Head of Investment - Ethiopia

About the Company

Inkomoko supports entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in order to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and help communities thrive.

Founded in 2012, Inkomoko has worked with more than 60,000 entrepreneurs across East Africa, including thousands of refugee entrepreneurs. Inkomoko provides a combination of training, consulting, access to finance, and market-level systems change. We are the largest lender to refugee entrepreneurs in Africa.

Inkomoko has +380 staff in 30 offices across Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Through Inkomokos 2030 strategic plan, we are adding 4 additional countries to improve the lives of more than 7.6M people by serving more than 550,000 entrepreneurs and investing $150M into refugee & host communities across Africa.

Company Values

All staff at Inkomoko are connected to a shared set of organizational values:

• Purpose:be solutions-oriented, produce high-quality work, be a global leader.
• Achievement:push yourself to reach beyond what you previously thought possible.
• Improvement:be humble, engage in continuous growth through open & accurate feedback.
• Bravery:willing to take risks, create a safe space for others, be compassionate, inclusive.
• We Eat Goat:we celebrate success and support each other in hard times.

Inkomoko is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Refugees, women, and persons who reflect the diverse communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the Opportunity

This is a new position for Inkomoko, with the opportunity for driving our lending strategies, managing portfolios, and contributing to the overall growth and success of the organization. You will lead a team of Lending professionals, collaborate with various departments, and provide strategic insights to optimize our Lending opportunities in the Ethiopian market.

Responsibilities

Specifically, the position responsibilities include:

• Lending Strategy Development:Formulate, communicate, and execute Lending strategies aligned with the organization's objectives and risk tolerance. Identify market trends, opportunities, and potential risks to drive informed Lending decisions.
• Team Leadership:Provide strong leadership to the Lending team, fostering a collaborative and results-oriented environment. Set performance expectations, provide coaching and mentorship, and ensure professional growth of team members.
• Risk Management:Develop and implement risk management strategies to mitigate potential losses. Work closely with the risk management team to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.
• Client Relations:Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, understanding their Lending preferences and long-term financial goals. Provide transparent communication and updates on portfolio performance.
• Performance Reporting:Prepare regular Lending performance reports and present them to senior management, clients, and stakeholders. Use data-driven insights to illustrate the effectiveness of Lending strategies.
• Financial Forecasting:Collaborate with finance and accounting teams to develop financial models, forecasts, and projections related to Lending activities. Ensure accurate budgeting and resource allocation.
• Compliance and Ethics:Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical standards in all Lending activities. Uphold the highest level of integrity and professionalism in all interactions.

Expansion & External Relations

• In consultation with the Regional Portfolio Director, develop the refugee program and SMEs lending expansion strategies in Ethiopia.
• Setting up Ethiopia lending training and coaching all lending teams while maintaining a health portfolio in Ethiopia.
• Implement refugee lending expansion in Ethiopia and work in deep collaboration with Ethiopias Managing Director.
• Support government relations, legal registration, and compliance with local lending regulation;
• Lead all Inkomoko Ethiopia lending staff across the locations, setting Goals, performance reviews, and maintaining strong oversight to produce deliverables for various stakeholders.
• Plan and manage the budget, staffing, and other resources to effectively deliver lending program outcomes in Ethiopia.
• Ensure lending in Ethiopia programs comply with applicable donors and local laws and central bank of Ethiopia (CBE) regulation.
• Represent Inkomoko at relevant external meetings, including taking initiative to identify opportunities for outreach, collaboration, and partnerships that can support and accelerate Inkomoko growth.
• Communicate effectively with donors and other stakeholders to ensure relationships are developed and maintained that promote program and organizational success.
• Regular travel to country offices and other events required by the Regional Portfolio Director.

Portfolio Management

• Offer excellent customer service through daily conversations, correspondence, and site visits as needed to maintain strong positive relationships with borrowers.
• Work with the Business Development Services team to ensure borrower success, and Visit clients for monitoring.
• Track information about borrowers and communicate effectively with key stakeholders about client status.
• Actively participate as key staff in the weekly Portfolio Review Meeting.
• Maintain a tracking system of borrower payments and contact information.
• Interact with government leaders, the court system, refugee has and host communities stakeholders and others for follow up on lack of payments.
• Ensure that all lending staff in Ethiopia are adhering to the requirements of our Kiva partnership, including reporting and journaling.
• Active monitoring of loan repayments and overall performance.
• Loan assessment, appraisal, and disbursement.
• Chairing credit/facility committees under the Head of investments approval rights,
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.