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Background:
Ninety eight percent (98%) of companies in Jordan are micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), defined as companies with fewer than 100 employees. They employ around 70% of the workforce in the private sector, but their access to finance is inadequate: only 10% of all bank loans were granted to MSMEs, which is a low figure even by regional standards. Larger banks have little experience with financing micro and small enterprises and tend to approach them in the same way as large companies. At the same time, trust in and expectations of the financial sector tend to be low, as MSMEs often do not feel addressed by financial institutions. Supporting instruments such as loan guarantees from specialized institutions are available, but financial intermediaries are sometimes reluctant to use them, partly because of lengthy processes.
The Jordanian government and the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) have introduced a variety of reforms in recent years that favor MSME financing. Though these reforms are enacted, they often fail yet to reach full scale.
Objectives:
As the supply of innovative financial services to MSMEs in Jordan is inadequate, the overall objective of the project is to improve the access to innovative financial services for growth-oriented micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Jordan.
To improve the insufficient access to finance for MSMEs, the project has designed the following four outputs:
- Output 1 aims to strengthen the Central Bank of Jordan's capacity to create an enabling environment for innovative MSME financing.
- Output 2 aims to strengthen financial intermediaries about the provision of innovative financial services for MSMEs.
- Output 3 aims to develop and adapt qualification offerings on innovative financial services for growth oriented MSMEs to increase their knowledge and foster the usage of such products.
- Output 4 aims to improve the access to financial services for women-led businesses.
Our project team will work on outputs 2 and 4.
Tasks of the International Digital Finance Expert:
- Oversee all activities related to digital financial services.
- Identify or verify needs for advisory and support indicated by PFIs in the field of digital financial services for MSMEs.
- Support the research activities related to MSME finance with a focus on digital finance in this field (e.g., new digital finance business models, digital financial services, and digital outreach channel).
- Design intervention measures with PFIs in digital financial services for MSMEs.
- Assist the PFIs in adjusting digital tools, digital processes.
- Provide on-site capacity building for PFIs in digital financial services.
- Amend procedures manuals accordingly.
- Occasionally, provide trainings or other input for selected other stakeholders in the Jordan financial sector on digital MSME finance
- Education/training: University degree (bachelor’s and master’s) in Information and Communication Technology or computer science
- Languages: Knowledge of English C2 verbally and in writing and Arabic C2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
- General professional experience: 6 years of professional experience in digital financial solutions for financial intermediaries, thereof 4 years of professional experience with digital finance solutions for MSMEs
- Specific professional experience: 5 years of professional experience in training or coaching employees of financial intermediaries in developing and implementing digital financial services
- Regional experience: 3 years of work experience in the MENA region (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen)
- Development cooperation (DC) experience: 3 years of experience working on DC projects
August 2021 to October 2025 (planned)
Submit your latest CV here. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.