1.0 About the Equity Group

Equity Group Holdings PLC is a Pan African Financial Services Group with operations and in six countries namely Kenya, Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan. We also have ambition to grow our footprint to a further six countries by 2030. The scope of our business cuts across Banking, Insurance, Technology, and Social Enterprise. Our business model is underpinned by Social, Economic and Sustainability engines (Tri-Engine Model) that capacitate value chains sustainably and support communities. Our Purpose is “Transforming lives, giving dignity, and expanding opportunities for wealth creation”. Our Vision is “To be the champion of the socio-economic prosperity of the people of Africa”. Our mission is lived through our global values of Professionalism, Integrity, Creativity & Innovation, Teamwork, Unity of Purpose, Respect, and Effective Corporate Governance, summarized in the acronym PICTURE. Our strategic ambitions are articulated in the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP).

2.0 The Role Purpose

• Reporting to the Regional Agribusiness Manager, the Agribusiness Advisors (AAs) will act as an integral part of implementing the EGF Food and Agriculture projects. The Agribusiness Advisors will be responsible for recruitment and supporting the project target beneficiaries by implementing different interventions across the Country.
• The AAs will serve also as pipeline builders towards the financial inclusion goals through customer acquisition of farmers and Agriculture Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Ag-MSMEs).

3.0 KEY responsibilities

• Identify, mobilize, and conduct sensitization forums of target participants/clients, partners, and value chain actors (smallholder farmers and MSMEs), including youth and women
• Enrol the targeted participants/clients into the project/ Bank in accordance with the project-set target and timelines.
• Train the project beneficiaries in Financial Education, Agribusiness, and Good Agriculture Practices, Climate smart Agriculture including, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, and adopt technologies and mechanization and other agriculture assets
• Support farmers and other players in the food and agriculture value chain in implementing appropriate practices to increase productivity and improve their technical, financial and entrepreneurship skill.
• Introduce the project beneficiaries to Equity Bank for them to learn and access relevant financial services based on their financial needs and handhold them to access and utilize bank products and services.
• Organize and coordinate farmer groups on a regular basis to provide mentoring/coaching and track the implementation of the project interventions and increase their capacity to offtake or be ecosystems players through which smallholder farmers and MSMEs access financial products and agriculture markets
• Respond to farmer queries regarding agribusiness and financial services to enhance their knowledge in farm decision-making.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly status reports to Field Managers, Branch Managers, Pillar leaders, EGF/ Bank leaders and other management requests when needed
• Organize, coordinate, and execute project activities as per the project work plan and targets (e.g., field days, exchange visits, value chain actors’ collaboration meetings, etc.
• Represent Equity Group in agriculture to other Equity staff and local partners in the respective branches, counties, and regions.
• Work with the monitoring and evaluation team to collect quality project data as required at all stages of project life.
• Provide accurate and timely data on programme and commercial targets reach
• Provide analytical and critical data and reports for programme monitoring
• Undertake any other business activities as may be required by business needs

4.0 Core Accountabilities and Deliverables

• Financial – Combined Revenue in deposits, loans, income, client accounts and Portfolio at Risk (PAR) metrics)
• People – none
• Processes – client acquisition, budget and expense management
• Customers/Clients – smallholder farmers, MSMEs, Farmer Producer Organizations (Cooperatives) corporates, including produce off-takers –farmers,
• Financial
• Deliver agreed programme outreach and customer acquisition targets.
• Support growth of agribusiness loan and savings portfolios through quality pipeline development – Number of farmers reached/ trained, MSMEs reached/ trained, Ecosystems and partners onboarded/activated
• Ensure efficient utilization of programme resources and activity budgets.
• People
• No direct reports.
• Works closely with Program Manager/ Regional Agribusiness Managers, Branch Teams, Business Growth & Development Managers, and M&E teams (matrix relationships).
• Processes
• Implement approved Equity programme methodologies and work plans.
• Ensure compliance with Equity Group policies, donor requirements, and reporting standards.
• Customers / Clients
• Farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives, Ag-MSMEs, and value chain actors.
• County governments, development partners, and ecosystem players.

Expected Deliverables

• Weekly and monthly training plans
• Training curricula, facilitator guides, and participant materials
• Participant mobilization and attendance records
• Pre/post assessment tools and results summaries
• Coaching and mentorship visit reports
• Cooperative capacity assessment reports
• Case studies, success stories, and lessons learned
• Weekly, monthly, and quarterly implementation reports
• Evidence of participant adoption of improved business, finance, governance, and production practices

5.0 Key Technical SKILLS & leadership competencies

Technical Skills

• Agricultural production and agronomic expertise
• Agribusiness and MSME development
• Climate Smart Agriculture and sustainability practices
• Financial inclusion and product knowledge
• Training, facilitation, and extension methodologies
• Data collection, reporting, and basic analysis

Leadership & Behavioural Competencies

• Results orientation
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Analytical and problem-solving ability
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership building
• High integrity and professionalism

6.0 Experience requirements

Years of Experience

• Officer: 5 years
• Senior Officer: Over 5 years

Exposure

• Experience in agricultural production and marketing, agribusiness development, MSME support, and extension services.
• Experience working with farmers, MSMEs, youth, women and rural value chains.

