Co-Investment Fund (CIF) Officer at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Modernizing Agriculture at Activity: (Deadline 9 October 2023)

Co-Investment Fund (CIF) Officer at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture Feed the Future Modernizing Agriculture Activity: (Deadline 9 October 2023)

USAID/Rwanda Hinga Wunguke Activity

Co-Investment Fund (CIF) Officer 

CNFA

CNFA is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to stimulating economic growth in the agricultural sector and improving livelihoods by cultivating entrepreneurship. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investments in training, innovative technologies and marketing as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains and rural development, to increase people’s incomes, to develop skills in the rural workforce, and to facilitate exports.

Program Description USAID Feed the Future Hinga Wunguke Activity

The purpose of the USAID Feed the Future Hinga Wunguke Activity (Hinga Wunguke) is to support increased agriculture productivity and income, access to finance and markets, and access and consumption of nutritious food products in Rwanda, while increasing the resilience of the agriculture and food systems to the changing climate. To achieve this goal, the Activity will sustainably increase agricultural productivity, increase access to finance for farmers and agribusinesses, improve producers’ nutrition and market outcomes, and strengthen the enabling environment to foster market-driven outcomes in agriculture.

To achieve program objectives Hinga Wunguke will deploy a Co-Investment Fund (CIF) to leverage private sector investment and formalize partnerships with market actors to inclusively strengthen food market systems in target districts. CIF partnerships will result in formalized grant awards between Hinga Wunguke and the award recipient. The CIF will apply a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach and be demand-driven, competitive, and performance-based to facilitate a wide range of transformative investments in the agricultural sector of Rwanda.

The Hinga Wunguke Zone of Influence includes the following target districts: Bugesera, Ngoma, Kayonza, Gatsibo, Gakenke, Burera, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Rutsiro, Ngororero, Karongi, Nyamasheke, and Nyamagabe.

Position Description

Reporting to the Partnership and Investment Director, the CIF Officer will support the CIF and Component teams in all aspects of CIF grants management, including supporting grant making from solicitation to close-out, and ensuring efficient and compliant grants administration aligned with program objectives.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main duties of the CIF Officer include, but are not limited to:

• Support the CIF team in the administration of CIF grants from solicitation to closeout, including CIF/grant solicitation development, application review and selection, due diligence, award negotiation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Coordinate with Kigali-based component teams, administrative management units, and provincial offices to ensure smooth implementation of grant activities.
• Support staff training on how to operationalize program strategies through CIF grant partnerships in line with policies outlined in the CIF Manual and Procurement Manual.
• Serve as a Hinga Wunguke resource on how to operationalize CIF partnerships (grants), and how to identify CIF vs. Catalytic Service Provision Fund (CSPF) contract opportunities.
• Collaborate with program and technical teams to identify CIF partnership opportunities (grants) aligned with Activity objectives.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to potential partners throughout the CIF application and implementation process.
• Coordinate with CIF and component teams to ensure applicant questions are addressed and that the administrative review and evaluation scoring templates are updated as needed.
• Monitor, track and sort grant applications on a weekly basis in line with Hinga Wunguke filing systems, including updating the applicant tracker.
• Coordinate closely with the Partnership and Investment Manager to update and maintain the CIF grants tracker on a weekly basis.
• Conduct thorough pre-award assessments of potential partners and all required due diligence.
• Support the grantee preparation, planning, kick-off, review, and monitoring meetings as requested.
• Collaborate with the Finance team to ensure proper financial management and reporting in line with USAID regulations.
• Maintain comprehensive grant pipeline and associated trackers records, tracking disbursements, modifications, and any other relevant information.
• Ensure grant files are maintained and ensure they are always up-to-date and ready for audit.
• Use Hinga Wunguke CIF Manual, Procurement manual and CNFA templates as tools to ensure compliance.
• Assist in implementing internal compliance procedures and controls to mitigate risks and ensure accountability.
• Support external audits and evaluations, providing necessary documentation and information as required.
• Other tasks at the request of the Partnership and Investment Director or their designee.

Qualifications

The required qualifications of the CIF Officer include, but are not limited to:

• University degree in accounting, business, finance, public administration, agricultural economics or a related field.
• Minimum of one year of grants or financial investment administration experience.
• At least four years progressive work experience for donor-funded project(s) or to support deployment of financial and technical resources for private sector actors related agricultural investment, private sector investment, agri-food enterprises, business development and/or access to finance.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze financial performance, negotiate budgets, compile financial vouchers, and review expense reports.
• Administrative experience   with   NGOs (non-governmental   organizations) and   NGO procedures preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting grants or investment facilitation administration (e.g., supporting the development of calls for proposals, solicitations, supporting applicants complete grant applications, participating in the review, evaluation and selection of grant applications, supporting implementation and close-out).
• Experience administering grants funds with cost-share requirements is desired.
• Organized team player, with pro-active and flexible work style.
• Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining quality of deliverables within deadlines.
• Strong computer skills especially in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and experience in using financial management software.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills in English are required: Fluent Kinyarwanda required; French skills are considered an asset.
• Must be flexible, reliable, responsive, resourceful, and have immense attention to detail.

Place of Performance

The location of duty performance is primarily in Kigali, with occasional field work in the Hinga Wunguke Zone of Influence.

Application Instructions

All interested and qualified Candidate can send their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates, and references) documents to: [email protected]  not later than 9 October 2023 at 6:00 PM.  Please quote the job title in the subject and title your CV file with YOUR NAME, POSITION APPLIED.  Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.