Senior Portfolio Officer

About The AECF

The AECF is a leading development finance organization that supports businesses in innovating, creating jobs, and leveraging investments to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa.

AECF’s goal is to bridge the investment gap between early-stage enterprise and business maturity for entrepreneurs serving the poorest communities. The AECF provides patient capital to new and innovative business models in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa through various financing instruments, which include grants, zero-interest loans, guarantees, and working capital facilities. AECF’ s financing products are supplemented by three additional growth support services to improve the viability and sustainability of our investees, namely, (i) Advisory Services to improve investee internal capabilities, (ii) Investment Support in raising commercial capital in significant volumes, and (iii) Knowledge and Insights for learning and evidence gathering for policy influencing and advocacy.

AECF has successfully implemented programmes across 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting over 500 enterprises, raising US$ 450 million in funding for programs, leveraging $ 2 billion in additional capital, and impacting 33 million lives. For more information, see www.aecfafrica.org

Together with its parent organization, AGRA, AECF is seeking a Senior Portfolio Officer to support the implementation of the FCDO-funded MAJI programme that will be substantially implemented in the Central and Northern regions of Mozambique

The programme

The MAJI (Mozambique Agricultural Jobs and Climate Resilient Investment Programme) Inclusive Agriculture Programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), aims to enhance agricultural productivity and income for marginalized groups in Mozambique, particularly women and smallholder farmers. The programme will increase the availability of finance and support catalytic investments that allow farmers and agri-SMEs to operate at scale and become more resilient to climate shocks. This includes supporting investments in agriculture value chains that are suited to the changing climatic context and avoiding those that increase climate vulnerability; promoting specific climate-smart alternative agricultural practices; incentivizing the adoption of mitigation and adaptation measures to minimize climate and biodiversity risks such as inappropriate use of pesticides, land degradation, deforestation, etc. and modeling the impact on smallholder vulnerability and exposure to climate, financial, food insecurity and social risks.

The programme will concentrate in the north of Mozambique and will look to de-risk, stimulate, and incentivize financial intermediaries, including private capital and public fund managers, to provide innovative financing to farmers, early-stage aggregators, processors, and agri-businesses. In addition, it will also build a strong and coherent portfolio of investable agri-businesses that can be of interest to UK BII, UK AgDevCo, WB IFC, and other investment vehicles, including private investors.

MAJI will be implemented by AECF together with its parent organisation, AGRA.

The role

The Senior Portfolio Officer is responsible for the day-to-day management of investees and implementation of the MAJI program work plan together with the Team Leader and other programme staff. The Senior Portfolio Officer will provide effective field-level leadership for the programme and coordinate between AECF team members, relevant regional administrations and national government, partner organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure the goals and milestones are met.

The role is based in Maputo, with extensive travel in the programme region in the north of Mozambique. Depending on the programme’s evolution, relocation to an operational center in the programme region may be required.

Key responsibilities

• Support information gathering and analysis for the competition/challenge process, helping to identify and shortlist potential investible businesses; conducting and coordinating operational, financial, and strategic due diligence reviews, and preparing investment memos.
• Support the contracting of investee companies, carry out on-going portfolio management of selected companies, and monitor project implementation to achieve program goals.
• Support the portfolio companies (applicable firms in the priority sectors) to develop their respective business cases incorporating climate smart technologies, innovations, and solutions.
• Coordinate capacity needs assessments for the design of technical assistance and business development service products and monitor their delivery.
• Undertake the capacity needs assessment (technical, financial, equipment, knowledge, etc.) of the investees and work with the Enterprise Development team on appropriate interventions.
• Contribute to maintaining productive working relationships and linkages with donors and other development partner organizations, international organizations, government departments, private sector partners, sector leaders, etc.
• Working with the AECF & AGRA Impact teams, develop and maintain results measurement plans, ensuring they align with the program objectives and theory of change.
• Ensure compliance with internal controls and integration of AECF’s enterprise-wide risk framework into the MAJI program.
• Together with the Team Leader, represent AECF & AGRA in relevant activities with key stakeholders in Mozambique’s agriculture sector

 Required qualifications, experience, and attributes

• Hold a degree or equivalent in business, finance, economics, agriculture, sustainable development, or a related field.
• You must have at least eight (8) years of experience in private sector development, sustainable finance, strengthening value chains, or economic diversification industries.
• Have experience in agriculture / agricultural finance in the region and have a proven track record working with SMEs. Experience working with women-owned and managed enterprises will be an advantage.
• Have the ability and demonstrate experience in designing and appraising inclusive business cases.
• Have a demonstrated track record in project management, specifically in project planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and financial management for large-scale donor-funded projects.
• Have excellent analytical and communication skills with the ability to prepare reports to a high level of proficiency.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills including a strong work ethic, impeccable integrity, and judgment.

• Demonstrated organizational and project management skills.
• An understanding of the operations of donors and international development organizations.
• Solid understanding of the political and conflict situation in the northern states of Mozambique, including previous working experience in this region.
• Willing and able to travel extensively in fragile and conflict-affected parts of the north of Mozambique.

• Analytical and communication skills in both English and Portuguese with the ability to prepare reports to a high level of proficiency in the English language.
• Mozambican nationals are preferred, but all applicants must have the right to work in Mozambique

How to apply

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.  AECF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).

If you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for the role, register and apply at https://recruitment.aecfafrica.org. Your application must be received by 13 February 2025 to be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.