Associate, Product

Incentives are Aceli’s primary “product” offering and are used to unlock increased private sector lending to agricultural SMEs. The Product team plays a critical role in Aceli managing the incentives program, ensuring that loans are aligned with Aceli’s impact criteria and that lenders receive appropriate and timely payouts.

Specifically, the role holder will be responsible for reviewing data from lenders, validating the loan data against the criteria for Aceli incentives, ensuring the accuracy of automated calculations, and preparing timely and accurate work orders for incentive payouts to lenders. This role requires comfort interacting with large datasets, attention to detail, and strong interpersonal skills, as it involves communicating with commercial banks and other lenders in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia to collect the necessary information on time, as well as collaborating with multiple teams within Aceli to complete the data review and effect payments to lenders. Because this role involves review of loan data, the role holder should have direct experience with loans or familiarity with how lenders, particularly commercial banks, operate and the data they use in their lending operations (e.g., typical information required when a borrower is seeking a loan). The role will report to Head of Product and is a full-time position with GDI Kenya, a non-profit entity registered under Kenyan law.

Key responsibilities:

• Participate in lender onboarding activities, i.e., training them in Aceli incentive criteria as well as processes for submitting loans for incentives, and track their loan registration against targets;
• Review and analyze loan data submitted by participating lenders to assess eligibility for financial incentives in line with the established guidelines;
• Support in appropriately storing and retrieving all documents and data received from Aceli partners;
• Proactively identify and support process improvements, including the creation of standard and ad-hoc reports, dashboards and tools;
• Support engagement with stakeholders to address any arising issues / questions from the financial incentives program;
• Support with the relevant analysis for internal and external communication including periodic reports to stakeholders and donors.

• A bachelor’s degree in finance or other related fields;
• Minimum of four years of relevant work experience with at least two years of full-time project management, investment or lending experience;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Keen attention to detail;
• Curious and entrepreneurial mindset;
• Excellent time management and prioritization skills;
• Customer orientation and ability to move fluidly between collaborative and independent work styles;
• Familiarity with lending, particularly SME lending – bonus for familiarity with agri-SME lending;
• Personal commitment to having a positive impact on farmer livelihoods and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa; and
• Commitment to and understanding of Aceli’s Vision, Mission, and Values.

Global Development Incubator is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Kenyan nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for the role, please submit your application with the subject line "Associate, Product", and attach your detailed CV, cover letter stating your interest in and qualifications for the position, e-mail address and telephone contacts.

Applications that do not include a cover letter tailored to this position will not be considered. The application deadline is Friday, July 12, 2024. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.