OVC Microfinance Advisor at Mercy Corps
Employment Nigeria
01-Jan-1970
NIGERIA , NIGERIA ,
Mercy Corps is an international development organization that helps people around the world survive and thrive during crisis and natural disaster. Mercy Corps works in more than 40 countries to alleviate suffering and poverty by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Since 1979, mercy Corps has been helping people in the world's toughest places to turn crises into opportunities to thrive.
Mercy Corps is recruiting to fill the position of:
Job Position: OVC Microfinance Advisor
Job Location: Abuja
Job Description
- The Microfinance Advisor will play an important role in the implementation of a proposed five-year program supporting the financial inclusion of vulnerable households.
- The program will increase both demand and supply leveraging mobile channels, cards, raise awareness among its project participants on the benefits and risks, associated with financial services
- The Microfinance Advisor will engage MFIs, MFBs and target participants to ensure:
a) MFIs and MFBs develop product adapted to the needs of youth and women. Including a formative research to
understand the barriers to use financial services, developing and adopting bundled products and working with
Islamic banking systems.
b) Support MFBs extend their rural outreach through mobile technology. Carrying out a mobile financial
services survey, supporting expansion of mobile money agent networks and assisting in monitoring and
evaluation.
c) Support MFIs and/or communities develop micro-insurance schemes
Emphasis will be placed on ensuring that targeted individuals have employment and financial options.
The Microfinance Advisor will work closely with Catholic Relief Services, counterparts with other donor funded programs, and private sector actors in designing and implementing innovative economic strengthening approaches.
Essential Job Functions:
- Program Management and Technical Oversight
- Work closely with counterparts in other NGOs, MFI, MFBs and other stakeholder groups to design, plan, and implement a comprehensive OVC program.
- Provide technical support in one or more of the following areas: market-driven economic development, private sector engagement, microfinance, youth-focused financial services, financial education, micro-insurance, entrepreneurship development, and value chain linkages.
- Manage implementation of program activities, developing work plans in collaboration with counterparts in other organizations, monitoring implementation, and evaluating impact.
Operations and Management
- Oversee the smooth flow of routine project operations in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
- Ensure effective and transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
Representation and Coordination
- Liaise with private sector actors, local government officials, local NGOs and civil society organizations, local religious leaders and other notables to ensure support for and acceptance of Mercy Corps programs.
- Maintain close working relationships with donors, other humanitarian and development organizations, and local partners (banks, training institutes, insurance companies, and microfinance institutions), including representing Mercy Corps at local coordination meetings as assigned.
- Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
- Other duties as assigned.
Organizational Learning
- As part of Mercy Corps' agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field project.
Security:
- Work closely with the country team's security focal point to ensure that program is contributing to and responding to safety and security plans and procedures.
- Ensure that program is implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security management priorities.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- MA/S in Business, finance, economics, or related field.
- At least 5 years work experience with for non-governmental organization (NGO) or microfinance institutions in Nigeria.
- Proven knowledge of international best practices of microfinance, micro-insurance schemes and financial inclusion.
- Proven experience in one or more of the following: market-driven economic development, private sector engagement, microfinance, village savings and loan associations (VSLA), micro-insurance and entrepreneurship.
- Fluency in English required, including report development, writing and editing. Strong desire for applicants with fluency in Hausa.
- Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.
- Demonstrated experience in training, capacity building of partners and team members
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members required.
- Highly developed computers skills with strong familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel are mandatory.
- Candidate must be willing to travel and work throughout Nigeria.
Mode of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their cover letters and CV's to:
mercycorpsng@gmail.com
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Application Deadline: 8th August, 2013
Sorry the application deadline for this job has elapsed
