This role is for a Financial Inclusion Officer at Echo Network Africa (ENA), a woman-led, women-serving development institution. ENA, formerly Kenya Women Holding (KWH), works with stakeholders to empower, position, and advocate for women, focusing specifically on young women, women with disabilities, and women from marginalized communities. The officer will be responsible for designing and implementing programs to enhance financial access and literacy among these target communities.
Key Responsibilities
1. Training and Capacity Building
- Design and deliver financial and non-financial training programmes for women and communities.
- Conduct training on group formation, group dynamics, and financial literacy/entrepreneurial skills to enhance women's participation in financial inclusion initiatives.
2. Credit Provision and Management
- Assess business and creditworthiness of women groups and design programmes to address identified capacity gaps.
- Provide prudent budgeting, money management advice, and financial health checks to ensure effective finance management.
- Conduct follow-ups on loan disbursements and repayments to ensure a clean portfolio.
- Mobilize resources for the initiative and create linkages with financial and non-financial institutions.
3. Advocacy, Networking, and Client Engagement
- Facilitate market linkages and build connections with the informal sector to train on savings schemes.
- Provide evidence for issue-based lobbying and advocacy towards women-responsive laws on financial inclusion.
- Contribute to the development of policy for the Revolving Loan Fund.
- Document success stories and map new women groups for continuous growth.
Qualifications and Competencies
Education
- University degree in a related field, preferably Business Administration, Social Studies, Economics, or Finance.
Experience
- At least 3 years of related experience within a busy organization.
- Practical experience in conducting needs assessments of Microfinance clients.
Technical Skills
- Computer literate (specifically Word & Excel).
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills as well as familiarity with financial accounting.
Communication
- Strong written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
- Good report writing, documentation, and presentation skills.
Behavioral Competencies
- Ability to work without constant supervision.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Ability to evaluate business plans.
