VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Position: Access to Finance and Grants Specialist

Organization: UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) – Malawi

Project: UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project

Location: Lilongwe, Malawi

Application Link: estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com.

About UNDP Malawi

Since 1964, UNDP has been active in Malawi, aiding the Government in its development agenda by supporting policies, establishing partnerships, and enhancing institutional capacities to achieve national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UNDP Malawi's Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2024-2028 aligns with the Malawi Vision 2063 and its first 10-Year Implementation Plan, aiming to support Malawi in meeting the SDGs by 2030. This comprehensive program addresses the interconnected challenges of poverty, inequality, and vulnerability to shocks, organized within two principal portfolios:

• Governance: This portfolio focuses on strengthening effective, accountable, and inclusive governance. It promotes civic engagement, human rights, the rule of law, peace, and democracy, alongside improving data generation and analysis.
• Resilience and Sustainable Growth (RSG): This portfolio focuses on economic innovation, inclusive business, job creation, and renewable energy access. It also aims to help Malawi adapt to climate change and build resilience to disasters.

About the RSG Portfolio

The RSG Portfolio adopts a multifaceted approach combining inclusive growth, sustainability, climate adaptation, resilience to shocks, and agricultural development. It integrates natural resource management, poverty-environment linkages, disaster risk management, and agricultural value chain commercialization.

UNDP's resilience programming within the RSG Portfolio specifically targets the mitigation of threats, risks, and impacts of climate change and related economic and social shocks. The RSG Portfolio also includes a dynamic private sector development program that employs various de-risking financial instruments to support private sector investments in the country.

About Agriculture and Commercialization in Malawi

Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi's economy, employing over 70% of the population and significantly contributing to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 24.7%. Women contribute over 70% of the agricultural labour force, yet they face persistent gender barriers, including limited land ownership and reduced access to extension and climate-smart technologies, and significantly lower access to finance.

Since 2014, UNDP has actively supported the private sector in advancing sustainable development through diverse initiatives and partnerships in agriculture, collaborating closely with mainstream government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

About the UCHI Project

The UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project will provide the technical expertise, resources, and networks necessary to tackle challenges related to agricultural commercialization and generate market and financial opportunities for smallholder farmers (SHFs). The project advocates market-oriented business practices and stimulates market and financial opportunities within priority value chains.

One of the UCHI Project Outputs is "Improved Financial Access for FOs and Women-Led Agricultural MSMEs". This output aims to improve financial access for Farmer Organizations (FOs) and SMEs, with a particular focus on empowering women-led agribusinesses.

The program will provide financial management training, facilitate access to loans, and establish an UCHI Commercialization Facility (matching grant and blended finance solutions) to support productive investments.

Position Overview

UNDP is seeking to recruit an Access to Finance and Grants Specialist to design, roll-out, and oversee the management and implementation of the UCHI Commercialization Facility and to lead on the financial access and investment stream of work under the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project.

Scope of Work

Advised on Fiduciary Management

• Oversee the roll out and implementation of the UCHI Commercialization Facility.
• Facilitate development of milestones for each of the grantees (FOs/SMEs) in consultation with the project team and the grantees and align the same with disbursement amounts.
• Facilitate development of the UCHI Commercialization Facility's matching grant milestone verification tools.
• Lead the review of disbursement requests against milestone achievements.
• Oversee a portfolio of grants and other financial products under the UCHI Agriculture Commercialization Project, ensuring adherence to financial agreements and monitoring progress against milestones.
• Ensure that payments are linked to milestones outlined in the contractually binding grant agreements.
• Track and verify expenditures, ensuring that funds are used efficiently and as intended by grantees.
• Maintain detailed records of payments, disbursements, and financial reports, ensuring transparency and accountability for all grants.
• Provide regular financial updates to the Project Manager, Project Specialist, and UNDP management.
• Monitor the disbursement of funds to grantees and prepare detailed records with all documentary evidence.
• Participate in due diligence exercises on selected FO/SMEs.
• Ensure that grant selection, due-diligence, and contracting processes integrate gender-responsive criteria, including prioritization of women-led agribusinesses.
• Develop milestone templates that incorporate gender KPIs such as proportion of women benefiting, women in leadership roles, and gender-responsive budgeting.

