Access to finance (A2F) Officers – Junior

Role	Access to finance (A2F) Officers – Junior
The post reports to	Economic Justice Programs Lead
Duty station	Home based
Starting date	Selected experts will be recruited following programs’ needs
Deadline for submission	31/10/2021

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

We tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 20 organizations (affiliates) working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.

All our work is led by three core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness.

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behavior at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of anyone. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send their CV, the details of 3 people who will serve as professional references, motivation letter, before 31/10/2021 to the email address [email protected].

Please specify in the reference: “A2F_officers_name_surname”

The context / The project

Oxfam Italia is creating a roster of junior experts on access to finance (A2F) to be deployed in the different programs carried out in target countries (mainly in the Middle-East).

The Role: Job Purpose

From the roster, based on the needs that might arise, Oxfam Italia seeks to identify and hire A2F Officers, who will report to the Economic Justice Programs Lead in charge of the overall thematic strategic in target countries.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

 Contribute to the design, and implementation ofa range of A2F activities, in line with the needs of local business communities in the Countries where Oxfam operates. . This includes innovative financing mechanisms for SMEs and social enterprises, accelerators and incubators, entrepreneurship centers and climate innovation centers

• Provide detailed advice and hands-on technical assistance to Oxfam colleagues (in Italy and in target countries), beneficiaries and other relevant stakeholders on good practices, international trends and developments for assisting small business entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs, and regularly keeping pace with innovative new approaches to assisting SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs and innovators in the developing world.
• Form part of the team that designs and implements new projects
• Understand and provide practical input on the link between Oxfam’s activities to help entrepreneurs, innovators and business support organizations and the need for sustainable business enabling environments as well as appropriate financing for these entities
• Work with OIT Access to Finance Technical Advisor  to develop a comprehensive A2F strategy for Oxfam Italia including assessment of client needs, evaluation of OIT core capabilities to meet needs, development of products OIT can offer or facilitate to offer, and an appropriate approach for design and deployment within the Oxfam Confederation procedures and processes
• Implement A2F products consistent with relevant Oxfam procedures including procurement guidelines; procedures for grants; environmental and social safeguards and financial management (FM)
• Develop and pursue strategies to leverage OIT A2F products and related funding by drawing in additional funding sources, including other projects, other bi- and multi-lateral development agencies, client governments, and commercial and impact investors
• Keep up-to-date on latest development in the A2F sector both inside and outside the Oxfam Confederation

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

• At least a Master’s degree in business administration or similar discipline and minimum two years of professional experience in A2F projects
• Understanding of and experience with the A2F needs on entrepreneurs, SMEs and other new ventures in client countries
• Understanding of and experience working with financial products
• Desire to develop and implement innovative A2F approaches and products for developing countries
• Demonstrated knowledge of business incubation, business acceleration, and other relevant means of enabling early-stage enterprises to start and grow
• Knowledge of innovation support systems, including relevant actors such as MFIs, financiers, R&D and/or university institutions, government ministries, and other local and international organizations and actors
• Sectorial knowledge and experience in sectors such as circular economy, green economy, energy sector and industry 4.0.
• Recognized project management skills and track record in successfully planning and executing projects in developing countries or emerging markets
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with staff, clients and partners at junior and senior levels
• Excellent writing skills and command of the English language
• Ability to work independently, willingness to learn, a positive, energetic and ambitious work attitude, and aptitude to work within a team environment

This job description is not incorporated in the employment contract.  It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification as it may be varied from time to time in the light of strategic developments and following discussion with the post holder.

 SELECTION PROCESS

CVs will be pre-selected according to their coherence with the required profile. Selected candidates will be contacted for a written test and those who are considered eligible will be called for interviews. Interviews will be held in Florence, Italy. Travel costs on account of candidate. For candidates who are not in Italy the first interview will be conducted through phone or Skype.

We thank all those who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Note: for more information about the organization, please consult our webpage: www.oxfamitalia.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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