Background

Enabel is the Belgian development agency. It implements Belgium’s governmental cooperation. The agency also works for other national and international donors. With its partners in Belgium and abroad, Enabel offers solutions to address pressing global challenges - Climate Change, Urbanisation, Human Mobility, Peace and Security, Economic and Social Inequality - and to promote Global Citizenship. With 2,100 staff, Enabel manages about 200 projects in twenty countries, in Belgium, Africa and the Middle East.

We have over 20 years' experience in areas ranging from education and health care to agriculture, environmental protection, digitalisation, employment and governance. Enabel’s expertise is eagerly sought-after by partners around the globe – ranging from the Belgian government, European Union institutions, governments of other countries and the private sector. We work with civil society, research institutes as well as businesses and we foster fruitful interaction between development policy and other areas.  

Since 2022, Enabel is implementing a regional thematic portfolio for Social Protection in Central Africa (2022-2026). The regional thematic portfolio is implemented in DRC, Rwanda and Uganda with a long-term ambition of increasing opportunities for women and the young people of the working age to engage in decent work as a mean to attain better living standards and to contribute to sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development. 

The program in Rwanda aims at supporting individuals to access employment opportunities and to strengthen capacities of institutions supporting or governing the labour market. The expected results are to impact a large number of potential workers with employment opportunities (both self-employment and waged employment) and improved working conditions (wages /earnings, employment contracts, access to social security or social services, safety and health at work, etc) of workers.  Its implementation is anchored in the existing national structures and implements projects in partnership with the government, private sector, civil society and international organizations. The self-employment interventions which targeted MSME empowerment (both start-ups and existing) are implemented in Kigali and the 5 districts along the Kivu belt.

To ensure business continuity, Enabel is currently looking for an  Intervention Officer-Access to Finance (f/m) under the Decent Work and Social Protection Portfolio.

Duty station: Kigali with regular in-country trips. 

Duration of the contract: Open-ended employment contract – local contract according to the Rwandan labor law

Expected starting date: November 2024 
 

Function

The Intervention Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Private Sector Development Expert and in close collaboration with Business Service (BDS) providers, Business Development Fund (BDF) and other financial institutions, District authorities, MINICOM and Pro-Femme Twese Hamwe to promote self-employment initiatives and enterprise development interventions under Decent Work and Social Protection Portfolio.

More specifically, the Intervention Officer will enforce synergies and alliances between BDF and other relevant financial institutions and link them to BDS programs across the targeted districts of the program to ensure that business projects of the supported beneficiaries under the BDS (start-ups and existing) Program and those from other targeted beneficiaries become eligible for funding from BDF and/ or other relevant financial institutions. 

Overall, the Intervention Officer will steer the involvement of different players (local government, banks, business support organisations, schools, etc) to form alliances and work together in supporting the targeted beneficiaries to overcome the major obstacles they encounter in starting or growing business (such as finance, inputs and technology, skills, markets, regulation etc) and promote local economic development 

Job description

In general, (s)he will ensure:

Implementation of BDS related activities:

• Support BSD Service providers to engage with financial institutions and ensure their collaboration in assisting beneficiaries to develop eligible business plans aligned with lending requirements of the targeted financial institutions
• Support and follow-up with BDS service providers to finalize the business plans and facilitate their submission to BDF and other PFIs.
• Work closely with BDS services providers to map and interact with all relevant finance institutions (PFIs, SACCOs) in all districts of the project interventions to explain and raise their appetite for financing projects submitted by BDS beneficiaries.
• Support BDS service providers to initiate and create linkages business with PFIs and advocate and support BDS beneficiaries to submit their business plans for funding purposes,
• Link BDS beneficiaries with PFIs in District and support them to introduce their projects for access to finance.

Implementation of grants related to Enterprise Development:

• Work closely with partners to ensure a good implementation and monitoring of grants that are linked to access to finance. 
• Work in partnership with BDF – both at HQ and District branches to raise awareness on access to finance opportunities on leasing equipment and guarantee products and create alliances with participating financial institution and other relevant funding opportunities 
• Support onboarding and registry of BDS beneficiaries and facilitate their entry in pipeline of BDF
• In partnership with Pro-femmes Twese Hamwe, support the financial growth of 28 cooperatives involved in informal cross border trade
• Support MINICOM in the implementation of the business competition grant.

Other generic tasks

• Report on success stories and best practices in BDS program
• Regularly monitoring the results against the set objectives and indicators of success.
• Manage partnership with financial service providers enhancing development of innovative financial services suitable for BDS beneficiaries
• Participate in program technical Committees meetings and other important events;
• Prepare regular progress reports, and other reports as required
   

Your profile

Requested qualifications and experience.

• Rwanda Citizen, 
• Master’s degree in Banking, Economics, Finance, Accounting or Statistics 
• At least 5 years of working experience with 3 years’ working experience in financial institutions in such domains as credit market research and products design and development, credit analysis, credit risk and loan recovery management, and micro, small and medium enterprises lending solutions
• Professional trainings in business development services, private sector development approaches, financing micro, small and medium enterprises
• Knowledge and experience of the Rwandan banking sector and local market systems especially credit products for small businesses.

Required skills and knowledge

• Strong skills in lending products research, design, analysis and management
• Experience in using digital/ IT tools used in data analysis and office operations
• Experience in private sector development approaches
• Proven knowledge/experience in business advisory services to private enterprises especially MSMEs 
• Excellent writing and analytical skills especially in relation to labour markets 
• Strong negotiation, networking and relationship building skills - strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop collaborative relationships, especially in a multi-component project with multiple implementation partners.
• Proficient in English and Kinyarwanda.  Working knowledge of French is an asset.
• A strong character demonstrated by behaviour and professional values and work ethics, such as punctuality and time management, responsibility and accountability, communication, teamwork, honesty, respect, integrity, professional confidentiality, etc
• Capacity to work under pressure with minimum supervision, 
• Ability to work in an international, multi-stakeholder environment, maintain effective and cooperative relations,
• Ability to contribute effectively to a collaborative governance framework by taking ownership, being accountable, and communicating honestly and transparently.
   

We offer

•    A stimulating and varied job in a multi-cultural environment.
•    Salary package according to our salary grids (class 5 – Intervention Officer) From 2.304.086RWF monthly gross salary, adjustable depending on the number of years of relevant experience, 
•    Additional benefits:
-    Insurance coverage (medical and group workers protection)
-    Option for remote working depending on the nature of the job
-    Personal Learning and development, on the job and outside
-    Opportunity for internal mobility

Applicants are also required to commit to the vision, mission and values of Enabel (https://www.enabel.be/content/enabel-vision-mission-values ) ..

Following this recruitment procedure, a shortlist/reserve of successful applicants may be constituted which may be sourced in the next three years for similar job openings.
 

How to apply

Applicants fulfilling the above-mentioned criteria are invited to submit their application documents through Enabel jobsite jobs.enabel.be by clicking the "Apply now" button to include updated Curriculum Vitae, a motivation letter. Submit the full file not later than 15th September 2024. Only applications submitted via the above link will be considered. **Remember to upload your file**

Women candidates are strongly encouraged.

Enabel is committed to equal opportunities and diversity in its workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability status or any other factor other than competence.

Enabel never requests money to be part of any recruitment process.

Done at Kigali, 29th August 2024

Country Director, 
Enabel in Rwanda