Partnership Associate

Market Solutions Practice (MSP)

MSP corrects market failures by deploying Kifiya’s four core infrastructures—intelligent data & decisioning, intelligent financial services, digital agriculture, and smart mobility—to enable MSMEs, smallholder farmers, and low-to-middle-income individuals to access finance and markets. Our work drives job creation, social inclusion, and economic empowerment, making us a partner of choice for impact funders.

Program Overview: SAFEE Shared Facility

Under the Sustainable Access to Finance to Enable Entrepreneurship (SAFEE) program (a Kifiya–Mastercard Foundation partnership), the Shared Facility provides digital infrastructure and data-management tools to our Foundation partners. By unlocking $1.2 billion in liquidity through a 1:3 leverage model and declining guarantees, SAFEE empowers 477,861 youth‑ and women‑led MSMEs across Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Digital Entrepreneurship.

Position Summary

Kifiya is seeking a passionate and driven Partnership Associate to spearhead the development and management of strategic partnerships focused on expanding financial inclusion for vulnerable populations, specifically refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and people with disabilities (PWDs). This role will be instrumental in identifying, cultivating, and nurturing relationships with various partners, including NGOs, humanitarian organizations, community-based organizations (CBOs), government agencies, donors, and financial institutions, to facilitate customer sourcing, onboarding, financial literacy training, and seamless linkage to Kifiya’s digital financial services.

Key Responsibilities

1. Partnership Strategy & Development

• Perform in-depth research to map organizations and initiatives serving refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Ethiopia (and potential expansion areas). Identify their specific financial needs, barriers, and existing support ecosystems.
• Actively engage with key stakeholders within chosen organizations. Build and maintain trust-based relationships through forums, workshops, and industry events on behalf of Kifiya.
• Work cross-functionally with Product, Technology, Legal, and Finance teams to craft partnership proposals that clearly outline mutual value, operational structures, and anticipated impact.
• Lead negotiations for MoUs, services agreements, SLAs, and other formal contracts, ensuring these align with Kifiya’s objectives and regulatory standards.

2. Customer Sourcing & Onboarding Linkage

• Develop referral systems with partners to identify and connect eligible refugees, IDPs, and PWDs to Kifiya’s financial products (e.g. digital credit, payments, micro‑insurance).
• Collaborate with Product and Technology teams to ensure the onboarding journey caters to users with low literacy, limited digital experience, or physical disabilities.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to implement alternative KYC methods and documentation that accommodate beneficiaries without standard IDs, while maintaining regulatory compliance.

3. Linking for Training & Capacity Building

• Support the development of customized training materials addressing the unique needs of refugees, IDPs, and PWDs, often in cooperation with partner organizations.
• Support the provision of hands-on sessions and ongoing guidance to both partners and end-users for effective use of Kifiya’s platforms and financial products.

4. Linkage to Financial Institutions (FIs)

• Engage and strengthen relationships with commercial banks, microfinance institutions, and other FIs to expand access to inclusive financial products.
• Collaborate with data and credit-scoring teams to demonstrate the creditworthiness of vulnerable groups, helping partner financial institutions mitigate perceived risks.
• Promote greater inclusion of refugees, IDPs, and PWDs within the financial sector, highlighting their potential as creditworthy customers.

5. Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

• With the MEL team, design and deploy monitoring frameworks to assess reach, outcomes, and impact—particularly in financial inclusion metrics.
• Collect, validate, and report timely data from partners on client referrals, onboarding rates, training attendance, and usage of financial services. Produce periodic summaries for internal teams and external stakeholders, including donors.
• Analyze results and glean insights to identify best practices. Recommend strategic and operational adjustments to optimize impact and efficiency.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, International Development, Social Sciences, Finance, or a related field. Master’s degree prefers Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in partnership management, business development, program coordination, or a similar role, with a strong focus on inclusive finance or humanitarian/development work.
• Proven track record of successfully forging and managing partnerships with NGOs, UN agencies, community organizations, and/or financial institutions.
• Experience working directly with or on behalf of refugees, IDPs, and/or persons with disabilities is highly desirable.
• Experience in the fintech or financial services sector is a significant advantage.

Technical & AI Skills

• Preferably experienced in advanced data analysis (SQL, Excel, BI tools) to interpret AI‑driven insights and support decision‑making.
• Proficient in leveraging AI/ML‑powered platforms for reporting, monitoring, and partner performance forecasting.
• Familiarity with digital partnership tools (CRM/PRM) and automated data‑integration workflows.
• Solid understanding of blended finance mechanisms and digital lending ecosystems.

Analytical & Data Skills

• Advanced capability to translate quantitative findings into strategic recommendations for diverse stakeholders.
• Comfortable using BI tools and data visualization to communicate AI‑driven insights.

Behavioral Competencies

• Team player, Strategic thinker with strong execution focus.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Collaborative leadership style, with a passion for innovation and financial inclusion.