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About Us

Agriculture is the key to unlocking a better future for billions of people. But while rural families sustain the world, they struggle to sustain themselves. At the same time, they face increasingly urgent challenges, from volatile crop prices to extreme weather.

Root Capital is a social impact investor that provides financing and training to agricultural enterprises so that they can transform rural communities. We work with enterprises in the “missing middle” of agricultural finance: those whose credit needs are too big for microfinance and too small or risky for commercial banks.

Since 1999, we have loaned over $2B to more than 800 businesses and we have trained more than 1,800—improving the lives of 10 million people. As these agricultural businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact for their local communities, raising incomes, creating jobs, uplifting women and young people, preserving vulnerable ecosystems, and building rural prosperity.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital has more than 180 employees operating in more than a dozen countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

Position Overview

The Deputy, Global Risk Management is responsible for supporting the Head of Investment and Credit Risk in carrying out the mandate of the credit risk management team, meeting its objectives, and ensuring close and effective collaboration among all Root Capital teams. S/he oversees global portfolio risk management, including market and counterparty risk management for a portfolio of credits to small and medium sized agricultural businesses in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. With a dual focus on quality and efficiency, s/he develops and manages the implementation of Root Capital’s credit policy, procedure and tools, including relevant industry and country level underwriting guidelines, in coordination with the investment, credit administration, portfolio management, and client operations teams. The role also involves managing the internal Risk Appetite Committee and actively participating in the Risk Oversight Committee. As a credit authority, the Deputy reviews and approves credit requests across Root Capital’s global portfolio.

Duties & Responsibilities

Purpose (75%)

Lending Policies, Procedures, and Tools (40%)

• Develop, maintain, and implement credit policies and procedures that align with Root Capital’s risk appetite, improve efficiencies, and incorporate ongoing lessons learned.
• Work with regional investment and risk teams to design underwriting guidelines to address risk-related needs and new segment entry, in coordination with the Head of Investment and Credit Risk
• Work closely with Client Service Operations and Portfolio Risk Analyst to develop, implement, and manage underwriting and risk rating systems and tools, including credit memo formats, risk ratings, and financial analysis tools

Portfolio Risk Management (20%)

• Work closely with the Portfolio Risk Analyst, Counterparty Risk Officer and regional teams to develop and maintain market level analysis across industries and geographies to assess the portfolio risk profile, identify trends, and inform risk management actions, including updates to policy limits
• Oversee the Counterparty Risk Officer activities to monitor counterparty risk in the portfolio
• Prepare and present relevant reports to internal and external committees

Credit Approvals (15%)

• • Act as a global credit approver, reviewing and approving new loans and modifications to existing loans across Root Capital’s global portfolio ensuring sound credit decisions in compliance with credit policies and procedures.

Engagement (10%)

• Oversee the Officer, Counterparty Risk and the Analyst, Portfolio Risk, offering continuous feedback, coaching, and professional development opportunities to support their growth
• Manage the Risk Appetite Committee and support the Head of Investment and Credit Risk in managing the Risk Oversight Committee as well as the Credit Sub-Committee of the Board of Directors.
• Identify areas needing new or updated credit policies, prioritize policy development, and ensure feedback from the Investment, Portfolio Management, Credit administration, Client Operations, and Risk Management teams in the prioritization process
• Serve as a central resource for policy, procedural, and tool guidance internally
• Support Counterparty Risk Officer to resolve issues related to counterparty performance in the portfolio.

Delivery (15%)

• Maintain and disseminate loan policy and procedure manuals, ensuring accessibility, updates, and translations for staff globally, in a timely manner.
• Develop and deliver training on policies, procedures and tools, collaborating closely with Risk Management, Investment and Client Services teams to build capacity and ensure consistency.
• Ensure timeliness and quality of review and approval of loans to achieve sound risk management while also delivering high quality customer service.

Required Skills and Experience

• Deep belief in and dedication to the mission of Root Capital, with a passion for promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development and rural resilience in low- and middle-income countries.
• Bachelor’s degree; an advanced degree a plus. Finance related studies, including commercial credit training, a plus.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in commercial lending or related financial services; experience in microfinance or SME agricultural lending preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to present credit risk and portfolio insights to senior leadership, board members, and external stakeholders.
• Excellent financial analysis and credit structuring skills; prior credit approval experience strongly preferred
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including strong training and mentoring skills.
• Strong commitment to building a respectful and inclusive work environment.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.
• Ability to work on central Standard time.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Kenya, Ghana or Rwanda.

Applications

More information about Root Capital is available at www.fsrcstaging.wpengine.com. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply using the form below as soon as possible, making sure to include a resume and cover letter that describes your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position. Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.

Root Capital provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that upholds our leadership principles of: empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.