About the role

AECF is seeking a Senior Credit Officer who will play a central role in evaluating financial institutions, structuring financing facilities, and overseeing the performance of the program’s credit portfolio. The position will require strong expertise in credit analysis, financial sector development, and portfolio management, as well as the ability to work with partner financial institutions operating in complex and fragile environments.

The role will support the Country Program Lead- Investments & Financial Institutions in ensuring the sound deployment, monitoring, and recovery of concessional capital allocated to partner financial institutions.

The role will report to the Country Program Lead- Investments & Financial Institutions.

Key responsibilities

Credit analysis and financial institution due diligence

• Lead credit assessments and due diligence of financial institutions participating in the IRIS financing facility.
• Analyze financial statements, portfolio performance, governance structures, and operational capacity of partner financial institutions.
• Assess creditworthiness and institutional risk of banks, investment platforms, and microfinance institutions.
• Evaluate portfolio quality indicators, including PAR, NPL ratios, provisioning levels, and capital adequacy.
• Prepare credit memos and recommendations for internal approval committees.

Structuring and negotiation of financing facilities

• Support the structuring of concessional credit facilities for partner financial institutions.
• Recommend facility terms, including:
  • Credit limits
  • Repayment schedules
  • Covenants and risk mitigation mechanisms.
• Participate in negotiations with financial institutions to finalize facility agreements.
• Work closely with legal and compliance teams to ensure agreements are properly structured and documented.

Portfolio monitoring and performance management

• Monitor the performance of financial institutions receiving concessional capital.
• Track key portfolio indicators, including:
  • Capital deployment
  • Portfolio at risk
  • Non-performing loans
  • Recovery rates
  • Sector allocation
  • Gender and inclusion targets.
• Build and maintain a live portfolio monitoring dashboard covering:
  • Disbursements
  • FI’s financial performance
  • MSME lending activity
  • Repayment schedules
  • Credit risk exposure
  • Review financial institution portfolio reports and identify early warning signs of portfolio deterioration.

Risk management and compliance

• Develop and implement credit risk monitoring systems for the financing facility.
• Conduct regular portfolio risk reviews and recommend mitigation measures.
• Flag underperforming financial institutions or deviations from agreed lending targets.
• Recommend suspending or adjusting disbursements when risk thresholds are breached.
• Escalate suspected misuse of funds or reporting irregularities.

Field monitoring and institutional engagement

• Conduct field visits to partner financial institutions to verify portfolio performance and operational practices.
• Review lending processes and credit appraisal systems used by financial institutions.
• Engage directly with FI credit teams and management to strengthen portfolio quality.
• Support partner financial institutions in improving credit processes and risk management practices.

Portfolio reporting and investment committee support

• Prepare portfolio performance reports for program management and donors.
• Present credit risk assessments and portfolio updates to internal investment committees.
• Provide regular updates to the Project Director on credit portfolio performance.
• Ensure accurate reporting of program results related to MSME financing.

Process improvement and best practices

• Develop and refine credit policies and procedures for the program’s financing facility.
• Strengthen credit risk assessment frameworks for lending by financial institutions.
• Introduce best practices in portfolio monitoring and financial institution engagement.
• Stay informed on industry trends in MSME finance, microfinance, and financial sector development.

Qualifications and experience

Education

• Possess a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, business administration, accounting, or a related field. A master’s degree will be an advantage. Professional accounting certifications, or equivalents, are desirable.
• Possess a minimum of seven (7) years of experience in credit analysis, investment, or financial sector development.
• Professional accounting certifications, or equivalents, are desirable.
• Demonstrate experience in credit risk assessment and portfolio management, structuring credit facilities, financing instruments, MSME finance, or development finance programs.
• Have credit analysis and financial modeling, portfolio monitoring and risk management, financial institution analysis, and Investment structuring skills.
• Strong experience working with banks, microfinance institutions, or investment funds.
• Experience in structuring credit facilities or financing instruments.
• Experience working in fragile or emerging market environments is an advantage.
• Show strong analytical and problem-solving ability, have excellent communication and presentation skills, the ability to manage complex financial information, and strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrate high integrity and accountability, ability to operate effectively in complex environments, and strong attention to detail and risk awareness.
• Be fluent in French and English.

How to apply

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

AECF does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or otherwise).

If you meet the criteria for the role, register and apply at https://recruitment.aecfafrica.org. Interviews will be on a rolling basis and will close once a suitable candidate is identified.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.