provision to smallholder farmers;
- Business plan development and finance acquisition for agribusinesses and renewable energy SME companies aiming to start or expand operations to the Middle East.
Your profile
As we strive to deliver excellence to our clients, we are on the lookout for outstanding candidates. You may be the perfect match if you share our passion for sustainable value chains and private sector development in emerging economies, and bring the following:
- A master’s degree in international business administration, financing, economics or agribusiness or a similar relevant discipline;
- At least 5 years of relevant work experience, including significant international work experience with a diverse group of stakeholders and preferably, experience Jordan or elsewhere in the Middle East;
- Deep understanding of and experience with the agricultural finance sector in Jordan, farmer-led agribusiness, private sector development and sustainable value chain development;
- Demonstrated experience in financial modelling and business plan development;
- Strong analytical, organizational and project management skills;
- A hands-on mentality, can work well independently and adaptable;
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Arabic;
- Full digital literacy and control of all main Microsoft Office applications;
- A sense of humor and a positive outlook on life and teamwork.
What we offer
At Advance Consulting you will become part of a dynamic and unique international team. We offer you a competitive salary and a variety of additional benefits, such as travel allowance, health insurance, retirement benefits, travel insurance and an end-of-year bonus for high-performers. We also offer opportunities to learn and develop on the job, and we pride ourselves in offering a healthy work-life balance.
How to apply
Are you the top candidate that we are looking for? Please send your CV and motivation letter to Irma Verhoosel: [email protected]. The closing date is 7 June 2021. Please note that only complete applications with both attachments will be considered.
