Careers at Aceli Africa

Job Description

• We are seeking a driven Software Engineer to build and scale Aceli’s Salesforce-based platform. You will design, develop, and maintain system features, translating complex business processes into scalable, user-friendly solutions. While Salesforce experience is a plus, strong Java or object-oriented programming experience is sufficient to transition into Apex.
• This role is suitable for a Software Engineer who is interested in working on enterprise systems and experienced in building complex integrations and scalable business systems. Prior Salesforce experience is helpful but not required; strong software engineering fundamentals and solid object-oriented programming experience, particularly in Java.

Key Responsibilities

Feature Development 

• Build and maintain features on Aceli’s Salesforce-based platform using Apex, SOQL, Lightning Web Components, Flow, validation rules and other platform capabilities. Core platform logic is written in Apex, which shares close structural similarities with Java; prior Java experience maps directly.
• Build configurable solutions using custom metadata and other framework patterns or dynamic logic engines that minimise hardcoding and allow business users to manage logic through configuration where appropriate. 

System Design & Problem Solving

• Analyse complex operational processes and design system solutions that are efficient, user-friendly, and scalable.
• Design solutions that improve automation, reduce manual work, and improve user experience for internal and external partners; and improve system architecture, performance, and maintainability. 

Code Quality & Code Review

• Actively champion code health by leading peer reviews and establishing automated testing standards. 
• Maintain coding standards and best practices across the system.
• Conduct unit testing and support end-to-end testing and User Acceptance Testing.

Integrations & APIs

• Design, build, and maintain integrations between Salesforce and external systems using APIs.
• Support data integrations, automation tools, and reporting systems, ensuring data integrity across systems.

Documentation & Technical Support

• Document technical solutions, system architecture, and key workflows, including deployments and user guides.

• Support internal teams in troubleshooting system issues.

Qualifications

• Educational Foundation: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field.
• Programming Mastery: 2–5 years of professional software engineering experience with a strong foundation in Java or another object-oriented language (Python, C#, Kotlin). Familiarity with frameworks such as Spring Boot and experience working with relational databases (SQL) are a strong plus. Apex and Salesforce experience are advantageous but not required.
• APIs & Integrations: Solid understanding of REST API design and integration patterns. Experience building or consuming APIs in a Java/Apex or similar environment is directly applicable.
• The Engineer’s Toolkit: Strong grasp of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including Agile methodologies, version control (Git), and robust testing and release processes.
• The Configurable Mindset: Inclination for building flexible, configurable systems that minimise hardcoding and support non-technical users in managing business logic.
• Problem-Solving: Curious troubleshooter with the debugging skills to navigate complex system issues and performance bottlenecks.

What you will gain

This role is a genuine career opportunity to develop the following:

• Salesforce expertise: You will develop deep, hands-on expertise in the Salesforce platform, including Apex, integrations, and system architecture. Salesforce is one of the most in-demand enterprise technology platforms globally, and hands-on engineering experience is a significant career accelerant. Aceli supports professional development, including Salesforce certifications.
• Real-world impact: Your work will directly enable lending to agricultural SMEs and smallholder farmers across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. The systems you build have a direct line to the $1.6B Phase 2 capital mobilisation target.
• Enterprise systems at scale: Multi-country operations, complex financial logic, API integrations, and high-volume data — genuine engineering challenges, not toy problems.

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Job Description

• Reporting directly to the Kenya Country Manager (with a dotted line to the Managing Director, Policy) and working closely with Aceli colleagues across Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, and the United States, the Senior Associate will provide operational, coordination, and administrative support that amplifies Aceli’s impact and learning across the agri-SME finance ecosystem — with lenders, technical assistance providers, data and learning organisations, industry associations, donors, and policymakers. The ideal candidate has experience in project coordination, stakeholder engagement, data management, and program reporting in agricultural development, financial inclusion, or SME finance.

Key Responsibilities

Partner and Stakeholder Support

• Lead outreach and communication with lending partners across Aceli's financial incentive and capacity building programs in Kenya.
• Coordinate onboarding of Kenya Lenders and Global Social Lenders into the Aceli Network and relationship management.
• Coordinate follow-up with agricultural SMEs in Aceli's Technical Assistance (TA) programs.
• Maintain updated contact lists, meeting notes, and records of partner engagement.
• Plan and support lender and SME engagement activities, training sessions, and workshops.
• Liaise with TA referral partners and maintain documentation of referrals and outcomes.

Program Coordination and Implementation

• Support in the execution of TA events, investor pitch sessions, and lender-SME matchmaking.
• Collect and verify SME and lender data for monitoring and reporting.
• Support impact assessments, site visits, and partner learning activities.
• Coordinate Gender Lens Investing (GLI) initiatives and capacity building sessions with partners.
• Plan and execute Aceli Kenya events, including guest lists, invitations, confirmations, and logistics. 
• Support local team retreats, field visits, and partner meetings.

Data Management and Reporting

• Enter and update partner data in Aceli’s systems, including Salesforce and Power BI, while ensuring data accuracy. 
• Troubleshoot system issues with the Product and Operations teams.
• Compile data and inputs for donor and internal reports.
• Maintain records of project activities, event attendance, and partner interactions.

