Project Manager-Access to Finance & Agricultural Investment

Provides strategic and technical leadership for the design and implementation of agricultural access-to-finance interventions under CRS Afghanistan’s Resilient Rural Livelihoods portfolio. The role focuses on expanding commercially sustainable finance for farmers, producer organizations, agribusinesses, SMEs, processors, traders, and other actors operating within priority agricultural value chains. Working through a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, the Project Manager strengthens the linkages between viable agricultural businesses, commercial transactions, and appropriate financing solutions by developing finance-ready investment pipelines, facilitating agribusiness preparation, and fostering partnerships with financial institutions, guarantee facilities, and investment funds.

The position leads efforts to identify agricultural investment opportunities, improve business and financial readiness, facilitate structured referrals to banks, MFIs, ACGF, IFC-supported initiatives, and other financing mechanisms, and support the development of innovative agricultural finance solutions. The role emphasizes private-sector engagement, value-chain finance, Sharia-compliant financing approaches, financial inclusion, and the mobilization of private capital to strengthen agricultural productivity, competitiveness, resilience, and market growth within Afghanistan's fragile and evolving context.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Lead assessments of agricultural finance constraints, financing opportunities, and investment needs across priority value chains, agribusinesses, and producer organizations. 
• Develop and manage a qualified agricultural finance pipeline of agribusinesses, SMEs, producer organizations, processors, traders, and other market actors with potential to access repayable finance.
• Design and oversee finance-readiness interventions, including business diagnostics, financial record strengthening, cash-flow analysis, investment planning, and business case development. 
• Establish and manage structured referral mechanisms linking finance-ready businesses with banks, MFIs, ACGF, IFC-supported initiatives, and other financing and investment facilities. 
• Collaborate with financial institutions and agricultural finance partners to align investment opportunities with appropriate financing pathways, financial products, and risk-mitigation mechanisms. 
• Facilitate the development and expansion of value-chain finance, embedded finance, supplier credit, buyer pre-financing, aggregation finance, and other commercially sustainable financing models. 
• Support agribusinesses, producer organizations, and farmers to improve financial literacy, finance readiness, and understanding of commercial financing requirements and obligations. 
• Lead collaboration with ACGF, participating financial institutions, and other partners to support agricultural finance pilots, product adaptation, and innovative financing models for priority value chains. 
• Coordinate periodic pipeline reviews, portfolio learning exercises, and performance assessments to improve referral quality, financing outcomes, and private capital mobilization. 
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with financial institutions, guarantee facilities, agribusinesses, investors, donor-funded initiatives, government agencies, and private-sector stakeholders to strengthen agricultural finance ecosystems.
• Provide technical leadership on agricultural finance, investment readiness, value-chain finance, financial inclusion, and private-sector engagement, ensuring that women, youth, returnees, and marginalized groups are effectively integrated into financing opportunities. 

Key Deliverables:

• Agricultural finance and investment opportunity assessments completed for priority value chains, including analysis of financing constraints, capital requirements, and financing pathways
• Agricultural finance pipeline management system established, including screening tools, referral procedures, tracking mechanisms, and pipeline reporting systems. 
• Finance-readiness assessments, business diagnostics, investment plans, and financing preparation packages completed for targeted agribusinesses and producer organizations. 
• Standardized referral packages prepared and submitted to ACGF, participating financial institutions, IFC-supported initiatives, and other financing facilities. 
• Financial literacy, cash-flow management, and finance-readiness training delivered to agribusinesses, producer organizations, and targeted farmers. 
• Agricultural finance, value-chain finance, and embedded finance models developed and operationalized with agribusiness, buyer, supplier, and financial-sector partners. 
• Collaborative financing pilots and agricultural finance product innovations designed and implemented with ACGF and participating financial institutions
• Pipeline review reports, portfolio analyses, financing performance assessments, and learning products completed and disseminated. 
• Strategic partnership agreements and coordination mechanisms established with banks, MFIs, guarantee facilities, investors, and agricultural finance stakeholders. 
• Measurable increases achieved in agricultural finance transactions, qualified referrals, private capital mobilized, repeat lending, and financing access for targeted agricultural market actors

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strong expertise in agricultural finance, value-chain finance, investment readiness, agribusiness development, and private-sector-led agricultural growth. Demonstrated ability to develop and manage agricultural finance pipelines and build partnerships with banks, MFIs, guarantee facilities, investors, agribusinesses, and other financial-sector stakeholders. Extensive knowledge of agricultural lending, Sharia-compliant finance, credit and risk assessment, embedded value-chain finance, guarantee mechanisms, financial inclusion, and agricultural investment promotion. Proven ability to prepare businesses for finance through business diagnostics, financial analysis, cash-flow modeling, investment planning, and financing structuring. Strong analytical and strategic planning skills, including experience assessing commercial viability, developing business cases, identifying financing constraints, and designing innovative financing solutions. Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation, communication, and relationship-management skills, with the ability to mobilize private capital, facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships, and expand sustainable access to finance for farmers, producer organizations, agribusinesses, women, youth, and marginalized groups. 

Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of agricultural finance, value-chain finance, and rural financial systems.
• Expertise in agribusiness investment readiness, financial analysis, and business case development.
• Knowledge of Sharia-compliant financing instruments and agricultural lending products.
• Understanding of guarantee mechanisms, risk-sharing facilities, and private capital mobilization.
• Knowledge of agricultural value chains, market systems development, and commercial agriculture.

Skills:

• Agricultural finance and investment pipeline development skills.
• Business diagnostics, cash-flow analysis, and financial modeling skills.
• Financial institution engagement, partnership development, and negotiation skills.
• Investment-readiness assessment and financing referral management skills.
• Stakeholder facilitation, training, and capacity-strengthening skills.
• Technical writing, reporting, and presentation skills.

Abilities:

• Ability to identify financeable agricultural opportunities and investment prospects.
• Ability to translate market opportunities into viable financing transactions.
• Ability to manage relationships with financial institutions and investment partners.
• Ability to analyze financing constraints and develop appropriate solutions.
• Ability to synthesize market, financial, and business information into actionable recommendations.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Will supervise Project Officer – Access to Finance or other field-based staff.

Key Working Relationships:  

Internal: Program Director, Project Manager – Inclusive Agricultural Market Systems & Digitization, NRM & DRM Advisor, MEAL Officer, field teams.

External: Banks, MFIs, ACGF, IFC-supported initiatives, private investors, agribusinesses, producer organizations, government agencies, donor-funded programs, and other financial-sector partners. 

Required Languages – English (required); Dari and/or Pashto (preferred).

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% to rural areas and agricultural market hubs.

CRS is committed to providing daily allowances for mahrams who accompany female staff on day trips to the field, and per diem and accommodation for mahrams who accompany female staff on work-related trips that require overnight stays.

We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

Protection Acknowledgment:CRS prohibits all forms of abuse and exploitation towards children and vulnerable adults. As a professional candidate, you commit to adhering to the Agency’s policy on protection, rights and dignity of children and vulnerable adults and to safeguard them from abuse and exploitation as defined in CRS’ Safeguarding Policy

• Master's degree in finance, agricultural economics, business administration, economics, development finance, or a related field.

• 7+ years of experience in agricultural finance, SME finance, rural finance, investment promotion, or private-sector development.

• Demonstrated experience working with financial institutions, guarantee facilities, agricultural investment programs, or blended finance initiatives.

• Experience managing donor-funded access-to-finance or agricultural development programs

Agency Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

• Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions. 
• Acts with Integrity - Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission.  Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust - Shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.

What we offer

CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.  Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.  CRS´ work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.