Senior Associate

Role Overview

This role serves as the operational backbone for Aceli’s agri-SME finance initiatives in Kenya, reporting to the Country Manager with a secondary line to the Managing Director for Policy. Day-to-day, you will coordinate lender and partner relationships, manage data flows across platforms like Salesforce and Power BI, and support event logistics, training sessions, and policy engagement preparations. Your work ensures that lenders, SMEs, and technical assistance providers stay aligned, that program data is accurate and reportable, and that policy advocacy moves forward smoothly—all of which directly strengthens Aceli’s impact across the East African agri-SME finance ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead outreach and ongoing communication with Kenyan lending partners involved in financial incentives and capacity-building programs, including onboarding new lenders into the Aceli Network and managing those relationships.
• Coordinate follow-up with agricultural SMEs enrolled in technical assistance programs and maintain detailed records of partner interactions, meeting notes, and contact lists.
• Plan and execute lender and SME engagement events, training workshops, investor pitch sessions, and matchmaking activities—handling logistics, guest lists, invitations, and confirmations.
• Collect and verify SME and lender data for monitoring and reporting; enter and update records in CRM and dashboard tools (Salesforce, Power BI), troubleshooting system issues with product and operations teams.
• Support Gender Lens Investing initiatives by coordinating capacity-building sessions and tracking related partner activities.
• Manage scheduling, documentation, and follow-up for policy engagements—including working group meetings, regulator consultations, and stakeholder convenings—while tracking relevant regulatory developments affecting agri-SME finance.
• Prepare background research, briefing notes, presentations, speaking points, and meeting summaries to support policy and partner interactions; maintain action trackers and escalate delays or risks as needed.
• Assist with local team retreats, field visits, and partner meetings, and contribute to donor and internal reports through data compilation and analysis.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Development Studies, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in project coordination, stakeholder engagement, relationship management, or donor-funded program implementation—ideally within SME finance, agricultural finance, or financial inclusion.
• Background in lending within banking or microfinance, or in SME development programs, is strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational skills with meticulous attention to detail and the ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) or data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Proactive, team-oriented, and capable of working effectively with minimal supervision.

What We Offer / Why Join

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