Jobs at Mennonite Economic Development Associates

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the implementation components of the financial services/investment, market systems and SME business development approaches, in all different targeted regions by the project
• Coordinate with the crosscutting services team to ensure effective integration of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) and environment and climate change (ECC) within these technical approaches
• Help build capacities of local staff and partners in market systems development
• Ensure effective and efficient management of the Investment and Financial Services Specialist, Market Systems and BDS Specialist, and Regional Operations Managers (Coast/Kisumu) within project’s compliance with planning, monitoring, evaluation, performance, and reporting as established and defined by the relevant contracts and by MEDA’s standards.
• Assist the Country Director (CD) in setting bases, in managing, developing, and monitoring the project in order to obtain all expected results, to achieve performance targets and sustainability of the project
• Assist the CD and MEDA to cultivate new business development opportunities in-country and regionally.
• Ensure there is maintenance of strict budgetary adherence and monitoring.
• Work with the Director of Finance and Administration to review contracts, pre-award assessments, grant audits, compliance, and systems improvement. Finance holds responsibilities of legal and financial reviews of contracts and commitments.
• Work with CD and SPM to set up grant pipelining, awarding, monitoring, and close out protocols.
• Establish a grantee and partner monitoring system.
• Ensure positive relations with donors are maintained, as well as with other local development organizations, local governments, and the business community.
• Ensure positive relations with colleagues and develop teamwork spirit
• Manage relationships with Key Facilitating Partners, ensuring positive relationships are maintained and targets achieved.
• Undertake a program of planned visits on a regular cycle to the project sites as well as those with all partners to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes are achieved.
• Submit regular Donor reports and workplans, in coordination with the Country Director, Finance and Admin Team, Cross-cutting services team, programming team and HQ technical specialists

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• University degree (ideally Masters) in business, financial services, international development, enterprise development, economic development, agriculture, or related field.

Experience:

• A minimum of seven years’ experience implementing value chain/economic development projects including managing teams to deliver economic growth outcomes.

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POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide leadership, expert advice and build core capacities in Programming Team and partners in developing, implementing, and monitoring new finance and investment products and services while applying GLI and other principles
• Research and analyze the local market for financial services and GLI, identify and assess the financing needs of the project target clients with a specific focus on the needs of women, young men, and young women.
• Identify, screen, and build relationships with local organizations (microfinance institutions, commercial banks, investment funds and other potential partners) to develop and expand appropriate financial and SME investment products and delivery models to meet the needs of project clients and meet project goals while applying GLI principles
• In collaboration with the programs team, HQ IFS Specialist, HQ Investment Specialist and implementing partners, support the development and implementation of finance/investment products and services with participating financial and non-financial institutions through the project’s matching grant and other financial incentive programs with a focus on increasing sustainable access to finance for women and youth SEs and SMEs
• Assess, develop, and facilitate implementation of a capacity building plan for local partners engaged in financial services and investment activities to ensure scale, accountability and reporting systems that serve project goals.
• Work closely with the HQ Investment Specialist to identify, implement and monitor investments placed through the LEGEND project drawing on the MEDA Risk Capital Fund, including the development of project-specific investment criteria that applies GLI criteria and is in line with the MEDA Risk Capital Fund policies and MEDA’s organizational investment strategy
• Work closely with the project team to increase the ability of targeted SEs to access appropriate financial services through financial institution and SME support
• Work with the Market Systems and BDS Specialist to ensure that access to finance and investment readiness (considering GLI criteria) is incorporated into business development service provision to SMEs
• Work collaboratively with the GESI Specialist and program team to implement activities to increase awareness of GLI among private equity investment (PEI) funds in Kenya
• Develop and implement a strategic GLI learning agenda and policy briefs targeting relevant market systems actors
• Participate and support the field team in reporting, documenting lessons learnt and provide all other necessary inputs to support project success.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• University degree (ideally Masters) in investment finance, economics, or business administration

Experience:

• Five years’ experience in investment/value chain finance, bank lending or microfinance, including experience targeting rural populations, women and youth SEs and SMEs

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POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Support to field office activities

• Assist the Regional Operations Manager in project activity follow-ups and administrative matters, for the day-to-day activities in the region of focus (Lake Zone or Coast) i.e., communication, partnership relationship management and any other related functions.
• Coordinate project activities and assist in collecting deliverables information, updates, and follow-ups.
• Work with the Regional Operations Manager to maintain regular communications with project partners, including organizing/participating in meetings and field visits, taking notes, ensuring follow up on the action points, responsible people, and time frames.
• Organizes transport and accommodation arrangements for Field office staff.
• Organizes venues for events at the field Office, i.e. room layouts for programmes, scheduled workshops and demonstrations etc.

Research and Data Collection/Management

• Support the Regional Operations Manager to ensure the timely collection, analysis, and storage of key records for all grantees and project partners, making them available on company internal knowledge sharing and storing platform.
• Research on project technical topics as requested by the team
• Respond to data requests from team members across MEDA Kenya offices

General Office management

• Coordinates operations at the reception desk and generally field office.
• Ensure entire office is clean, well serviced, maintained – Office cleaning including carpet, done quarterly through a service provider.
• Ensure all office supplies (stationery, toners, beverages, cleaning materials) are sufficiently supplied, recorded, and stored properly
• Monitor the office supplies to eliminate pilferage or loss and report cases for action to the supervisor
• Maintains and undertakes filing and retrieval of documents for office operations.

Vehicle management support

• Custodian of fuel card for field office vehicle and works with driver to update Security and Logistics point person on fuel card balances bi-weekly.
• Work with Field office driver to maintain and share with Security and Logistics Officer used and duly signed Monthly vehicle log sheet.

Financials

• Support field office in managing office petty cash. Requesting for petty cash advances, compiling, and submitting the returns to Nairobi Head office.
• Ensure petty cash expenditures are duly supported by receipts, vouchers and any other as per MEDA’s finance petty cash policy.
• Supports the field office staff in requesting for travelling allowance and filling returns for such allowance once the activity is completed, supported with receipts.

REQUIREMENTS

Education:

• At least Diploma in a business-related field, administration, office management, or equivalent.

Experience:

• 3 Years minimum experience working in similar roles