TechnoServe seeks an experienced Catalytic & Enterprise Fund Manager for its HAPPY Activity in Ghana, which will focus mainly on poultry, soybean, tomato, and rice value chains.

The Catalytic & Enterprise Fund Manager will be responsible for managing the Catalytic & Enterprise Fund of the HAPPY Project. This role involves overseeing the disbursement of funds, monitoring funded enterprises, and providing strategic guidance and support to ensure the success and sustainability of agribusiness ventures. The Fund Manager will work closely with the Program Director, financial institutions, and other stakeholders to achieve the project’s goals.

Program Overview: 

Harnessing Agriculture Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) aims to drive shared prosperity in Ghana by creating, sustaining, or improving dignified jobs and increasing agricultural productivity across the poultry, rice, soy, and tomato value chains. HAPPY will bridge the productivity gaps in these four value chains by building resilient youth-led and women-led food systems. The program will harness the power of young women and men to enhance the sourcing and business models of off-takers, pursue innovative entrepreneurial ventures, support the adoption of improved practices and inputs, and influence the enabling environment by making their voices heard. The result will be a more prosperous and inclusive agricultural sector that propels growth across the country.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

• Oversee the design, launch and ongoing management of the Catalytic & Enterprise Fund, ensuring effective and efficient disbursement of funds to eligible agribusiness enterprises.
• Develop and implement strategies for fund allocation, ensuring alignment with the project’s objectives and priorities.
• Develop and lead a strategy that ensures gender considerations are adequately integrated into investee selection approach to facilitate greater access to finance for women entrepreneurs
• In collaboration with the HMA and Entrepreneurship practices and Value Chain Managers, develop clearly defined set of criteria to determine eligibility of agri SMEs for investment and based on criteria
• Support the technical support team to produce and implement trainings and workshops to develop the capacity of agri SMEs, to catalyze bankable business plans and financial performance forecasts, and to provide ongoing financial management advisory services
• Develop and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the impact and effectiveness of the Catalytic & Enterprise Fund and ensure compliance with fund guidelines and financial best practices.
• Conduct regular site visits and assessments to ensure funded enterprises are on track to achieve their business objectives.
• Foster strong relationships with financial institutions, investors, government agencies, and other stakeholders to leverage additional resources and support for agribusiness enterprises.
• Prepare and present detailed reports on fund performance, highlighting key achievements, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
• Collaborate with the Program Director and other team members to ensure seamless integration of fund activities with the overall project strategy.
• Develop and implement risk management strategies to ensure the sustainability and resilience of funded enterprises.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Agricultural Economics, or a related field + 7 years relevant experience OR Master’s Degree + 5 years relevant experience in Business Administration, Finance, Law or other relevant field.
• At least 7 years’ professional experience in fund management, enterprise development, or a related field, with a focus on agribusiness.
• Proven experience making recommendations on the scope, duration and amount of grants.
• Proven experience in managing financial resources, including budgeting, financial analysis, and reporting.
• Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to provide practical and innovative solutions.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to assess and report on project impact.
• Knowledge of international donors’ grant regulations
• Prior work experience in West Africa, and in Ghana preferably.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong understanding of the agricultural sector, particularly in the context of youth entrepreneurship and agri SMEs.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-sectoral stakeholders, including development partners and national governments
• Competence in managing and analyzing large datasets
• Advanced proficiency with relevant software packages, including Microsoft Office (with advanced knowledge of Excel), Google Suite (including Looker Studio), Salesforce, or Power BI

Required Languages:

 Fluency in English required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to develop well-written, cohesive analyses and reports
• Demonstrated ability to analyze grantee reports for compliance and make recommendations to strengthen performance
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills and good computer skills in business software (Excel, MS Project, and PowerPoint)
• Strong project management skills including the ability to anticipate demand and manage multiple tasks and projects while meeting tight deadlines
• Understanding of capacities and constraints of agri SMEs
• Strong private sector market orientation, entrepreneurial and innovative thinker
• Results-oriented, with demonstrated experience achieving project targets
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills
• Detail orientation, including strong organizational, analytical and quantitative skills
• Proven ability to prioritize and manage a high-volume workflow, with minimal supervision.
• Proven team player with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills.