Job description

Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with flexibility to be based in Kigali, Kampala or Dar es Salaam)

Website: https://aceliafrica.org/

Background

Aceli Africa (Aceli) is a market incentive facility to mobilize over $1.5 billion in private sector lending for agricultural SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2029. To achieve this goal, Aceli offers incentives to share in the risk and boost the returns for loans ranging from USD $25K-$1.75M to high-impact agricultural SMEs. Financial incentives are:

• Data-driven based on an original dataset of 22k loans totaling $4.4B that Aceli has gathered and analyzed in collaboration with Dalberg Advisors.
• Impact-aligned to reward capital additionality and impact objectives related to improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers and enterprise employees, economic opportunities for women and youth, food security & nutrition for African consumers, and climate and environment.
• Market-level to engage a mix of commercial banks, impact investors, and alternative lenders that collectively offer a range of financial products in a competitive financial market.

Alongside financial incentives and capacity building for lenders on the capital supply side, Aceli also expands addressable demand by partnering with technical assistance providers to prepare high-potential SMEs to qualify for and manage financing. Aceli is designed as a demonstration model with two-fold objectives: 1) catalyze a more competitive lending market for agricultural SMEs with incentive levels reducing over time; and 2) build an evidence base and influence adoption of enabling policies by African governments to promote investment in agricultural SMEs.

Aceli launched in September 2020 and is partnering with 30 lenders, including many of the leading banks and non-bank lenders in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. To date, Aceli has secured $62M from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IKEA Foundation, Swiss Development Corporation, UK FCDO, and USAID. Additional funding partnerships are in process, and donor funds have mobilized private sector capital at a leverage ratio of 12X. Aceli is now seeking a Head of Policy to develop and lead a policy engagement strategy that transitions the model from donor-funded proof of concept to fully integrated within the budget and policy framework of agricultural economies across Africa.

Job Responsibilities

Reporting to the CEO, the Head Policy will be a member of Aceli Africa’s senior leadership team that is responsible for setting strategy, mobilizing the Aceli team, and partnering with stakeholders to achieve Aceli’s vision for a more inclusive financial market for agricultural SMEs. Specific responsibilities include:

Policy Engagement. Aceli aims to be a demonstration model that builds partnerships and attracts funding over time from African governments. We envision collaboration that bridges historic gaps between Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, and Trade, Central Bank policies, and enabling policies linked to commerce and trade. The role holder will be responsible for:

• Developing country-specific enabling policy strategies in collaboration with Aceli country teams, policy consultants, and external partners;
• Cultivating relationships with key policymakers and ecosystem actors (e.g., bankers associations, AfDB, AGRA, FSD, IFAD, World Bank) to raise awareness about Aceli’s model and lay the groundwork for enabling policies;
• Influencing the enactment of policy changes that strengthen the enabling environment for agricultural SME finance, including budget allocation at the country level to replace donor funding in the medium-term; and
• Monitoring changing legal and regulatory issues to ensure that Aceli maintains license to operate and is well positioned to achieve its strategic objectives.

Leadership  

• Play an active role in shaping Aceli’s strategy and operations as a member of the Senior Leadership Team;
• Lead a growing team responsible for policy engagement, evidence & learning, and technical assistance for SMEs;
• Manage country-level policy consultants and partners specializing in government affairs;
• Serve as the lead contact with senior government officials and as a spokesperson for Aceli in public communications; and
• Collaborate with Aceli staff, board, and external partners to ensure that all of the above responsibilities are well-coordinated with Aceli’s strategy, values, and operating processes.

 Evidence & Learning

• Lead Aceli’s Impact & Learning prong with oversight over monitoring, evaluation, and learning;
• Advance Aceli’s thinking and practice related to building a robust evidence base for “smart subsidy” approaches to stimulate inclusive agricultural SME finance;
• Contribute to sector dialogue as a visible thought leader at the cross-section of inclusive and environmentally sustainable agricultural growth, agri-SME finance, and blended finance; and
• Author publications to disseminate Aceli’s model and learning.

Required qualifications and experience

• Demonstrated experience drawing upon evidence to engage senior in Africa and shape policies related to agriculture, finance, and inclusive economic development;
• Deep understanding of the agricultural finance market in Africa, including the relevant financial institutions, ecosystem actors, and policy environment;
• Strategic thinker who is adept at connecting big picture objectives with an action orientation;
• Experience leading a team and achieving results in a multi-geography, fast paced environment;
• Professional with a record of the highest integrity and ethical conduct;
• Passion for applying financial and business acumen to have a positive impact on inclusive and environmentally sustainable agricultural development in Africa; and
• Minimum of 15 years relevant professional experience.