SME Finance Specialist

Job Description

SME Finance Specialist

About the Assignment: IESC is recruiting for an experienced Jordanian or Jordanian American Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Financial Services Specialist for the anticipated USAID Jordan Competitiveness Program. IESC is a subcontractor, responsible for the Access to Finance component of the program, to a large prime contractor that is submitting a proposal to USAID Jordan. The Jordan Competitiveness Program (JCP), a two-year base period and three one-year options Program aims to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness, promote sustainable economic growth, and increase employment. USAID/Jordan expects that the program will result in:

• A Jordanian business enabling environment that is supportive of business development, growth, investment and innovation;
• Improved Jordanian workforce skills that are necessary to competitively support growth and innovation in the clusters targeted by this program;
• Measureable increases in the competitiveness of the targeted clusters which will include but not be limited to Information and Communication Technology (ICT), clean technologies and health sciences/medical services; and
• Increased access to finance for Jordanian businesses and entrepreneurs.

If IESC’s Team is awarded this contract, the SME Finance Specialist will serve as IESC’s full-time employee responsible for SME financing under the Access to Finance Component of the program. The SME Finance Specialist will undertake the following activities:

• Support the increased capacity of start-ups and SMEs to produce the financial documents and business plans required to attract lending and equity investments.
• Broker public-private partnerships to ensure that SMEs and start-ups are able to meet the requirements of potential lenders and investors.
• Support the creation of innovative support centers that will provide seed funding, financial training and business advisory services for a broad spectrum of start-ups and SMEs in Jordan.
• Deliver services in a way that is inclusive, sustainable and that supports increased industry-wide competitiveness.

Deliverable: Innovative public-private partnerships and business support centers that result in the increased ability of start-ups and SMEs to prepare business plans and financial information in a way that attracts lenders and equity investors.

Duration of Assignment: The assignment is expected to begin in the second half of 2012 and last for up to five years. The proposal to USAID is due February 12, 2012.

Location of work: The project office will likely be in Amman, Jordan. The SME Finance Specialist will report to the Amman-based Access to Finance Component Lead on a day to day basis.

About IESC: IESC is a Washington, DC based not for profit international economic development organization that has been promoting stability and prosperity through private enterprise development for nearly 50 years. We design, implement, manage and evaluate economic growth programs under contracts and cooperative agreements with organizations like the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of State as well as for private companies and foreign governments. IESC has a long history inJordan, including serving as the prime implementer of the USAID Jordan funded Jordan US Business Partnership Program.

Experience and Qualifications for the SME Finance Specialist:

• Master’s degree or higher in the financial services field and at least 5 years of relevant experience or a BA/BS in related field with 7 years of experience.
• Relevant experience in providing targeted financing to SMEs.
• Strong writing and oral presentation skills.
• Excellent English is mandatory and Arabic desirable.
• Experience in promoting access to finance for youth and women is desirable.

Compensation: If the IESC team is awarded this contract by USAID, the selected SME Finance Specialist will be hired as an IESC employee at a salary level negotiated with IESC prior to proposal submission. The salary level for the assignment will be based upon the selected applicant’s salary history.

How to Apply: Please submit a detailed resume and a brief message summarizing your interest and qualifications jobs@iesc.org with “Jordan SME Finance Specialist” in the subject line.

Only finalists will be contacted.

No phone calls please.

IESC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.