Graduate Trainee

ABOUT INKOMOKO

Inkomoko supports entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in order to improve livelihoods, create jobs, and help communities thrive.

Founded in 2012, Inkomoko has worked with more than 60,000 entrepreneurs across East and Central Africa, including thousands of refugee entrepreneurs. Inkomoko provides a combination of training, consulting, access to finance, and market-level systems change.  We are the largest lender to refugee entrepreneurs in Africa.

Inkomoko has 650+ staff in 40 offices across Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Sudan. Through Inkomoko’s 2030 strategic plan, we are adding 3 additional countries to serve more than 550,000 entrepreneurs and growing our $30M loan fund to impact 7M lives.

INKOMOKO VALUES

All staff at Inkomoko are connected to a shared set of organizational values:

• Purpose: be solutions-oriented, produce high-quality work, and be a global leader.
• Achievement: push yourself to reach beyond what you previously thought possible.
• Improvement: be humble, engage in continuous growth through open & accurate feedback
• Bravery: willing to take risks, create a safe space for others, be compassionate, and inclusive.
• We Eat Goat:  we celebrate success and support each other in hard times. We do this work together in the spirit of turikumwe, tuko pamoja, abren nen, Kula na sawa, On est ensemble.

Inkomoko is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer. Persons who reflect the diverse communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply. 

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY & RESPONSIBILITIES

This position provides you with the opportunity to work directly with our entrepreneur clients in Inkomoko communities.  You will contribute to the direct impact of Kenya micro and small entrepreneurs to create thriving communities.

The trainee will interact with the local business community, look out for opportunities (they will be opportunistic in nature) and will build lasting relationships with local small buyers. The ultimate goal is for them to link our micro business clients with buyers in the community.

The trainee will get an opportunity to work with both the Business Growth Services team as well as the investment team in an effort to grow and build their technical skills.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Intake process of program entrepreneurs and conducting monthly site visits to assess business need and opportunities
• Develop a good relationship with all partners and local authorities in Garissa and Dadaab Camps
• Identify and link our clients with local business opportunities. This will involve meeting buyers of different kinds to understand their supply needs. The buyers may include local hotels and restaurants, schools, small food processing companies, among others.
• Build long term business relationships with local micro and small buyers.
• Work with the Business Development and Investment teams to identify and create a list of clients with market linkages potential.
• Share and help our clients to apply for tender opportunities in local markets.
• Work closely with the Business Development team
• Respond to inquiries from prospective borrowers; support them to enroll in our program.
• Conduct investment appraisal, detailed information (personal, business, and guaranties), and arrange to open  new investment accounts.
• Prepare and execute investment contracts and arrange for disbursement of investment in kind.
• Conduct due diligence on prospective borrowers,including site visits, document preparation,coordination with the Business Development Advisors and Business Associates, etc.
• Communicate all trainings,advisory materials needs to the Location Manager,

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

We are looking for candidates who will navigate fast-paced and resource-constrained environments with enthusiasm, resilience, a sense of humor, and imagination.

The ideal candidate will fulfill the following requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in any related field.
• A minimum of 1 year of relevant experience, gained through internships, industrial attachment or volunteer work.
• Highly energetic: someone who thrives in being on the field and talking to people
• Sales-oriented: some who will be able to secure contracts/deals for our clients.
• Someone who enjoys building relationships
• Opportunistic: Someone with an ability to spot and communicate opportunities quickly.
• Self Starter: Someone who will need minimal training and will be ready to learn on the fly.
• Excellent computer skills, especially with MS Excel and Word
• Good written and oral communications skills
• Shows perseverance, personal integrity, and critical thinking skills
• Show personal drive, initiative and learning agility
• Must be able to legally work in Kenya

WHAT YOU’LL GET

This role is a tremendous opportunity to work in a high-growth, mission-driven organization. Our compensation includes both a great culture and a competitive market-based package, including:

• Incredible company culture, including deep investment in your learning and growth, and a commitment to inclusion and diversity
• Opportunity to work with a talented, passionate, and committed team of professionals across the region
• Ability to make a significant social impact and contribute to economic growth