Business Advisor – Access to Finance at Fanisi HR Solutions

Position Summary:

• The Business Advisor – Access to Finance will leverage extensive banking and relationship management experience to support SMEs. This role focuses on building the capacity of SMEs to enhance credit readiness, fostering relationships with financial institutions, and driving innovative financial solutions for SME growth. The Advisor will bridge gaps between entrepreneurs and financial institutions and other stakeholders to improve credit uptake, investment and ensure sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Capacity Building for SMEs:

• Conduct in-depth needs assessments for SMEs to evaluate financial management capabilities and readiness for credit.
• Deliver tailored training, workshops, and coaching sessions to SMEs, covering financial literacy, business planning, and investment readiness.
• Support entrepreneurs in structuring bankable proposals that align with the lending requirements of financial institutions.

Collaboration with Financial Institutions:

• Leverage banking experience to advise and align partner banks with SME development strategies.
• Act as a liaison between financial institutions and SMEs, facilitating bank-specific training cohorts and targeted interventions.
• Support the development of bank-specific cohorts to train and mentor SMEs on financial documentation, risk management, and compliance.
• Facilitate match-making events, pitch sessions, and direct engagements between SMEs and financial institutions.

Risk Management and Credit Readiness

• Apply risk assessment expertise to evaluate SME creditworthiness, identifying early warning signs of credit deterioration.
• Develop tailored action plans for SME segments: Credit-ready, Almost Credit-ready, Far from Credit-ready, and Completely Credit-unready.
• Design intervention strategies for each segment to address their unique challenges and improve creditworthiness.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress of SMEs across the segments, providing regular feedback and action plans.

Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Building

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with financial institutions, business support organizations, and SME networks.
• Represent the company in forums to showcase outcomes and advocate for improved financial access for SMEs.
• Utilize extensive stakeholder management skills to foster trust and collaboration among key partners.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Track and document outcomes of technical assistance activities, including loan approvals, SME growth metrics, and credit improvements.
• Prepare comprehensive investment memos and daily progress reports for stakeholders.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing initiatives by documenting case studies and lessons learned.

Required Specifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Agriculture, or a related field; a master’s degree is a plus.
• At least 5 years of experience in SME development, financial inclusion, or access to finance projects, particularly in SMEs. Working in a bank or financial institution is desirable
• Proven expertise in capacity-building, coaching, or mentoring SMEs, preferably in an East African context.
• Strong understanding of financial institution lending practices and SME credit requirements.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with donor-funded projects and monitoring frameworks is an advantage.
• Demonstrated expertise in credit risk assessment, loan structuring, and portfolio management.
• Strong understanding of financial institution operations and SME credit dynamics, particularly in East Africa.

Key Competencies:

• Ability to design and deliver impactful training and coaching programs for diverse SMEs.
• Strong interpersonal skills to engage effectively with entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and partners.
• Proficiency in analyzing financial statements and identifying business risks.
• Deep understanding of credit policies, with a track record of mitigating financial risks.
• Results-oriented mindset with attention to detail and a commitment to achieving measurable outcomes.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work across multiple countries and cultural contexts.
• Adept at analyzing market trends to develop innovative solutions for clients and financial institutions.