Back Global Technical Advisor, Agri-Business Investment/Blended Finance expert

Company Description

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation that applies practical know-how to make a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. We use our extensive and long-term in-country presence to apply and adapt our top-notch expertise in agriculture, energy and WASH to local contexts. SNV has over 1250 staff in more than 25 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are proud to be a not-for-profit organisation that uses project financing to implement our mission. This requires us to work efficiently and to invest in operational excellence.

In its new Strategic Plan period (2019 – 2022), SNV will more explicitly aim for systems change during project preparation and implementation - by strengthening institutions and kick-starting markets that help many more to escape poverty beyond our projects. We will continue to position ourselves as a premium organisation and invest in making knowledge flow to and from the frontline.

Unlocking finance to kick-start markets is an important scaling pathway – blending of finance streams is vital to catalyse this. SNV want to engage more with impact investors, financiers to unlock blended finance and is therefore seeking an Agri-Business Investment/Blended Finance expert.

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

Job Description

The Global Technical Advisor (GTA) will provide technical backstopping to sector projects. The GTA will be part of the Agriculture global sector team and will strengthen SNV’s global position and develop new business for SNV in the Agriculture sector particularly on blended finance, and agricultural investments. The GTA will also develop innovative solutions and contribute to knowledge and learning and maintain and expand SNV’s relations and partnerships with key sector players.

This position reports to the Global Sector Coordinator and works in close collaboration with the Global Agriculture Sector team, Project Managers, Country Directors, Country Sector Leaders, and the Marketing and Business Development team.

50% - ACP Technical Assistance Facility (EDF project)

50% - Technical Assistance to projects and new business development

SNV will co-implement (with GIZ, ETF and BC) a technical assistance facility to ACP countries under the inter-ACP development framework of the European Commission. The aim is to provide demand led technical assistance to local actors (in liaison with EU delegations, DFIs and other development actors) in improving the business climate for investments especially in the SME sectors for job creation. This action fits within the broader programme of the External Investment plan of the EC which aims at boosting more investments in developing countries, particularly Africa in Renewable Energy, Sustainable Agri-business, MSMEs, digital economy and sustainable cities. The facility would provide demand-led short-term missions to strengthen (ongoing) public private sector dialogue platforms, market and investment analysis, and evidence-based advocacy for policy change and implementation thereof, in coordination with existing Business Environment Reform (BER) programs and sector development programs. Demands can be generated from ACP government departments, Business associations, Development Finance Institutions and EU Delegations.

Missions to support improving the investment climate and the public-private sector dialogues will be allocated to the participating implementing partners, or preferably to a mixed team of implementing partners. SNV would provide expertise from our global team members and in country experts. The Agri-Business Investment/Blended Finance expert would be regularly participating in these missions. The expert would need to bring in an investment lens to the missions.

Many projects in the portfolio of the sectors have a component to address the challenges of access to finance for smallholder farmers and small and medium scale enterprises. The Agri-Business Investment/Finance expert will provide technical backstopping to a selected number of strategic projects as well as provide inputs in the development of new proposals.

Duties and Responsibilities

The selected candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:

ACP Technical Assistance Facility (EDF project):

• Advise on improving requests and terms of reference for the missions
• Liaise with the senior BER expert and the Global Sector Coordinator to assign team members to the missions
• Lead missions an approx. 4 times a year
• Liaise with DFIs, Impact investors and financial institutions to understand specific country and sub-sector barriers to investment
• Liaise with Agri-Businesses on understanding risks and investment barriers
• Strengthen public-private dialogues and bring in investors perspectives for the (sub)sector investment barriers
• Advise stakeholders on policy changes, regulatory changes and practical steps necessary for investment promotion in agri-business
• Provide technical information to substantiate de-risking strategies, blended finance strategies and evidence for policy advocacy
• Support in-country follow up of missions
• Reporting on mission results.
• Contribute to learning & knowledge development.

Technical Assistance to projects and new business development:

• Provide technical assistance to a number of strategic projects in the portfolio on aspects of financial access and leveraging finance
• Contributing to the Agriculture sector learning, develops key publications on best practices in access to finance in Agriculture and blended finance within value chain and agricultural sector development programs;
• Preparing, maintaining and updating sector knowledge agenda, capturing lessons learnt including collection and dissemination of knowledge products to stimulate internal and external knowledge exchange and initiate global learning on access to finance, enabling environment for agricultural investments and blended finance for agricultural development;
• Maintaining and expanding SNV’s relations and strategic partnerships in the Agriculture finance sector;
• Designing and developing new programmes and projects within the Agriculture sector by initiating and technically leading new donor proposal development on access to finance and blended financing;
• Providing technical input with respect to finance and investments at different levels of proposal development and project lifecycle; providing technical review of final versions of project proposals; and leading and taking responsibility in the technical design of the whole proposal;
• Building, maintaining and utilising networks and relationships with relevant stakeholders e.g. companies, financial institutions including banks, impact investors, Development Finance Institutions donors, etc.
• Identifying upgrading opportunities, public-private partnerships, investment opportunities that support an industrywide/sector wide vision;
• Representing SNV at key international impact investing and agricultural finance events;
• Providing Agricultural Finance & Investment content to SNV’s Marketing and Business Development team;
• Contributing to SNV corporate agenda beyond the Agriculture sector focusing on investments, blended finance and enabling environment;

Qualifications

• Graduate degree (preferably post graduate) in Business Economics, Finance/Investment, or related field;
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in Agri-Business investment and access to finance;
• Understanding of investment constraints and policy influencing;
• Experience in facilitating and strengthening public-private dialogues/regulations and sector – technical and at the same time knowledgeable on government policy reform and ability for trust building;
• Excellent networking capacities with private sector, governments and development finance institutions;
• Experience in working with European Commission in Brussels (DEVCO) and/or EU delegations in the ACP countries;
• Team player, strong facilitator and an excellent communicator and relationship builder in English. French Language is a strong advantage;
• Flexibility in frequent travel.

Additional Information

This is a full-time position with the successful candidate being contracted on a two-year basis with the possibility of renewal. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Contract Type: Dutch Employment Contract

Expected Start Date: February 2020

Duty Station: The Hague, the Netherlands

Travel: Regular missions to ACP and other SNV program and project countries

Working at SNV

SNV offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. We offer a challenging work environment, opportunities to lead and innovate, and a commitment to growing your skills in a fulfilling and diverse working environment. Our staff benefit from, and contribute to, an internal global network of Agriculture experts. For more information, please visit our website: www.snv.org

How to Apply

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by uploading your CV and letter of motivation before/on January 30, 2020

Please submit your application via SmartRecruiters. All information will be in the strictest confidence. We will revert to you as soon as feasible when we have reviewed your application.

We will require that you provide us with full details of three people who are willing to act as a referee. We will not contact these referees without your explicit permission.

Should SNV wish to proceed with your application, two interviews with the Selection Committee will take place.

- We do not appreciate third-party mediation based on this advertisement -