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Last checked: 1 day ago
Closing date: TBD
Country: Congo
Duty station: Kinshasa, Congo
Contract type: Full-Time
Grade: Not specified
Applicant eligibility: Not explicit in source
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Team Leader – SCAFIN (Scaling Climate-Smart Agribusiness Finance)- DRC
Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible.
In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.
Mercy Corps is present in the DRC since August 2007 with a current workforce of more than 300 national and expatriate employees and operational presence in Goma and Beni (North Kivu Province), in Bunia (Ituri Province), in Tshikapa, Kalonda West and Ndjoko Punda (Kasai Province), and representation in the capital city, Kinshasa. As a leading NGO in DRC working with more than 40 partners in 2024, Mercy Corps reached 2.12 million people in North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Kasai with integrated programs that ensured equitable access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in humanitarian and development settings; supported a comprehensive, rapid response to ongoing humanitarian needs; promoted economic and livelihood development to strengthen food security and resilience, including through improved financial inclusion; as well as institutional capacity strengthening and social cohesion to foster peace and good governance.
Green Growth Programme Component 3: Scaling Finance for Established Agri-businesses in the Democratic Republic of Congo forms part of FCDO’s Green Growth Programme (GGP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This component aims to increase access to finance for climate-smart agribusinesses, catalysing private investment and promoting sustainable economic growth. The programme will work with financial institutions, impact funds, and agribusinesses to expand the use of innovative financial products, improve access to finance for DRC firms, and incentivise lenders and investors to support green activities such as the uptake of resilient seeds, irrigation systems, and solar technologies. Through a combination of technical assistance and catalytic grants and guarantees the programme will mobilise additional private capital including debt and equity financing, strengthen financial markets, and build the resilience and productivity of DRC’s agricultural sector. This component forms part of FCDO’s broader efforts to promote low-carbon, climate-resilient development and deliver measurable results under the UK’s International Climate Finance (ICF) commitments.
STRATEGY & VISION
● Lead the articulation and delivery of a clear strategic vision for Component 3, aligned with the overall programme’s objectives and Theory of Change.
● Ensure a shared understanding of this vision among the programme team, delivery partners, and FCDO.
● Drive innovation by identifying new opportunities, partnerships, and approaches that enhance inclusive finance for agribusinesses, SMEs, and rural enterprises.
● Provide strategic thought leadership on financial inclusion, blended finance, and private sector engagement within the DRC agribusiness context.
PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
● Oversee high-quality, timely, and compliant implementation of Component 3, ensuring alignment with the programme’s strategic and operational plans.
● Translate strategy into actionable annual workplans and budgets, in collaboration with the Deputy Team Leader (DTL), MEL Manager, and delivery partners.
● Ensure programme agility and adaptive management - integrating emerging evidence, market realities, and lessons learned into ongoing delivery.
● Work closely with the delivery partner on their outcome areas, providing strategic oversight, technical input, and coordination to maximise technical quality.
● Oversee partnership creation and management with financial institutions partners to ensure successful implementation and achievement of targets
● Oversee the establishment and management of loan guarantees and other blended financing mechanisms as required to facilitate the provision of financing to target businesses
● Lead external coordination with Components 1 and 2 implementing partners, to ensure coherence, cross-learning, and integrated delivery that strengthens DRC’s agricultural finance ecosystem.
● Ensure that interventions are market-driven, inclusive, gender-responsive, and compliant with “Do No Harm” and environmental and social standards.
● Guarantee effective targeting and engagement through transparent criteria, ensuring that interventions reach underserved agribusinesses in key value chains.
● Ensure operational excellence and compliance with programme management standards, including working with the MEL Manager to ensure robust M&E systems for tracking impact and outcomes.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
● Provide strong leadership and mentoring to the DTL, MEL Manager, and wider Component 3 team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and performance.
● Support team capacity strengthening, ensuring staff and partners can design and implement the financial products and catalytic mechanisms in an inclusive, gender response and adaptive manner
● Promote a learning culture - encouraging continuous reflection and evidence-based decision-making across the programme team.
● Lead structured performance management, including regular check-ins, reviews, and professional development planning.
● Build a cohesive and motivated team environment that reflects Mercy Corps’ values of integrity, innovation, and impact.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
● Ensure full compliance with FCDO and Mercy Corps regulations, contractual obligations, and financial management standards.
● Maintain effective systems for financial planning, forecasting, and reporting to ensure transparent and accountable use of resources.
● Monitor budget execution closely, identifying and addressing variances early to maintain delivery within time, scope, and budget.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
● Serve as the primary point of contact for FCDO on all matters related to Component 3, ensuring effective communication, transparency, and trust.
