Head of Advisory, Africa at Root Capital

Position Overview

• The Advisory department provides customized capacity strengthening services along our impact pathways in areas including climate action, gender equity, bankability, and jobs for the next generation. Advisory is critical to achieving the organization’s mission of building prosperous rural communities through our credit and capacity model.
• The Head of Advisory, Africa, integrates the capacities of a team of area experts, Coordinators, logistical powerhouses, Associates, and indirectly manages a team of 40+ advisors across multiple countries in Africa, who deliver direct services to rural agribusinesses. Leadership of this critical client-facing team coordinates and aligns with the broader Client Service department, specifically Lending and Business Development, to ensure effective design, planning, provision, and evaluation of integrated Advisory services that differentiate Root Capital from other impact investors and technical assistance providers.

Duties & Responsibilities

Purpose

Advisory Management (70%)

• Oversee the planning, execution, and monitoring of regional Advisory activities in accordance with the organizational strategy, donor commitments, innovation priorities and available budget.
• Bridge specialist capacities, financial resources, client needs, external commitments, and internal inputs within Advisory and across teams (i.e., Risk, Impact) to create an effective internal operating system and as a result, impactful client service.
• Lead knowledge management activities within Africa Advisory that stimulate dialogue across different strategic areas, for example, our Learning Agenda, on best practices and challenges to sustain relevance and innovation.

Engagement

Partnerships, Fundraising & Thought Leadership (15%)

• Collaborate with team members in pursuing innovative approaches which advance the program and align with strategy, including mentoring and offering regular feedback to direct reports on performance, goals, their work plan, professional growth and learning opportunities.
• Network across Root Capital both regionally and globally, to build collaborative relationships as well as with local implementing partners, agribusiness networks, and investors/donors (as required) to develop robust proposals and execute quality services.
• Represent Advisory to internal and external stakeholders to build the organization’s reputation, contribute to strategic direction and process, thought leadership around evidence of impact, learning and positioning in the region.

Delivery

Monitoring, Reporting, and Quality Assurance (15%)

• Plan the effective execution of the regional advisory activities and related budget to meet strategic targets and priorities with minimal variance.
• Identify deviations, develop corrective actions, and proactively communicate on the same regarding plan and budget execution to Grants Management, Finance, and Advisory Leadership in a timely fashion.
• Organize direct delivery of services by ensuring alignment with and adherence to global quality standards, administrative process, internal policy (i.e., accounting, procurement), donor commitments and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Craft mechanisms of effective collaboration and feedback loops within Advisory, Client Services and other departments like Strategy, Innovation, Impact, and Risk, at regional and global levels to design and deliver a unified service to agribusinesses.
• Integrate best practices within Africa Advisory that are shared across the organization and contribute to global learning exchanges, knowledge management and continued improvement across Advisory to drive a sustainable, scalable model for replication.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum of 10 to 15 years of experience in training methodologies and coordination of workgroups, with an emphasis on financial training for rural companies. Previous work-related to small- and medium-sized rural businesses.
• Degree in Finance, Business Administration and Development studies. Masters in business administration (MBA), development or related area or equivalent experience desirable.
• Work experience with groups of small-scale producers in the Africa region, especially in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. Knowledge of the regional context in the financial sphere.
• Direct experience in the management of projects or initiatives in Africa, preferably in the areas of social entrepreneurship, impact investing, finance education and training, impact monitoring and reporting.
• English fluency required, Kiswahili, French, Kinyarwanda, Spanish a plus.
• Enthusiasm and experience coordinating and motivating teams in a multicultural environment; experience in a global and multi-location work environment is highly desired.
• Committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion and embracing transparency and authenticity in daily work life.
• Proactive approach to problem-solving with demonstrated decision-making capabilities.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to a dynamic environment.
• Experience working and communicating in a remote environment.
• Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
• Flexible to travel within rural areas of Africa.
• Passionate about Root Capital mission.
• Authorized to work in Kenya, Rwanda, or Uganda.