Policy and regulatory reforms

• Coordinate scheduling, logistics, and documentation for Kenya policy engagements, including working group meetings, regulator consultations, technical dialogues, and stakeholder convenings.
• Lead stakeholder engagement preparation through background research, briefing notes, presentations, speaking points, and meeting summaries.
• Track relevant policy and regulatory developments affecting agri-SME finance and provide timely updates on implications for Aceli’s Kenya work.
• Ensure timely follow-up on agreed actions with internal teams and external stakeholders, including maintaining action trackers and escalating delays or risks where needed.
• Support coordination of internal evidence, data, and program learning to inform policy engagements, reporting, and progress against the Kenya policy workplan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in SME Finance, project coordination, stakeholder engagement, relationship management or donor-funded program implementation.
• Experience in Lending within the Banking industry, agricultural finance, SME development, or financial inclusion programs is an advantage.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite; experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) or data dashboards (e.g., Power BI).
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Team-oriented, proactive, and able to work effectively with minimal supervision.

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Job Description

• The Manager, Lender Capacity Building will lead the strategy, and continuous improvement of Aceli's lender capacity building program, which supports Aceli’s lending partners to grow and deepen their agricultural SME lending portfolios. The program operates through a pre-qualified panel of specialist advisory firms delivering bespoke and cohort-based technical engagements to commercial banks, Non-Bank Financial Institutions (NBFIs), and SACCOs.
• The Manager will oversee the full Capacity Building program cycle: from lender pipeline development and engagement design, to delivery oversight, monitoring and evaluation, and program-level learning. The role necessitates extensive external collaboration and requires a disciplined project manager capable of coordinating a diverse range of stakeholders. The Manager is expected to exercise sound professional judgment in program design, execution, and continuous quality assurance.
• The role reports to the Associate Director, Innovation & Partnerships and collaborates closely with Country Teams, Impact & Learning, Product, Finance and Procurement.

Key responsibilities

Program Strategy & Implementation

• Review and own Aceli’s lender Capacity Building strategy. Lead operationalization, translating strategic priorities into actionable annual workplans covering bespoke and cohort-based engagements across the five countries.
• Work with Country Teams to identify and qualify Capacity Building candidates across the lender portfolio, with attention to institutional readiness, executive commitment, and agri-SME lending intent.
• Facilitate development of lender Capacity Building plans, conduct lender assessments, coordinate lender applications for Capacity Buildings, validate lender readiness for Capacity Buildings and co-design engagement scopes.
• Oversee active Capacity Building engagements across all five countries: track against timelines, review deliverables, manage escalations, and ensure adherence to standardized templates and KPIs. Coordinate project management meetings (steering committee meetings, etc).
• Coordinate with the Impact & Learning team on thematic Capacity Building engagements, currently focused on gender and climate.
• Review and reshape the Capacity Building strategy periodically to enhance the impact of the program.

Provider Procurement and Management

• Issue task order solicitations to pre-qualified providers, evaluate proposals against stated criteria, and oversee task order award processes.
• Monitor validity of Master Services Agreements (MSAs) with pre-qualified providers, oversee extensions/ modifications to the MSAs.
• Actively manage provider performance across all active engagements: monitor output quality, conduct quarterly provider scoring, and backstop providers where needed.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

• Review and own the Capacity Building MEL framework: update and maintain standard templates (diagnostic, implementation plan, activity budget, KPI tracker, post-implementation report).
• Ensure all new engagements from January 2027 onwards deploy standardized MEL tools.
• Compile and analyze program-level Capacity Building data for internal reviews, donor reporting, and Aceli's learning outputs.

Budget and Financial Management

• Manage the Capacity Building program budget, including tracking Aceli contributions and lender co-investments across all active engagements.
• Review and approve activity-based budgets for each engagement; ensure value-for-money principles are applied.
• Provide periodic budget updates and forecasts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, Development Studies, or a related field. A Master's degree is an advantage.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience, of which at least 4 years must include either advisory experience, or experience working in/ with financial institutions.
• Demonstrated understanding of agricultural lending practices in sub-Saharan Africa, including agri-SME credit appraisal, loan structuring, and portfolio risk management.
• Proven project management skills: experience managing multiple simultaneous assignments, external service providers, and client relationships to time and budget.
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to conduct and/ or review financial institution diagnostics, interpret portfolio data, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of high-quality reports, engagement briefs, presentations, and terms of reference.
• Experience managing or contributing to MEL frameworks in advisory or program contexts.
• Demonstrated ability to engage credibly with senior leadership of financial institutions, including C-suite-level stakeholders.

Preferred

• Experience at a management consulting firm, specialist advisory firm, or development finance institution with a financial sector advisory mandate.
• Familiarity with the agri-finance ecosystem in East Africa, including knowledge of key lender segments, regulatory environments, and value chain financing models.
• Exposure to climate finance, gender-lens lending, or ESG integration in financial institutions.
• Experience procuring and managing external consultants or technical service providers.
• Proficiency in data tools such as Excel (advanced), Power BI, or Salesforce for program reporting.

Key Competencies

• Advisory credibility: Able to engage as a peer with senior financial institution leaders; brings substantive knowledge of lending operations.
• Program ownership: Takes end-to-end accountability for delivery quality and outcomes; proactively identifies and resolves issues without waiting to be directed.
• Analytical rigor: Comfortable with financial data, portfolio diagnostics, and evidence-based program design; translates complex information into clear recommendations.
• Provider management: Skilled at holding external service providers to high standards while maintaining productive working relationships.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Works effectively across diverse internal teams and navigates organizational complexity with maturity and diplomacy.
• Learning orientation: Curious and reflective; actively seeks to improve program design
• Organizational discipline: Manages multiple workstreams simultaneously with structured planning, consistent follow-through, and attention to detail.