Programme Policy Officer – Innovative Finance Officer

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer – Innovative Finance Officer  

TYPE OF CONTRACT: SC-9

UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Team

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kigali, Rwanda  

DURATION: 12 months (with possible extension)

BACKGROUND:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 80 million people every day – delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with smallholder farmers, communities, and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience. As conflict, climate change and economic shocks drive up the number of hungry people in Eastern Africa, finding innovative solutions to the complex humanitarian & development challenges in the region is essential, now perhaps more than ever.

WFP Rwanda supports the Government of Rwanda with its ambitious food systems transformation goals to ensure equitable access to sustainable livelihoods and healthy diets for all. In this effort, WFP Rwanda is supported by the WFP Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa (based in Nairobi) to help foster innovations and increase impact for food security and nutrition for all people in Rwanda.

PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Ahead of the launch of the new WFP Rwanda Country Strategic Plan 2025 – 2029, WFP Rwanda is seeking an innovative finance expert to drive collaboration and implementation of innovative finance activities throughout the country portfolio. This includes blended finance mechanisms, portfolio guarantees to de-risk loans to MSEs in food value chains, microfinance activities and cash transfer mechanisms.

This position is based in Kigali. The incumbent will be reporting to the Head of Food Systems and Smallholder Support.

Entrepreneurial and independent, the incumbent will support the food systems portfolio as well as teams in programme, monitoring, partnerships, and field offices. The incumbent will also liaise frequently with the WFP Innovation Hub for East Africa and the Innovation Accelerator in Munich, Germany. Outside of the WFP Rwanda CO, the incumbent will engage stakeholders and partners in the national and regional innovative finance ecosystem.

The responsibilities will include:

Lead or Support (as designated) on existing innovative finance initiatives within the WFP Rwanda portfolio.

• Lead WFP’s engagement on joint innovative finance initiatives with UNCDF. This includes supporting UNCDF to ensure that WFP’s programmatic objectives are embedded within access to finance activities, reviewing and approving financial documents (such as portfolio guarantee agreements) and following up on milestones and deliverables.

• Support the food systems team with technical inputs into SheCan (microfinance for women smallholder farmers and micro-entrepreneurs in food value chains) and Shora Neza (investing in youth jobs in value chains). Follow up technical inputs with support to project implementation, capacity building of partners, and contributions to monitoring and evaluation.

• Support with technical inputs into WFP’s cash-based transfer programming to ensure efficient and effective cash transfers to participants.

Drive the Innovative Financing portfolio at WFP Rwanda

• Become a lead focal point for all innovative finance related matters for WFP Rwanda. Provide regular updates, advisory, technical inputs, and strategic inputs to the Head of Food Systems and the Head of Programme.

• Support WFP Rwanda in designing and implementing new innovative financing activities (e.g. blended finance facilities for MSMEs, structure new investment funds).

• Support communications with key innovative finance donors, government, and stakeholders by preparing regular reports, fact sheets, briefs etc.

• Ensure activities are visible to internal and external audiences, and that learnings are captured and presented across WFP teams.

• Build a strong network of potential partners: including finance institutions, start-ups, and NGOs in this space.  

• Support follow-on fundraising efforts.

• Attend and engage in relevant conferences, ecosystem gatherings, industry association meetings, and speaking engagements for sourcing, branding, thought leadership, investment and learning opportunities.

Other duties as required. Including support to learning, partnerships, and internal processes.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THIS FIRST CONTRACT PERIOD:

• Satisfactory leading of WFP’s engagement with UN partners on innovative finance joint activities.

• Satisfactory support to the food systems team on internal innovative finance activities (including SheCan, Shora Neza and refugee self-reliance).

• Development of a WFP Rwanda innovative finance and investment strategy.

• Satisfactory support to other activities including programme support, required research, presentations, and strategies.

• All work and materials developed during the contract are well documented and available to all relevant stakeholders in designated knowledge management processes/platforms.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University degree in business, economics, innovation, international development or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses

Experience:

At least 7 years of work experience in a finance environment, with at least 5 years of progressively responsible experience working in innovative finance, blended finance, public-private partnerships, microfinance, or related areas.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Passion and deep understanding of the innovative finance landscape

• Strong networks of actors in the Rwanda ecosystems and a nuanced understanding of the sector and its development over the past decade

• Has worked cross-functionally and can navigate uncertainty with curiosity, poise, and a solution-oriented mentality

• Ability to gather and synthesize different types of qualitative (e.g. interviews, stakeholder consultations, network analysis) and quantitative (e.g. financial/impact modelling) information to guide major strategic and operational decisions

• Excellent communication/presentation skills, with the ability to write strategy documents, to develop business plans and to write and deliver presentations

• Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies and innovative projects, especially those which are driving progress towards the SDGs

• Able to interact with a broad range of stakeholders and external audience with maturity and tact

• Collaborative spirit, able to partner with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy

• Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy, proactively seeking support and guidance when needed

• Sets high-level of ownership over projects to achieve impact for WFP constituents

• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme

 Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English mandatory. Fluency in Kinyarwanda preferred.