Essential Experience

• Over 5 years of progressively responsible experience in farmer training, cooperative strengthening, agricultural value chains, or Ag-MSME development.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives, youth and women enterprises, and rural market systems.
• Proven ability to design and facilitate practical training and provide post-training coaching and mentorship.
• Experience in financial literacy, access-to-finance facilitation, and market linkage development will be a strong advantage.
• Experience working in donor-funded agriculture, livelihoods, enterprise, or inclusive finance programs is highly desirable.
• Experience in technical; assistance in Sustainable agricultural practices and climate-smart agriculture
• MSME finance facilitation and market linkages experience
• Training delivery (physical and digital)
• Agricultural project implementation, monitoring, and reporting

Desirable

• Business development services for MSMEs
• Digital marketing and digital data systems
• Program measurement and reporting

7.0 Academic qualifications and certifications

Must-Haves

• University degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Economics, Animal Production/Health, Range Management, Agroforestry, Agricultural Extension, Horticulture, or a related field.
• Alternatively, a business or finance degree with exposure to agricultural programme implementation.
• Certifications in Climate Smart Agriculture, Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship, Project Management, or Financial Inclusion an added advantage
• Training in Monitoring & Evaluation or Data Management added advantage

• Identify, mobilize, and conduct sensitization forums of target participants/clients, partners, and value chain actors (smallholder farmers and MSMEs), including youth and women
• Enrol the targeted participants/clients into the project/ Bank in accordance with the project-set target and timelines.
• Train the project beneficiaries in Financial Education, Agribusiness, and Good Agriculture Practices, Climate smart Agriculture including, biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, and adopt technologies and mechanization and other agriculture assets
• Support farmers and other players in the food and agriculture value chain in implementing appropriate practices to increase productivity and improve their technical, financial and entrepreneurship skill.
• Introduce the project beneficiaries to Equity Bank for them to learn and access relevant financial services based on their financial needs and handhold them to access and utilize bank products and services.
• Organize and coordinate farmer groups on a regular basis to provide mentoring/coaching and track the implementation of the project interventions and increase their capacity to offtake or be ecosystems players through which smallholder farmers and MSMEs access financial products and agriculture markets
• Respond to farmer queries regarding agribusiness and financial services to enhance their knowledge in farm decision-making.
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly status reports to Field Managers, Branch Managers, Pillar leaders, EGF/ Bank leaders and other management requests when needed
• Organize, coordinate, and execute project activities as per the project work plan and targets (e.g., field days, exchange visits, value chain actors’ collaboration meetings, etc.
• Represent Equity Group in agriculture to other Equity staff and local partners in the respective branches, counties, and regions.
• Work with the monitoring and evaluation team to collect quality project data as required at all stages of project life.
• Provide accurate and timely data on programme and commercial targets reach
• Provide analytical and critical data and reports for programme monitoring
• Undertake any other business activities as may be required by business needs

• Agricultural production and agronomic expertise
• Agribusiness and MSME development
• Climate Smart Agriculture and sustainability practices
• Financial inclusion and product knowledge
• Training, facilitation, and extension methodologies
• Data collection, reporting, and basic analysis
• Results orientation
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Analytical and problem-solving ability
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership building
• High integrity and professionalism

• University degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Economics, Animal Production/Health, Range Management, Agroforestry, Agricultural Extension, Horticulture, or a related field.
• Alternatively, a business or finance degree with exposure to agricultural programme implementation.
• Certifications in Climate Smart Agriculture, Agribusiness, Entrepreneurship, Project Management, or Financial Inclusion an added advantage
• Training in Monitoring & Evaluation or Data Management added advantage
• Over 5 years of progressively responsible experience in farmer training, cooperative strengthening, agricultural value chains, or Ag-MSME development.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives, youth and women enterprises, and rural market systems.
• Proven ability to design and facilitate practical training and provide post-training coaching and mentorship.
• Experience in financial literacy, access-to-finance facilitation, and market linkage development will be a strong advantage.
• Experience working in donor-funded agriculture, livelihoods, enterprise, or inclusive finance programs is highly desirable.
• Experience in technical; assistance in Sustainable agricultural practices and climate-smart agriculture
• MSME finance facilitation and market linkages experience
• Training delivery (physical and digital)
• Agricultural project implementation, monitoring, and reporting
• Business development services for MSMEs
• Digital marketing and digital data systems
• Program measurement and reporting