Inclusive Access to Finance Officer

Academic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Development Finance, or related field.
  
• A Master's degree or relevant certification in financial inclusion, impact investing, or enterprise development is a strong asset.
  

Professional Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in financial inclusion, SME finance, rural lending, or agri-business development.
  
• Demonstrated experience working with MFIs, SACCOs, banks, fintechs, or donor-funded financial programmes.
  
• Prior experience structuring agri-SME financing, crowdfunding campaigns, or blended finance solutions.
  
• Familiarity with smallholder farming systems, cooperative governance, and value chain financing in East Africa.
  

Financial inclusion strategy and ecosystem development

• Design and implement financial inclusion strategies aligned with Solidaridad’s agricultural development objectives.
  
• Build relationships with banks, MFIs, SACCOs, fintechs, and other financial intermediaries to improve access for smallholders and agri-SMEs.
  
• Organise matchmaking events and B2B forums linking SMEs and funders.
  
• Collaborate with FSPs to design and pilot innovative financial products (e.g. loan, savings, and insurance products) tailored to smallholders, rural clients, women, and youth.
  

SME & Farmer access to finance

• Assess financing needs and constraints among smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and rural enterprises.
  
• Provide technical assistance in developing business plans, loan applications, and investment cases.
  
• Support farmers and SMEs in improving their bankability and financial management skills.
  
• Track repayment performance and promote financial literacy at the grassroots level.
  

Crowdfunding, Investment Origination & SME Support

• Identify, assess, and package investment opportunities for early-stage and growth-oriented agribusinesses aligned with Solidaridad’s crowdfunding platform.
  
• Conduct due diligence, including financial viability, risk assessments, and investment-readiness evaluations.
  
• Support post-investment tracking including loan monitoring, repayment status, and investor reporting.
  
• Maintain an active SME investee pipeline and coordinate pipeline reviews.
  
• Provide technical assistance to SMEs and cooperatives on business development, governance, and marketing.
  

Field Support & Knowledge Sharing

• Conduct regular field visits to provide on-the-ground support to farmers and SMEs.
  
• Collect case studies, impact stories, and lessons learned for regional learning.
  
• Facilitate in-person and virtual training, workshops, and review sessions with local partners.
  

Proposal Development, Fundraising, & Strategic Partnerships

• Support in crafting investment and donor proposals with detailed cost structures and financial models.
  
• Contribute to fundraising strategies and concept development.
  
• Identify and onboard co-investment and co-funding partners.
  
• Work closely with the Business Development and Market Access teams on value chain strengthening.
  

Strategic Innovation in Inclusive Finance

• Pilot and scale innovative access-to-finance models targeting marginalized groups.
  
• Contribute to the development of internal tools, training materials, and templates.
  
• Support integration of financial inclusion strategies in donor proposals and new programs.
  
• Work with MEL teams to embed impact metrics and monitor the success of financial inclusion efforts.