Program: Credit for Agriculture Producers (CAP) Project in Ukraine

Location: Kyiv with frequent travel throughout Ukraine

Duration: through March 2023

World Council of Credit Unions seeks a Financial Technician for the Credit for Agriculture Producers Project (CAP) in Ukraine to provide technical assistance to the credit unions assisted by CAP to increase their overall financial performance and capacity to expand agricultural and associated agribusiness loan portfolios while meeting member needs for timely, economic loans.

About the Project: CAP seeks to revitalize the credit union sector in Ukraine by creating a more transparent legal and regulatory framework for credit union operations in Ukraine to both promote growth and reduce risks, while improving access to agricultural finance for agricultural and rural micro, small, and medium enterprises through credit unions. Specifically, the project is expected to: (1) strengthen credit union regulator and national associations’ capacity; (2) advocate for an improved and updated legislative framework to meet European Union (EU) standards, enabling credit unions to compete with other financial institutions; and (3) address constraints preventing credit unions from expanding outreach and delivering high-quality lending to the agricultural sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical

1)    Provide technical assistance to credit unions.

• Carry out regular financial and operational reviews, assessments and evaluations of partner credit unions’ institutional and financial development to identify their bottlenecks and growth potential on the basis of credit union regulations as well as methodologies introduced by WOCCU, including Model Credit Union Building (MCUB) and PEARLs financial monitoring system;
• Plan, conduct and/or participate in training sessions for credit union personnel, including management teams;
• Under the direction of the Lead Liquidity Management Specialist, assist credit unions to develop and implement their individualized business plans and growth strategies, including identifying and supporting implementation of tools and methodologies to address gaps or weaknesses, support compliance with anticipated new regulatory norms, and identify areas for growth;
• Work with partner credit unions to regularly adjust business plans and growth strategies and assist boards of directors and managers to analyze and determine whether to implement new projects, products or services;
• Assist partner credit unions in defining and elaborating necessary changes to the credit policies and procedures of the credit unions to integrate new products and minimize the risks associated with these new products;
• Support credit unions in meeting requirements to access additional liquidity anticipated through United Central Credit Unions (UCUs), including working in close coordination with UCU Risk Managers.

2) Tool development and dissemination

• Be a liaison for international experts and volunteers in developing and implementing training programs, manuals and handouts for credit unions to optimize and augment the technical assistance provided;
• In cooperation with CAP staff, support development and implementation of digitalized financial planning tools for credit unions based primarily on the MCUB; 
• Collaborate with national associations of credit unions and the UCUs to work together to strengthen credit unions and transfer the methodologies developed through working with these pilot credit unions to other associated credit unions; and
• Ensure the dissemination of information on the new products to all relevant project staff and credit unions personnel and board members.

General

• Ensure effective interaction with Objective 4 and the Lead Agriculture Finance Specialist the Agrofinance & East Ukraine Specialist. 
• Participate in designing work plans, quarterly reports, reports for the Regulator and annual reports on CAP Project and its partners, as assigned by COP/DCOP; 
• Coordinate the activities of international and local consultants, volunteers and experts providing support to CAP under Objective 3, including travel as applicable (once COVID-19 restriction measures allow); 
• Travel outside of Kyiv  to reach partner credit unions and their members; and
• Perform all tasks necessary to achieve the Project goals under Objective 3, as assigned and requested by COP/DCOP/ Lead Liquidity Management Specialist; 

Qualifications

Experience

• Education: at least, Bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, business administration, management or related subject matter.
• Minimum of two years’ work experience in banking/financial services preferred with a focus on credit unions operations. However, minimum of two years of work experience in finance, accounting and/or business management will be considered.
• Proactive, entrepreneurial drive to solve problems and learn new systems required.
• Experience working in rural areas or with vulnerable sectors of the population preferred.

Skills

• Proven experience in the following areas:
  • Advanced analytical skills;
  • Awareness of financial and other reporting at banks/credit unions;
  • Awareness of business plan preparation, new financial product development, and marketing and promotion;
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel;
  • Project reports writing; and
  • Training and/or consulting.
  • Experience with credit analysis and recovery, preferred.
  • Capacity to assess and determine solutions for technical, financial and administrative problems in credit unions/financial institutions.
  • Awareness of national laws, regulations and norms for the financial and credit union sectors in Ukraine.
  • Understanding of software and web developing and/or database designing, including cloud computing solutions, experience in drafting technical terms of reference and coordination of software development processes preferred.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
  • Skilled negotiator with the ability to compromise.
  • Ability to speak, read and write the following languages:
    • Native or near native fluency in Ukrainian and Russian
    • Advanced fluency in English preferred, upper-intermediate required
    • Understanding of the socio-economic, geographic and demographic conditions of the communities in which credit unions serve and/or are located.

Personal characteristics

• Excellent communication skills
• Customer service orientation
• Positive attitude
• Ability to work in a collaborative, teamwork environment
• Leadership, independence and target oriented abilities
• Ability and willingness to travel (across various regions of Ukraine)
• Ability to work independently and meet strict deadlines

Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and three reference contacts to [email protected] with the subject line: “Financial Technician 2020.” Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Thank you.