Innovative Finance Consultancy – IRC jobs in Kenya

• Location: Nairobi, Kenya
• Vacancy No: N/A 
• Salary: N/A
• Organization: IRC
• Gender: Both
• Deadline: 2024-03-15
  

INTRODUCTION

About the IRC

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive, rebuild, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, today we operate in 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, IRC assists people from harm to home. Since 1992, the IRC has provided life-saving services to refugees and vulnerable local communities in Kenya. Currently, the IRC works in two refugee camps, Dadaab and Kakuma, in northern Kenya, and serves vulnerable local populations in the Turkana, Garissa, West Pokot, Samburu, Kajiado and Nairobi. In Kenya, the IRC implements programs in the areas of integrated primary health care (including nutrition and HIV/AIDS); economic recovery and livelihoods; protection rule of law; and women’s protection and empowerment.  

About the IRC Airbel Impact Lab

The Airbel Impact Lab is IRC’s Research and Innovation team: an interdisciplinary team, with designers, strategists, finance experts, economists, behavioral scientists, and researchers all working together on critical problems. IRC’s Innovative Finance work was incubated within Airbel and is now operational with six pilots in two country programs and scoping five more. Given a high feasibility for these projects in Kenya/East Africa, the Kenya Country Program is looking to bring on a consultant to support its work in innovative finance.

Purpose of the Consultancy

Working under the supervision and guidance of the Deputy Director – Programs (Kenya) the consultant will be responsible for the development and implementation of innovative projects to drive new sources of funding, financing, and investment to achieve humanitarian and development objectives of both state and non-state actors as envisioned in IRC Kenya strategy. The consultant also plays a critical role in governance related programming embedded in service delivery, advocacy as well as awareness raising. The consultant will support the management of an advisory model pilot in Kenya, an innovative approach to impact investing that brings together investors from the development and private sector, with experts from the humanitarian sector. Working with a wide variety of stakeholders across multiple time zones and technical capabilities, the IF specialist will coordinate the country’s investment project pipeline, manage various subprojects and communications, and as needed support the development of impact investment measurement and risk management framework. This is a cutting-edge approach to blended finance investing for communities affected by conflict and crisis designed to drive more capital to where it is needed the most.

TASKS TO BE PERFORMED

Support the development and implementation of innovative finance strategies and an investment pipeline:

• Leveraging evidence and learning generated from the initial IF pilots, you will leverage your work experience and skills in finance and investment management to source a robust pipeline of potential impact investing transactions, as well as partnerships.
• Conducting comprehensive research and analysis to identify innovative finance opportunities, assessing the feasibility and potential impact of innovative finance initiatives.
• Leading negotiations with potential investors and donor / philanthropist partners to secure funding for humanitarian and IRC objectives
• Manage government relations as relevant and related to investment projects, such as Ministry coordination on shared priorities.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant financial regulations, policies, and reporting requirements.
• Researching financial law changes and economic trends and presenting analysis on financial markets.

Innovative Financial Modeling.

• Structure and review innovative finance mechanisms for their relevance to Kenya CP, such as social impact bonds, outcome-based financing, or blended finance instruments; regularly present updates internally as related to project scoping and externally to find new investment projects.
• Research new financial concepts and brainstorm on how to apply these to the Innovative Finance work. This includes reviewing quantitative data in Innovative Finance projects, giving enhanced inputs to add value.
• Use expertise in blended finance to educate and create awareness among internal colleagues and external stakeholders about applying such mechanisms in existing and prospective projects.
• Deliver monthly/biweekly reports as needed such as:  country macro- economic reports and sector focused analysis reports.  Scope, review, and report on new and updated blended finance articles and publications.

Partnership, representation, and strategic engagement for innovative finance mechanisms in Kenya.

• Establishing and maintaining productive relationships with financial institutions, Ministry of Finance, impact investors, philanthropic organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain regular communication with the stakeholders of current pipeline investments, brainstorming on diverse ways humanitarians and investors can work together, and connecting external and internal stakeholders to our current networks.
• Use your knowledge and experience working in the Kenya financial services sector to support stakeholder mapping, outreach, meetings, and engagement.
• Support the Kenya Country Program (CP) with outreach to stakeholders through financial analysis and risk mapping, where you will conduct frequent macroeconomic analysis to gauge the state of the country’s debt profile to prepare the CP before engaging with the different stakeholders.
• Actively participating in relevant conferences, workshops, and forums to promote IRC innovative finance agenda.

Support research projects with an innovative finance lens.

• Use your research and analysis expertise to design innovative finance projects that add value to IRC Kenya priorities.
• Take the initiative to network, track conversations, and deliver solutions internally to the country management and technical team.

Qualifications

• A master’s degree with at least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in finance, investment, public finance management and policy. Experience in innovative finance, impact investing, or venture capital.
• 5 years of experience in conducting strategic planning, project management, impact investing, leading on qualitative and quantitative analysis to inform decision-making, and executing on plans. 
• Working knowledge of public finance and infrastructure investment, including related financial modeling.
• Must demonstrate experience in structuring and closing complex financial transactions.
• Experience in developing and managing partnerships with financial institutions, investors, government stakeholders, and philanthropic organizations.
• Knowledge of global financial markets, trends, and emerging financing instruments.
• Experience in the field of international development, humanitarian assistance, or related sectors is desirable.

Preferred Requirements

• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence diverse stakeholders.
• Great at solving complex problems, bringing together quantitative modeling and qualitative analysis, and can distill data into actionable insights. 
• Ability to engage and align an interdisciplinary team, communicate with senior leaders, and facilitate a group to make effective decisions. 
• Excel in a distributed, multicultural, fast paced environment.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

Consultancy Venue

The consultancy will be carried out in Nairobi, Kenya and stationed at IRC Kenya country office.

Duration of Consultancy.

The consultancy period is expected to last for 9 months. The starting date is upon contract signature.

Deadline for Application.

Application for this role should be submitted no later than 15^th March 2024.

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