Senior Specialist - Blended Finance

Role Overview

AGRA is an alliance led by Africans with roots in farming communities across the continent. We understand that African farmers need uniquely African solutions designed to meet their specific environmental and agricultural needs so they can sustainably boost production and gain access to rapidly growing agriculture markets.

AGRA is seeking a Senior Specialist in Blended Finance to lead efforts in mobilizing private capital to support inclusive and sustainable agricultural development. This role involves assessing agricultural finance across AGRA’s 15 focus countries, identifying market gaps, and designing innovative de-risking instruments. The Senior Specialist will serve as a technical advisor to governments and partners, advocating for public fund deployment to catalyze agricultural finance and enhance food systems.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Market Analysis: Assess, analyze, and understand the Agricultural Finance situation in each of AGRA’s 15 focus countries in relation to country plans, value chains, and investment portfolios.
• Risk Identification: Identify risks and market gaps in financing input and output markets for identified value chains in collaboration with AGRA country staff.
• Public Sector Engagement: Identify and engage relevant public sector partners (Ministries, Central bank, de-risking schemes, DFIs/IFIs, donors) instrumental in designing and deploying de-risking instruments and policies.
• Technical Support: Support AGRA’s country teams to reduce the cost and risk of agricultural financing by introducing innovations through consultancies, convenings, and catalytic grants.
• Policy Advocacy: Act as a trusted technical advisor to Governments, advocating for the deployment of public funds to catalyze agricultural finance.
• Networking: Build strong networks in agricultural finance and disseminate knowledge and experience to AGRA’s partners and stakeholders in Africa.
• Solution Development: Develop and optimize tailored solutions that grow the agricultural finance sector, including facility structuring, negotiations, and delivery.
• Resource Mobilization: Achieve resource mobilization for AGRA and focus countries to expand the blended finance portfolio and profile.
• Data Analytics: Optimize relevant data and analytics to support effective negotiations with governments and donor agencies.
• Knowledge Management: Document and disseminate learnings derived from the blended finance work.

Key Qualifications and Experience Required

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from a reputable academic institution in public finance, agricultural economics, business economics, or a relevant field. A Master’s degree in (agricultural) business, macroeconomics, or another relevant field is desired.
• Experience: Experience in financial development, preferably in a public (funded) institution or an agricultural finance program in Africa.
• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing blended finance structures that mobilize private capital for sustainable agricultural development.
• Sector Knowledge: Experience in the financial and agricultural sector and working with relevant public institutions that influence the financial ecosystem.
• Climate Resilience: Ability to align blended finance mechanisms with development outcomes and climate resilience in the agriculture sector.
• Concessional Finance: Proficiency in structuring concessional finance instruments (e.g., guarantees, subordinated debt, technical assistance).
• Market Systems: Knowledge of Market Systems Development (MSD) approaches and their interaction with blended finance intervention.
• Stakeholder Relations: Proven experience working with bilateral and multilateral donors, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and philanthropic organizations.
• Communication: Excellent writing skills (ToRs, grant proposals, knowledge documents) and communication skills (conducting webinars, chairing meetings, panel moderation).

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application through the official AGRA recruitment portal on Oracle Cloud.