● Represent the programme in coordination fora (particularly with implementing partners of Components 2 and 3), technical working groups, and with government counterparts, financial sector actors, and other donors.
● Foster alignment and complementarity with related donor and government initiatives on agribusiness finance, rural development, and SME support.
● Collaborate with the MEL Manager to synthesise and share insights, evidence, and analytical products with FCDO and wider stakeholders to influence policy and practice.
SECURITY
● Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
● Ensure all programme activities are designed and implemented with a robust understanding of the operating environment and associated risks.
ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING
● Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement across the programme team and partners, ensuring that lessons learned from programme implementation inform future design, scale-up, and external engagement.
● Contribute to Mercy Corps’ wider learning agenda by documenting and sharing experiences from the DRC access-to-finance context.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
● Ensure that programme design and delivery uphold Mercy Corps’ standards on accountability to participants and communities.
● Strengthen mechanisms for feedback and inclusion, ensuring that beneficiaries - particularly women, youth, and marginalised groups - inform programme decisions.
GGP Component 3 Programme Team.
Reports Directly To: DRC Director of Programmes
Works Directly With: Country Director, Other DRC Directors and Deputy Directors, DRC finance and operations teams, HQ Regional Programme Team, HQ Technical Support, Evidence, and Program Quality
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
● Advanced degree (MA/MSc or equivalent) in finance, economics, business administration, development economics, or a related field relevant to sustainable finance, investment, or private-sector development.
● Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in financial sector development, blended and catalytic finance, impact investment, or agribusiness finance, including experience structuring or managing innovative financial products or facilities in emerging markets.
● Experience of working with financial institutions (e.g. banks and Microfinance Institutions) and other investors (e.g. impact funds, family offices, DFIs, institutional investors) to provide inclusive finance to underserved markets and customers
● Demonstrated understanding and experience of designing and implementing blended finance instruments (e.g. guarantees, debt instruments, grants and technical assistance) to mobilise commercial financing to the agricultural sector, for example for investment in climate smart technologies and practices.
● At least five years in a senior leadership or advisory role overseeing complex, multi-stakeholder programmes of comparable size and scope (approx. GBP 5-10 million), ideally involving investment facilitation, green finance, or private sector partnerships.
● Proven strategic leadership experience, with the ability to shape programme direction, influence stakeholders, and build strong relationships with financial institutions, investors, DFIs, and government partners.
● Extensive networks within the African financial sector, including relationships with banks, DFIs, and impact investors; understanding of regional investment ecosystems in Central and sub-Saharan Africa.
● Demonstrated ability to represent the programme at senior levels and engage persuasively with FCDO, government, private sector, and development finance stakeholders.
● Experience working with or managing FCDO-funded or donor-funded programmes is strongly preferred, including familiarity with due diligence, value-for-money, and reporting requirements.
● Demonstrated ability to lead diverse technical teams and foster a culture of adaptive management, innovation, and collaboration.
● Experience managing partnerships or consortia, ideally within multi-donor or multi-implementer arrangements.
● Strong understanding of climate finance, green growth, or climate-smart agriculture in fragile and frontier markets.
● Experience working in Africa, preferably in the DRC or Central Africa region, is required.
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. French fluency is required.
The successful Team Leader will combine exceptional management skills and experience in maintaining donor and partner relationships. They will have an outstanding ability to develop, implement, and manage innovative programmes within the current and future programme structure of Mercy Corps in the region. They will also have proven experience with cross-cultural teams and capacity building, individual staff development, and strong mentoring skills. Multi-tasking, prioritising, problem-solving, and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
The position is based in Kinshasa, DRC. Housing for this role is in a private apartment under housing allowance regulations. The rest and recovery cycle follows the Country Office R&R policy. Kinshasa has limited security regulations and has many options for healthcare, shopping, restaurants, and social life.
The position requires regular travel to various locations within Kongo Central, Kwilu, Mai-Ndombe, and Kwango. This may include unstable areas with strict security rules and limited amenities. Living conditions in the field locations are clean and secure, but basic.
While conditions in much of the country are improving, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity, and petty crime is present. Mercy Corps' offices experience variable levels of insecurity and adapt their procedures accordingly. Due to poor infrastructure, air travel is often necessary to get from one end of the country to the other.
Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. The Internet is limited, but available in all Mercy Corps’ offices. There are a number of health services available with several evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although it must be noted that imported goods can be more expensive than in other locations.
In support of our belief that learning organisations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.
Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work.
We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, programme participants, or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC, and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
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