Ensure Monitoring and Reporting

• Work closely with the UCHI Project's M&E Specialist to develop and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system to track grant progress.
• Monitor grantee progress, identifying any risks or delays and ensuring corrective actions are taken.
• Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports on the performance of funded projects.
• Work closely with the UCHI M&E Specialist and the UNDP Malawi CO M&E team to integrate grants data into the Project's overall performance tracking system.
• Continuously monitor grantee performance and alert the Project Manager of any existing or possible unsatisfactory grantee performance.
• Work with the M&E Specialist to ensure preparation of baseline reports and end-line impact reports for each contracted grantee.
• Contribute to presentations on progress during monthly meetings and other scheduled meetings.
• Track and report sex-disaggregated data for all grantees.
• Conduct gender-sensitive risk assessments and ensure corrective measures address barriers faced by women and vulnerable groups.

Lead Financial Access and Partnerships

• Lead engagement with financial service providers to facilitate access to finance for project beneficiaries.
• Design and implement financial solutions tailored to the needs of FOs and MSMEs, including blended finance mechanisms and risk-sharing approaches.
• Build strategic partnerships with banks, microfinance institutions, and other funding entities.
• Advocate for financial products that align with the commercialization needs of FOs and MSMEs.
• Research and facilitate development of other relevant financial instruments for the UCHI Project.
• Work closely with UCHI Value Chain Specialists to ensure FOs and SMEs receive guidance on integrating climate-smart agriculture practices.

Advise and Support Financial Literacy and Capacity Building

• Develop and oversee gender-sensitive financial literacy training programs.
• Integrate modules on women's economic empowerment, financial negotiation skills, and leadership.
• Support the implementation of capacity-building initiatives to enhance financial planning, investment readiness, and business sustainability.
• Provide ongoing technical expertise to project beneficiaries on innovative financing, financial and grant management skills, and business development strategies.
• Support the Business Development Specialist in offering business advisory services to grantees.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing and learning among grantees.
• Strengthen financial management and record-keeping systems for grant recipients.
• Provide technical assistance to FOs and MSMEs to ensure proper budgeting and financial sustainability.
• Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary.

Institutional Arrangement

The Access to Finance and Grants Specialist will be based at the UNDP Malawi's UCHI Agriculture Commercialization Project Office in Lilongwe, with frequent in-country travel to support grantees in various districts. The Specialist will report to the UCHI Project Manager and work in close collaboration with the UCHI Project Specialist and other relevant Project staff.

Competencies

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3 – Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3 – Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3 – Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3 – Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3 – Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3 – Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3 – Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional/Technical Competencies

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system.
• Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner likely to lead to a good outcome.
• Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner.
• Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners.
• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge.
• Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on program performance and results.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Economics, Finance, Accounting, Banking, Agribusiness, or related field from a reputable university is required.
• OR a first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years (with Master's degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor's degree) of relevant work experience at national or international level managing grant portfolio, grant schemes, and project management among others is required.

Required Skills

• Experience with enterprise and/or Innovation Challenge Fund management services for private and international organizations.
• Experience in management of grant portfolio, matching grant schemes, impact investing, blended finance mechanisms, and/or venture capital vehicles.
• Proven experience working on financing for private sector-driven agriculture development in Malawi or Africa context.
• Sector knowledge in agriculture and financial innovation including an up-to-date understanding of market access frontiers for FOs/SMEs.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct gender-responsive financial assessments and design interventions that address barriers for women and marginalized groups.

Desired Experience/Skills/Competencies

• Experience with Malawi is an added advantage.
• Proven experience integrating gender equality in access-to-finance initiatives, grant management, or private-sector development.
• Experience working with women-led MSMEs or agricultural FOs, preferably in rural contexts.
• Strong ability to assess business models, financial sustainability, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Experience in Program/Project management and good communication skills.
• Experience working with a UN Organization would be an advantage.

Required Languages

• Proficiency in both written and spoken English and Chichewa is essential.

Equal Opportunity Statement

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate. We encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual Harassment, Exploitation, and Abuse of Authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to Select Multiple Candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam Alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

How to Apply

To apply for this job, please visit: estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com.