Access to Finance Specialist

About the role

The Access to Finance Specialist will lead Outcome 4 of the GROWTH project, helping smallholder farmers, farmer organisations and agri‑SMEs obtain affordable and inclusive financial products. Working closely with banks, micro‑finance institutions, fintechs and other partners, the specialist bridges the financing gap in Uganda’s horticulture sector.

Key responsibilities

• Design and deliver financial literacy and business management training for farmers, farmer organisations and agri‑SMEs.
• Support SACCOs and cooperatives to strengthen internal financial management, record‑keeping and reporting.
• Review and refine financial records and business plans of agricultural SMEs to prepare them for concessional credit or commercial loans.
• Map and engage financial service providers to understand their agricultural lending appetite.
• Collaborate with providers to design, pilot and scale tailored products such as climate‑smart agri‑loans, equipment financing, invoice discounting and insurance.
• Facilitate matchmaking between investment‑ready agri‑SMEs/cooperatives and potential investors or catalytic funders.

Required profile

• Experience working with financial service providers, SACCOs, cooperatives or agribusinesses.
• Proven ability to conduct financial literacy training and credit‑readiness assessments, especially for women and youth.
• Strong understanding of agricultural value chains and the financing needs of horticulture enterprises.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑engagement skills.

Required skills