April 18 2023
Bangladesh

Background:

Nathan, a Cadmus Company, is a leading provider of analytic and economic consultancy services worldwide. In the past decade, we have implemented more than 120 projects in more than 50 countries leveraging our global presence in Washington DC, London, and India. From improved transparency and deeper stakeholder engagement to more effective policies and more resilient businesses, we deliver results that impact economic growth, human development, and poverty reduction. We are passionate about applying our deep analytical expertise and advanced proprietary tools to generate economic solutions tailored to our clients’ unique challenges. Nathan focuses on a range of economic development subject matter areas including Trade & Logistics; Economic Policy & Governance; Private Sector Development; Women’s Economic Empowerment; and Financial Solutions.

Job Description:

This project in Bangladesh is intended to incentivize financial institutions and non-traditional lenders to provide loans and other forms of financing to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in the agricultural sector, using blended finance and other access to finance solutions. The project will target various priority populations and sectors, including women-owned agribusinesses, first-time borrowers, borrowers who lack immovable property as collateral, youth, minority and indigenous populations, and climate-smart agriculture. The procuring agency is also interested in piloting rural finance initiatives to strengthen farmer resilience.

KEY RESPOSIBILITIES:

·Identify, recommend, and implement opportunities for finance, investment, market information, and access for agricultural MSMEs through appropriate and innovative financial services, such as mobile banking and crop insurance programs. The objective is to increase availability of financial tools and use of these tools by MSMEs, particularly in the agricultural sector;

·Design and lead activities concerning delivery of technical assistance to MSMEs to further develop their capability to access finance;

·Manage access to finance and financial sector partners, including local banks and microfinance institutions;

·Conduct outreach to relevant financial institutions in Bangladesh;

·Collaborate effectively with Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party, Agriculture Expert, and all other project staff; and

Assist with other project activities as needed.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience providing technical assistance to enable the private sector to access finance, including through capacity building and connecting business with investment opportunities;
• Master’s degree or higher in business administration, finance, economics, law, public policy, social sciences or a related field. At least 12 years of experience may be substituted for a Master’s degree if the candidate possesses solely a Bachelor-level degree;
• Experience with access to finance for rural and agricultural MSMEs;
• Experience designing and/or applying innovative financial tools and products;
• Regulatory and policy experience for financial tools and access to finance;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; and
• Fluency in English.

Desired

• Prior exposure to donor-funded development programs;
• Experience developing blended finance funds;
• Experience developing crop insurance programs for rural MSMEs;
• An understanding of Bangladesh’s financial ecosystem and existing financial products and services for MSMEs;
• Experience working with minority, youth, or women-owned MSMEs;
• Experience working with financial institutions, including local microfinance organizations, in Bangladesh; and
• Ability to speak and understand Bengali in a professional capacity.

Nathan is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Nathan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. EOE Minorities/Females/Disabled/Veterans. Candidates that need to request reasonable accommodations during the application process should communicate their request to . For more information on Nathan's policies, candidates are encouraged to review our EEOC Policies for Applicants.