Technical Advisor I- Isidro

1. About Isidro:

Isidro is CRS’ agriculture blended finance initiative targeting underserved and informal Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). Isidro offers an untraditional blend of technical and business advice and investment funds to chart a path to success for promising, impactful SMEs. CRS prepares SMEs to qualify for loans, manage investment capital, and ultimately, meet their growth and impact targets. Our technical team address custom needs like production, marketing and sales, and management and accounting good practices –to assist our clients in securing formal financing.

Isidro targets a class of businesses that conventional lenders don’t, filling a gap in the finance ecosystem. By understanding the business models and value chains, and making loans accordingly, we help turn agriculture enterprises into economic engines that elevate communities.

The Isidro fund was launched in 2020 and is actively sourcing, preparing, and investing in pipeline SMEs in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.

1. Job Summary:

Working closely with the Isidro team and technical staff in CRS country programs, your skills, knowledge, and network will contribute to the development and expansion of CRS’s innovative agriculture blended finance initiative- Isidro. Successful applicants will lead the provision of pre-investment capacity building and mentoring, especially business development support, for candidate enterprises. They will provide high quality technical support to agricultural enterprises as they develop their business plans, strategic plans, and financial models, including cash flow projections. The successful applicant will also provide post-investment capacity building support, including financial modeling/projections, marketing & sales, and governance and management support- to existing portfolio companies. In addition, the successful applicant is expected to contribute to Isidro’s MEAL system and learning agenda.

1. Job Responsibilities:

Capacity building, Business Development & Coaching

• Lead capacity building, business development, and 1 on 1 coaching support for enterprises during the pre-investment phase to prepare them for an investment. This support will include the preparation of business plans, strategic plans, and financial models, including cash flow projections. It may also include support with financial management and budgeting, the strengthening of corporate governance, and marketing support.
• Provide in-depth and high-quality capacity-building and personalized coaching support to Isidro’s SME clients throughout the pre and post-investment periods.
• Participate in enterprise screening, capacity assessments, value chain mapping, and impact assessments. Develop a pre-investment Workplan for enterprise candidates based on the results of the capacity assessment and value chain mapping.
• Refine existing tools and develop new tools as required for the provision of pre-investment business development services to SMEs.
• Supervise and coordinate contracted technical and business development service providers.
• Support due diligence processes with candidate enterprises, including the strengthening of the enterprise’s documentation, and support the drafting of investment memos.

Recruitment & Representation

• Coordinate with country programs, partners, and the Isidro team to identify promising SME clients who are a good fit for the fund. Develop new relationships, and cultivate existing relationships, with strategic partners in the agricultural impact investment space.
• Support Isidro’s marketing and communication goals by representing Isidro in regional and global conferences and events, and by drafting and developing materials such as presentations, case studies, reports, investor pitches, and project communication materials.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Support the development of forms, tools, and systems, to manage and analyze Isidro’s growing client database and information system.
• Contribute to Isidro’s learning agenda of Isidro by researching and analyzing information, conducting literature reviews, and gathering field data/information from partners, CRS staff, and local partners.

1. Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business management/administration, finance, economics, or related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, especially the provision of business development services and capacity building to farmer-run cooperatives and private agricultural enterprises.
• Significant understanding of agribusinesses, value chains, and agricultural markets, as well as rural finance/banking.
• Strong financial and analytical skills, including quantitative data analysis.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, knowledge-sharing networks, and familiarity with geographic information systems.

Personal Skills

• Exceptional relationship management skills with the ability to work collaboratively as part of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams
• Strong coaching & mentoring skills, service-oriented
• Strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems thinking capacity and skills
• Good writing and communication skills
• Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented

Required Foreign Language: Advanced English & Spanish (written and oral)

Travel Required: 30-50% travel to the field and in Central America (based on COVID environment).