Agricultural Finance & Agribusiness Expert

Position to be filled: 1 (Full time)

Duration: 12 months (renewable)

Reporting to: Deputy Technical Lead

Probable starting date: June 16th, 2025

Place of employment: TSHIKAPA

About Adam Smith International

Adam Smith International (ASI) has been working in the DRC continuously since 2013. Its remarkable footprint in the DRC has enabled to implement market systems development programs for over eight years. Its approach is to partner with the private sector and support the development and implementation of new services, products or business models.

Through its flagship ELAN DRC program funded by DFID/FCDO, ASI has delivered market system change and increased the incomes of over 855,000 poor households by over £39 million ($48 million). Since 2022, ASI has been implementing projects for USAID. This includes the Garamba Alliance Activity (GAA), a $7.7 million USAID-funded cooperative agreement that will pursue a market-based approach to biodiversity conservation in Haut Uélé province. More recently, ASI has begun implementing the resilient food security activity (TUDIENZELE) funded by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), in Kasai province. The five-year project will aim to strengthen the capacity of vulnerable populations to combat malnutrition, reduce mortality, promote economic growth, improve food security and adapt to climate change.

Background and justification

The TUDIENZELE project is being implemented by a consortium of 5 organizations under the lead of ADRA for 5 years with the aim of increasing family income and improving economic opportunities for families so that they have the necessary resources to successfully meet the challenges ahead. In addition to these activities, the team will help families to access, choose and prepare quality, nutritious and affordable food. Improving economic opportunities requires access to appropriate financial solutions to increase capital flows and boost the growth of the activities developed. The project has two main components: improving people's means of production and income (P1)

and access to quality food, water and sanitation (P2). The scope of Adam Smith International's involvement in the project falls under the P1 component, which involves increasing the flow of credit to target populations, developing appropriate financial solutions for VSLAs and deploying incubators and BDSs in the intervention zone. As the project has a significant agricultural component, the issues of access to finance will focus mainly on financing the target value chains and assisting players in the agricultural sectors with innovative financial arrangements. To achieve this, ASI intends to recruit an agricultural finance and agri-business expert whose role will be to interact with partner financial institutions to develop financial solutions tailored to value chainplayers and to support these players in developing financial models (business plans) that will enable them to take advantage of existing market opportunities.

Scope of mission

• Ensure and supervise ASI's interaction activities with sub-component P1.3

• Ensure interaction with financial institutions in the context of financing target value chain players

• Propose suitable financial models for the target value chain actors to be supported

Responsibilities and expected results of the position

a. Responsabilities of the position

The main responsibility of this post is to interact with partner financial institutions to develop financial solutions tailored to the target value chains and to support stakeholders in putting together financial packages.

Specifically, this will involve:

• Conduct financing needs analyses for target agricultural value chain actors

• Interact with partner financial institutions to develop financial solutions tailored to target value chain actors

• Design financing interventions for target value chain actors

• Support the “intervention lead” in the implementation of financing interventions for target value chain actors, in partnership with partner financial institutions.

• Accompany target value chain actors in financing arrangements

• Participate in the evaluation of the implementation of agricultural value chain financing interventions.
  

b. Expected results for the position

• Innovative financial solutions are developed, considering the profile of the actors in the target value chains.

• Specific intervention design documents are developed (Concept notes, workplan, etc.),

• The agricultural finance strategy to support P1.3 is developed.

• Financial model tools for target value chain actors are developed and disseminated.

• Reports are produced.

Candidates must have the following profile:

• Advanced university degree or equivalent in business school, economics, community development and/or social work

• Significant experience (>10 years) in the fields of agricultural finance, green finance and agri-business

• Experience in banks, micro-finance institutions and/or collaborative projects with financial institutions

• Good experience in supporting agri-businesses in putting together financial dossiers (able to develop tools).

• Excellent analytical, writing and project management skills.

• Understanding and knowledge of the MSD approach is strongly preferred.

• Good oral and written skills in French and fluency in English a major asset.

Place and conditions of work

The agricultural finance and agri-business expert will be based in TSHIKAPA with permanent missions in inland areas such as KAMONIA, KAMWESHA and KANZALA.

Contract conditions

The agricultural finance and agri-business expert is based in the town of TSHIKAPA, with frequent missions to areas such as KAMONIA, KANZALA and KAMWESHA. He/she will work under the supervision of the deputy technical lead and will interact with the project teams within the TUDIENZELE consortium. The duration of the contract will be 12 months (twelve) renewable and subject to satisfactory performance evaluation after the first 3 months. The mission is scheduled to start immediately after signing the contract. The type of contract will be full-time.

The Project will provide the lead intervention with a workspace as well as office and computer equipment at the Project's office in TSHIKAPA.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send their application no later than June 7th 2025 at 23:00 TSHIKAPA.

The application must include :

• Updated CV

• Letter of expression of interest

• Relevant references from past assignments related to business incubation and support for MSMEs

Reporting and management

The candidate will report to ASI's Deputy Technical Lead on the Tudienzele project.