Independent Contractor – Credit Officer DRC

This is a call for applications for independent contracting on a periodic basis.  This is not a call for an open position of employment with Root Capital.

Organizational Background

 Agriculture is the key to unlocking a better future for billions of people. But while rural families sustain the world, they struggle to sustain themselves. Root Capital is a nonprofit social impact investor that puts its money where others don’t – in underserved agricultural businesses.

We provide financing and business training to agricultural enterprises in the “missing middle” – those that are too big for microloans but too small for commercial lenders. As these agricultural businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact that help farming families, communities, and economies to flourish.

Founded in 1999, we are the largest social investor in agricultural businesses. As both a lender and a nonprofit, our unique model allows us to go where other financiers don’t and support agricultural enterprises so they can succeed and grow. Our world-class team of experts identifies, partners with, and invests in exceptional agricultural entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Over 23 years, Root Capital has invested $1.9 billion in more than 750 agricultural enterprises, proving these under-served businesses are bankable and investable. We have shown that access to finance helps these enterprises succeed and fuels the economy. Root Capital’s investments and essential business and finance training have impacted 10 million farming families through job creation, financial security, and climate resiliency. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we currently have offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

Proud winner of the 2024 SCA Sustainability Award for Non-Profits. Learn more here.

About our Lending Team

The Lending team provides:

• Financing (credit) to small and growing businesses to accelerate their growth and strengthen their development sustainability.
• Training to Agri-SMEs across all stages of business growth to enhance their lending readiness and improve their access to finance even from external actors.
• Building the foundational business management skills from which enterprises can grow, reduce their risk for lenders, and incorporate more sustainable and impactful business strategies and models, including digitally enabled business analysis and climate mitigation planning through our Advisory Team.

In DRC, we support coffee and cocoa cooperatives, private companies, and social enterprises sourcing from farmers in North and South Kivu (Eastern part).

Position Overview

The Credit Officer supports the growth and quality of the credit portfolio by collaborating with the Portfolio Manager in gathering and verifying information during due diligence of potential loans from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) domiciled in the rural areas. The role also includes monitoring of outstanding loans and following up on non-performing loans.

Main Consultancy Deliverables

In close coordination with the Portfolio Manager, Credit Analyst and the Head of Risk, Africa perform the following:

Due Diligence and Credit Risk Management (20%):

• Support the execution of “due diligence” of businesses in the loan application process, to ensure well-informed decision-making and mitigation of the risks identified.
• Support the Portfolio Manager to collect, verify and analyze information for potential or actual credits in priority areas, mainly in sustainable agriculture.
• Deliver additional reports, regarding operations as required by Portfolio Manager.
• Collaborate with designated team members in the organization to negotiate the loan structure and legally draft the loan documents.
• Support the collection of KYC documentations as required from time to time.

Loan Performance Monitoring (80%):

• Maintain necessary relations with the client and continuously monitor the activities of the approved credits, according to the procedures established by Root Capital.
• Collaborate with the Portfolio Manager to review and update the identified risks during the analysis of the credit proposal as well as the duration of the loan upon disbursement.
• Collect and analyze periodic monitoring reports from designated clients and discuss with the Portfolio Manager.
• Ensure client covenant compliance in line with loan agreement/approved terms and conditions.
• Communicate to the Portfolio Manager and the borrowers on their portfolio performance monthly.
• Follow-through on at-risk loans including workout .
• Ensure compliance of company processes with the locally and globally set policies and standards.
• Perform any other relevant duties as may be assigned at any point in time.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Business Management/Economics/Project Management/ Agribusiness Management/Agricultural Economics/Finance, or related field.
• 3-5 years of proven experience in project management, financial analysis, and credit underwriting.
• Ability to work with diverse and multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent time management, demonstration of organizational skills and high attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Ability to work under pressure, establish and maintain deadlines, as well as coordinate with multiple people across the organization.
• Strong experience with Google Drive, Microsoft Word and Excel is necessary.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) in English and, proficiency in French is beneficial but not required
• Proactive and service-oriented attitude.
• Strong interest in the field of rural development, social impact investing and Root Capital’s mission of growing prosperity in rural communities in DRC.
• Flexible to travel within rural areas of DRC.
• Authorized to work in DRC.

Duration

 The independent consulting contract will be for a duration of not more than 12 months, dependent upon the needs of Root Capital and the unique professional skills of the applicant. Each month it takes an average of 8- 15 days to complete assignments and deliverables work, with 15 being the maximum number of consulting days per month.

 Application Instructions

• If interested in the role, please submit a curriculum vitae/ resume and compelling cover letter to lendingrecruitments@rootcapital.org
• The subject of your email should follow this convention: “CO – Country Name – Applicant First Name and Last Name”.
• Applications to be submitted in English
• The cover letter should explain why you are a fit for Root Capital, your experience working with Agri-small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and your expertise in working in Coffee and Cocoa value chains.
• Inquiries that do not follow this convention will not be reviewed.

 Application Process

• 1^st Stage: Review of Resume/CV and Cover Letter
• 2^nd Stage: First Interview
• 3^rd Stage: Technical Assessment
• 4^th Stage: Final

Application Deadline: September 30th, 2024

Root Capital offers equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees, consultants and/or collaborative opportunity applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military status or veteran, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, identity gender, gender expression, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that respects our leadership principles: empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.