Technical Specialist (Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance)

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Cambodia supports the government in achieving food security and sustainable agrifood systems. The Green Climate Fund-funded PEARL project aims to enhance climate resilience for farmers in the Northern Tonle Sap Basin. It established the Farmer-led Agricultural Resilience Mechanism (FARM) to support 124 Farmer Organizations (FOs) in developing business plans. A key gap is FOs' limited capacity to engage with formal financial institutions, as their business plans often do not meet lender requirements. This position bridges the FARM mechanism and Cambodia’s rural financial sector, focusing on agricultural credit.

Job Purpose

The Technical Specialist will strengthen climate-resilient agricultural finance within the PEARL project by serving as a practitioner-level link between the FARM mechanism and Cambodia’s rural financial sector. The role emphasizes agricultural credit product development, enhancing Farmer Organization (FO) loan-readiness, facilitating lender engagement, and building bankable business packages. This position is crucial for addressing the identified gap where FOs struggle to access formal finance due to business plans not meeting lender requirements and a lack of tailored agricultural loan products from financial institutions. It is a technical role focused on applying practical agricultural finance knowledge to support FOs and facilitate their engagement with financial institutions.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will conduct agricultural finance market analysis, mapping financial institutions and identifying barriers to access. They will facilitate financial service providers in designing or adapting agricultural financial products aligned with value chain needs and climate considerations, and support the integration of risk mitigation mechanisms. A key duty involves reviewing and converting Farmer Organization (FO) business plans into bankable investment packages, including financial statements and projections, and defining minimum documentation requirements. The specialist will facilitate linkages between FOs and financial institutions, support loan application preparation, and track the financing pipeline. Furthermore, they will design and deliver training to FOs on financial literacy and loan readiness, provide coaching, and build the capacity of project staff. Stakeholder engagement, including organizing consultations and coordinating partners, along with documenting lessons learned, are also essential tasks. Frequent travel to project provinces is required.

Work Experience

Candidates must have at least five years of professional experience in agricultural credit, rural lending, or value chain finance. This experience must include direct work within or alongside a bank, MFI, development finance institution, or rural credit program, specifically in roles involving loan assessment, credit product development, or agricultural portfolio management. Working knowledge of English and fluency in Khmer are also required, and the candidate must be a national of Cambodia.

Skills

Key skills include knowledge of ARDB and MFI lending criteria, KYC requirements, pricing structures, collateral substitutes, and loan approval processes in Cambodia. Demonstrated ability to prepare or quality-check agricultural credit files, including cash-flow projections, break-even analysis, and sensitivity to risks, is essential. Experience working with agricultural cooperatives or farmer organizations on credit readiness, and knowledge of cashew, mango, rice, or vegetable value chains in Cambodia, are also required. Strong coordination and communication skills to facilitate dialogue between lenders and rural stakeholders are critical. Experience in gender-responsive financial product design and prior experience in GCF, IFAD, or similar climate/agriculture programs are advantageous.

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