Gender Advisor

Job Title:** Gender Advisor

Location: Kenya

Reports to: Programme Manager, Investing in Women in Kenya’s Blue Economy

Start Date:** Immediately

About The AECF

The AECF is a leading development finance organization that supports businesses to innovate, create jobs, and leverage investments to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa. AECF’s s goal is to bridge the investment gap between early-stage enterprise and business maturity for entrepreneurs serving the poorest communities. We provide patient capital to new and innovative business models in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors across Sub-Saharan Africa through various financing instruments. To supplement finance, we also offer advisory services, investments support, and knowledge and insights.

AECF has successfully implemented programs across 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting over 343 enterprises, raising US$ 422 million in funding for programs, that have created over 26,000 direct jobs and impacted 28 million lives.

AECF is seeking a Gender Advisor to support the implementation of the Investing in Women in the Blue Economy in Kenya.

The Programme

Investing in Women in the Blue Economy in Kenya (IIW-BEK) is a five-year programme whose main goal is to contribute to enhanced economic empowerment of women- owned enterprises, their suppliers, and producers along key supply chains where women are discriminated against in Kenya’s blue economy. IW-BEK will work in Kenya’s Lake Victoria Basin and the Indian Ocean. The key objectives of the program are:

• Evidence based programme interventions that support women’s economic participation in non-traditional sectors of the blue economy.

• Enhanced private sector engagement of women as economic actors across the blue economy value chain.

• Increased private and public sector investment in women and young women owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)

• Reduced systemic gender inequalities that hinder women’s effective economic participation in the blue economy.

IIW-BEK will achieve the objectives through a blended finance model, focusing on increasing performance and sustainability of women and young women-owned Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the blue economy.

JOB SUMMARY:

Working as a member of the IIW-BEK team, the Gender Advisor under the guidance of the Manager- Partnerships & Gender will support the implementation of AECF’s current Gender Lens Investing Strategy including working closely with teams across AECF to ensure that gender lens investing is fully embedded and rolled out across all systems, governance documents, and in internal/external communications. The Gender Advisor supports the portfolio and impact teams to apply a gender lens across investments and throughout the investment cycle and participates across several of AECF’s flagship market-shaping gender initiatives and partnerships in the field.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support market research into the challenges and needs faced by women entrepreneurs and gender lens enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors, including secondary desk research, stakeholder consultations, interviews, etc.

• Analyze data to derive patterns and inform strategic objectives in AECF’s gender lens investing

approach, with respect to the blue economy in Kenya.

• Support the design and implementation of gender smart solutions for portfolio companies,

working closely with the portfolio and impact teams whilst capturing learnings.

• Support the design of gender toolkits and guides for portfolio companies in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors.

• Provide technical assistance to portfolio companies on gender integration and gender smart solutions for increased business value.

• Train programme teams on gender integration across the investment process.

• Working with the Programme Manager-Investing in Women in Kenya’s Blue Economy and Manager-Partnerships and Gender, support the ongoing implementation of selected gender smart solutions in portfolio companies, adjusting the approach where necessary based on new insights.

• Support the development of knowledge products and organize knowledge sharing events on

AECF’s gender lens investing insights.

REQUIREMENTS

• At least a bachelor’s degree qualification in Economics, Development Finance, Gender Economics, Gender Studies, Development Studies or other relevant fields of study.

• A minimum of four (4) years of experience in one or more of the following areas: social entrepreneurship, impact investing, management consulting, private sector development, agriculture, agribusiness, SME finance, rural financial services and/or renewable energy and adaptation to combat climate change.

• Experience/ interest in social finance and impact investing in the international development context.

• Understanding of the gender lens investing market in sub-Sahara Africa.

• Experience of working in an international team and proven ability to deliver in a complex environment with multiple, divergent stakeholder interests.

• Fluency in English is essential while French is an added advantage.

• Strong data mining and analysis skills.

• Ability to manage the delivery of multiple projects that create significant financial and social impact whilst meeting deadlines.

• Deep understanding of private sector small and growth businesses, including key challenges and needs.