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 an impact investor that provides financing and business training to agricultural enterprises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Since 1999, we have loaned over $2B to more than 800 businesses that are too big for microloans but too small for commercial lenders, and have trained more than twice as many businesses. As these businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact for local communities, raising incomes, creating jobs, expanding opportunities for women and young people, preserving nature, 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
Associate, Advisory AFR support the administration of a variety of essential Advisory services programs. The Associate, Advisory, AFR is responsible for creating day-to-day activity schedules, tracking progress , and supporting quality checks of Advisory services activities in the field.
Duties & Responsibilities
Purpose (60%)
- Review the Advisory department team information, reports, and deliverables monthly in the regional BOX folders and transfer the updated reports and deliverables from the regional folders to the relevant Global BOX folders.
- Review and validate data entered by Advisors on Form Assembly monthly in liaison with coordinators whilst ensuring strong compliance of all documentation related to Advisory processes and procedures.
- Coordinate printing and assembly of communication materials.
- Prepare and disseminate workshop/ training invitations for participants for all regional Advisory department workshops/ trainings and manage participants confirmations.
- Compile periodic Advisory performance reports, including key results and lessons learned..
- Guide the induction process of Advisory consultants in the region specifically administrative processes, advisory tools, reporting mechanisms and Accounting procedures.
- Record information in Salesforce, compile and document the process, verify Know Your Client (KYC), draft agreements, administrative disbursement process, and verify final files.
Engagement (10%)
- Coordinate the Accounting team to ensure timely settlement of bills.
- Communicate updates of administrative processes, advisory tools, reporting mechanisms and accounting procedures to the regional Advisors/ consultants.
- In collaboration with the coordinators and/ or Portfolio Managers (PMs) for (resilience grants, talent partnerships, data platform agreements, and Satelligence rider) support the preparation of the Advisory department agreements.
Delivery (30%)
- Organize logistics for onsite Advisory activities (travel and accommodation arrangements) and regional events such as centralized workshops (training venue, accommodation, travel), including any other essential service associated with Advisory service activities.
- Sustain the regional Advisory calendar by ensuring that the calendar is up-to-date with Advisors’ travels, workshops, and training.
- Maintain vendor information, documentation, and communication including preparation, storage, and management of all Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for Advisory department.
- Process expense reports and invoices from Advisors/ consultants, subcontractors, and vendors on Salesforce in accordance with project requirements and Root Capital procedures.
- Validate the data in Salesforce to ensure quality Advisory information.
- Allocate accurate Advisory resources (Donor Codes) in processing Advisory expenses, consultant fees, training events, and field trips etc.
- Update monthly Advisory activities in the Salesforce database in a timely manner.
- Maintain an archive of key documents and records of all Advisory activities for reporting purposes, using Root Capital systems and according to global advisory processes.
- Prepare monthly accruals for the Advisory department.
- Review and process travel advances for Advisors.
- Generate and submit quarterly and annual Advisory services implementation reports (consult with coordinators) and filing of qualitative data.
Perform other relevant duties as assigned.
Required Skills and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Business Management, Economics, Project Management, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Economics, Finance, or related field.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Project Management and Administration. Interest in working with small and medium enterprises in rural areas.
- Proven experience in coordination of field activities
- Excellent time management and organizational skills
- Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and presentation skills
- Ability to work under pressure, establish and maintain deadlines, and coordinate with multiple people across the organization.
- Highly organized and high attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills (verbal and writing) in English. Fluency in Kiswahili is also desirable.
- 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.
- Enthusiasm for thriving in diverse, multicultural settings, with a strong preference for experience in global and multi-location work environments.
- Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to build a respectful and inclusive work environment.
- Proactive approach to problem-solving with demonstrated decision-making capabilities.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to a dynamic environment.
- Skilled in effectively working and communicating within remote teams.
- Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
- Authorized to work in Kenya
- Flexibility to travel locally or regionally is required according to the nature of the role, including the possibility of visiting clients in rural areas.
Applications
More information about Root Capital is available at https://rootcapital.org/ 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.
