Sub-Saharan Africa_Senior Gender Specialist (Team Leader)

EIB has either put in place, or is currently planning, a number of intermediated credit facilities to cover the financial needs of private enterprise across Sub-Saharan Africa through approved local financial intermediaries. They include (i) banks engaged in financing private businesses; (ii) banks engaged in financing microfinance institutions (MFIs); (iii) MFIs financing microenterprises; and (iv) microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs) and other equity funds indirectly financing microenterprises and SMEs.

The purpose of the TA operation is to support women’s economic empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa by increasing access to finance and providing wider capacity building support to women entrepreneurs in selected countries.

Qualifications: 

Qualifications and skills

  • At least a university degree in gender studies, development studies, sociology, social or political science, or another relevant field or equivalent;
  • Fluency in spoken and written English, and strong working level in French.

General professional experience

  • 8 years of professional experience in developing gender equality focus/modalities in banking, financial products and access to credit and the link with women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship;
  • 5 years of experience in financial inclusion, including through MSME finance;
  • 3 years of professional experience in Sub-Saharan Africa;
  • 5 years team management and/or coordination experience.

Specific professional experience

  • Previous experience of developing innovative delivery channels and tools targeting women entrepreneurs such as digital/mobile technologies preferred;
  • Expertise of working with a range of actors on women’s economic empowerment, including public, private and non-governmental organisations, including at grassroots level with women’s organisations;
  • Evidenced knowledge and understanding of the factors contributing to gender equality and gender-specific barriers to women’s economic empowerment, including access to productive resources, skills and capacities, legal discrimination, pervasive social norms, unconscious bias and institutional / systematic discrimination;
  • Practical experience of at least 5 years in successful capacity building of women entrepreneurs including some or all of the following: conducting needs assessments and analysis of results, development of subsequent training and coaching plans, development of curricula and training materials, organisation and delivery of trainings;
  • Practical experience working directly with and/or in financial intermediaries on access to finance is preferred.

Experts are expected to present copies of diplomas and work certificates/extracts of contracts of all assignments listed in their CV.

Start / Duration: 

The project start date is Q1 2020.

Please send your most recent CV to: job [at] afci.de

 Thank you!