Microfinance Advisor - Trias Tanzania

Trias Tanzania is looking for a****Microfinance Advisor

Working station : Trias Country Office in Arusha, Tanzania

Starting date : 1st of September 2014, if possible

Duration : 2 years & renewable

Remuneration : Competitive package. Details depend on educational background, level of experience and nationality.

Trias is an international NGO from Belgium. Together with our partner organisations in 14 countries in Africa, Asia and America, Trias wants to improve livelihood security and well-being of family farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs by strengthening their member-based organizations. Trias also encourages worldwide exchange and cooperation between farmers and entrepreneurs and their organisations.

In Tanzania, Trias currently has 12 partner organisations implementing 5 integrated programs in Arusha, Manyara and Iringa region, mostly in (remote) rural areas.

Context of the Job:

Micro-finance is an essential component of 4 out of our 5 programmes. Methodologies include:

• Supporting a community bank with 15,000 clients
• Capacity building of several SACCOS with memberships from 60 to 300 people
• Promoting and strengthening saving and credit groups (VICOBAs)
• Facilitating the development and monitoring of revolving funds.

Trias is offering support such as: governance and leadership training, product development, strategic / business planning, financial management (making annual statements, administrating write offs and ratio interpretation). In addition Trias is responsible for monitoring the micro-finance activities and reporting to our Head Office and donors. For our official MF partners, Trias makes use of the BRS factsheet as a monitoring tool.

The MF advisor works closely together with programme advisors and other thematic advisors (e.g. on Business Development Services and Value Chain Development). This means that the MF advisor will work with the whole Trias Tanzania team to ensure that the target group has access to MF services. He / she will also cooperate closely with the MF advisor at our head office in Belgium.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

Ensure that the members of our partner Member Based Organisations have access to affordable and appropriate micro-finance services that assist them in improving their livelihoods. This implies that you will (in cooperation with our partner organizations, the Trias Tanzania team and the MF advisor in Belgium);

1. Assess the capacities of MF institutions such as SACCOS, e.g. in terms of effectiveness, financial sustainability, democratic level, etc.
2. Design MF strategies for new and existing programmes
3. Assess the effectiveness of MF strategies in on-going programmes and make recommendations for improvement
4. Support the implementation of the MF strategies by means of monitoring, providing advice and organizing capacity building activities.
5. Regularly inform the Trias Tanzania team and the MF advisor in Belgium about the activities, progress towards objectives, challenges and opportunities on Micro-Finance
6. Identify supportive organizations, institutes or companies such as for training;
7. Support MF partners with strategic planning and steering: Organize participative (business) planning processes, strengthening plans, governance structures, sustainability, product development, SPM, refinancing and fund raising;
8. Analyze, monitor and strengthen the Management Information Systems at the MFIs
9. Support the MF partners with improving their operational procedures: accounting, performance monitoring, financial and social reporting, credit procedures, HR, education of elected board members, etc.;
10. Stimulate an effective collaboration between the MF partners and the farmers' organizations;
11. Strengthen the capacity of the staff of the Farmers and Entrepreneurial organizations on MF issues.
12. Prepare reports to Trias Head Office and donors.
13. Collect relevant communication material (human interest stories, photos, etc) for external communication
14. Participate in the “Youth Inclusion” Trias international working group
15. Support the Trias Tanzania team with proposal writing and fundraising.
16. Contribute to Trias' functioning, develop a network, systematize lessons learned, etc.
17. Perform any other tasks assigned to you by the Country Director

Job requirements:

1. A master degree or postgraduate degree in economics, accountancy or a related field;
2. A minimum of 5 years work experience in microfinance, experience with rural partner assessment and selection;
3. A broad view on small scale rural microfinance: financial management, organization structures, the role of big national actors, MIS systems, SPM, governance systems, different credit modalities, strategic planning, M&E systems, auditing, Value Chain Finance, etc.;
4. Good written and oral reporting skills in English; experience with international donors is a plus;
5. Ability to work on very different levels, from strategic management and shareholder ownership issues to very operational client level.
6. Experience with pro-actively shaping a MF training plan, preferably for small scale SACCOS and VICOBAs;
7. Able to get effective team results in a multidisciplinary team;
8. Able to speak or willing to learn Kiswahili;
9. Willing and able to travel regularly into Arusha, Manyara and Iringa regions
10. Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office, especially Excel

Required profile:

· Team player

· Independent thinker

· Critical but with a positive outlook

· Flexible

· Able to work within an international organization (e.g. being able to follow set guidelines)

· Passionate about development work

· Good networker, being able to build positive working relations

· Realistic

Closing date is Tuesday 26 August 2014.

This vacancy is advertised in Tanzania and abroad.

How to apply:

How to apply:

Application letter (maximum 1 page) and CV (maximum 3 pages) should be sent by e-mail to trias.tanzania @triasngo.be with the following subject line “Application MF advisor”.

NB: At this stage you do not need to send copies of diplomas or certificates

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted