Senior Credit analyst

Job Title: Senior Credit analyst

Reporting Unit/Supervisor: Capital Investment Lead

Location: Lagos, Nigeria

About TechnoServe:

Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.

The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing...when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach.

Prosper Cashew: The Program

Prosper Cashew is a five-year USD 28,000,000 project funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agriculture Service through its Food for Progress (FFPr) program. The project seeks to address market barriers through technical assistance (TA) and financing solutions along the cashew value chain to improve sector productivity, increase incomes, and create jobs in the West African region.

Specifically, the Prosper Cashew project seeks:

Increased value added to the cashew sector in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana, through increased processing into kernels and cashew byproducts

Increased mobilization of capital for the cashew sector

Increased capacity of key stakeholder institutions

Improved policy and legal/regulatory enabling environment

Increased competitiveness and integration of the cashew sector into global markets

Inclusive net job creation, particularly in the expanded processing and byproduct sector

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Capital Investment Lead, the Senior Credit analyst will be responsible for the collection of financial information and market data related to cashew processors, mainly based in Nigeria and Ghana. She or He will provide financial analysis and forecasts, and build a database of cashew processors as well as financial service providers, that will guide matchmaking and other strategic decision-making. The Senior Credit analyst will also contribute, with various internal and external partners, to identifying and pursuing opportunities to unlock additional capital. The Senior Credit analyst will also provide support in organizing forums and workshops aiming at supporting Prosper Cashew investment activities.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Perform detailed financial analysis on cashew processors to guide capital facilitation activities

Develop and keep up to date a comprehensive portfolio database.

Elaborate a credit rating system to support the portfolio analysis, in collaboration with the management team

Collect and centralize cashew processors financial data as well as cashew market information

Support the Capital Investment Lead and ISF, to identify industry and processor risks and mitigation tools

Contribute synthetizing financial and non-financial data and draft technical notes on processors for financial institutions

Support due diligence processes, closing and disbursement, as appropriate. Support lenders in loan monitoring when necessary

Support pipeline development efforts, working alongside processors and financial institutions

Support other matchmaking activities, as needed

Work closely with the other Vertical Leads of the project, to contribute defining pipeline priorities

Basic Qualifications:

Education: Master's Degree in Finance, with 3 years of relevant work experience or Bachelor’s Degree with 5 years’ experience in proven track record work of sourcing, structuring and closing investments in a financial institution, Development Finance Institutions or impact fund.

Relevant experience in the agriculture or agribusiness sector.

Strong financial and credit skills as well as sound business judgment in identifying and assessing financial performances

Strong client relationship skills, track record and ability to focus on client’s need effectively

Preferred Qualifications:

Relevant experience in assessing financial performance of processing companies.

Knowledge of agriculture value chain financing solutions

Required Languages :

Fluency in English

Travel:  

Willingness to travel frequently (40/50%)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with partners and counterparts from various cultural backgrounds

Strong numerical and analytical skills

Strong problem solving and analytical skills

Strong oral/written communication and presentation skills

MS Office and presentation skills are required

Kindly attach your CV and other supporting documents when applying.

Advert close date: February 15, 2024

Closing Statements:

We encourage all qualified individuals who share TechnoServe's vision of improving the lives of others through proven business solutions to apply.

With our commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.

We are also proud of our commitment to protecting staff, partners, and beneficiaries from abuse and exploitation and thoroughly vet all final candidates through rigorous background and reference checks.