Financial Inclusion Advisor

Professional Alliance for Development (PADet) is an indigenous, not-for-profit; a nongovernmental humanitarian organization established in 1998. It has been serving disadvantaged and marginalized segments of the community especially youth, women children in the areas of Reproductive Health HIV/AIDs Prevention and Care, Child Protection, Women Development and Livelihood &Food Securities for the last 25 years.

Project Background

PADet, as a consortium partner in a program led by SNV and funded by Mastercard Foundation will be implementing an anticipated flagship program focused on enabling 112,000 Rural young women (RYW) to access dignified and fulfilling jobs in Eastern Amhara regions. The program will target high-potential agricultural value chains (e.g., horticulture, poultry, dairy), using a market systems development approach. So PADet needs to recruit qualified and competent candidates in the following job opportunities.

Job title: Financial Inclusion Advisor

Grade level: IX

Location: Field office/Dessie

Report to: Cluster Coordinator

Number of staff required: 1

Job summary:

The position holder is responsible for leading the implementation of the financial inclusion component of the program within the cluster, with special focus on increasing access to financial services for rural young women, persons with disabilities, and returnees. The role facilitates the establishment and strengthening of Youth Saving and Lending Associations (YSLAs), builds institutional linkages with MFIs, SACCOs, and banks, and promotes market-oriented financial products tailored to youth startups and MSEs. The role also facilitates the integration of financial literacy and digital solutions. The advisor builds the capacity of cluster technical teams, financial service providers, and youth, monitors progress on key indicators, document lessons learned and represents the program in local platforms to influence practices and policies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Facilitate the rollout of the program’s youth financial inclusion strategy within the cluster, ensuring interventions prioritize rural young women, Persons with Disabilities, and returnees.
• Conduct localized reviews and rapid assessments to identify root causes of low financial access for target groups and propose tailored solutions.
• Lead the establishment and strengthening of YSLAs, ensuring proper financial literacy, governance, and record-keeping practices are in place.
• Work closely with MFIs, SACCOs, RuSACCOs, and banks to build sustainable institutional linkages that facilitate access to appropriate financial services for youth groups and individual entrepreneurs.
• Collaborate with financial institutions to support the development or adaptation of market-oriented financial products that address the needs of young women, startups, and growing MSEs along priority value chains.
• Identify and promote partnerships with digital technology service providers to introduce solutions such as mobile banking, digital savings, and digital record-keeping among youth groups.
• Build the capacity of cluster technical teams and field staff on YSLA methodologies, financial linkages, and the facilitation of youth access to financial services.
• Identify capacity gaps among local financial service providers (MFIs, SACCOs, banks) and design practical training or support to enhance youth-inclusive financial service delivery.
• Design and execute cluster-level monitoring systems to capture data on YSLAs, linkage outcomes, and the broader financial inclusion component.
• Regularly collect, validate, and analyze data in collaboration with MEAL staff to track progress, inform decision-making, and adjust implementation approaches.
• Document and share lessons learned, success stories, and challenges with cluster and national teams, as well as with local stakeholders.
• Provide technical supervision and coaching to cluster-level staff involved in financial inclusion activities.
• Ensure that financial inclusion interventions are well-integrated with other program components such as skills, enterprise development, and safeguarding.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to verify implementation quality and gather insights for improvement.
• Contribute to the preparation of cluster-level monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports by providing data and narrative updates on financial inclusion interventions.
• Represent PADet and the project in local financial inclusion platforms, workshops, or forums to share results and lessons, helping to shape local financial inclusion policies and practices.
• Ensure all activities align with project guidelines, gender and safeguarding principles, and donor requirements.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master/Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Cooperative Development, or related fields.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant experience in microfinance, rural finance, or youth/women financial inclusion, with practical knowledge of informal (YSLA/VSLA) and formal financial systems.
• Experience working with MFIs, SACCOs, and banks to develop or promote youth-inclusive financial products.
• Understanding of Ethiopia’s financial sector landscape and familiarity with digital financial services.
• Experience facilitating capacity building for local financial institutions and field-level staff.
• Strong skills in partnership management and stakeholder engagement.
• Willingness to travel frequently within the cluster to field sites.
• Proficiency in English
• Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply

Personal Competency:

• Willingness to work extra working hours and weekends with staff.
• Highly motivated, self-managed and Strategic oriented.
• High level commitment to achieve project goal and Objectives.
• Able to work with minimum supervision.
• Ability to prepare and submit quality reports timely.