Innovation & Partnerships Fellow

Are you an early-career professional with sharp analytical skills eager to make a tangible impact on African agriculture? Aceli Africa (which has already unlocked $350M in SME lending) is seeking a highly motivated Fellow, Innovation & Partnerships. This 12-month role offers direct exposure to designing innovative financing solutions, supporting SME growth, and driving strategic partnerships across five nations.

Aceli Africa is a market catalyst that aims to mobilize $2 billion in private-sector lending for agricultural SMEs and improve livelihoods for 5 million farmers and workers by 2030. To achieve this goal, Aceli provides financial incentives to increase the risk appetite of 50 financial institutions to make loans ranging from USD $10K-$1.5M for high-impact agricultural SMEs. Complementary technical assistance builds capacity for lenders and SMEs while data and learning drive engagement with partners to strengthen the policy and regulatory environment.

Since launching in 2020, Aceli has mobilized $350M in lending to SMEs, providing market access for 1.7M smallholder farmers across Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Financial incentives have been designed based on an original dataset detailing the profitability of agri-SME lending across $5 billion in transactions.

To date, Aceli Africa has secured US$100M in funding commitments from leading bilateral and philanthropic donors, including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gates Foundation, Global Affairs Canada, IKEA Foundation, Norad, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Aceli is raising a new round of funding to scale up its work over the next five years.

Aceli Africa is seeking a Fellow, Innovation & Partnerships to support the design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of innovation and partnership initiatives, providing analytical, operational, and coordination support across multiple workstreams, including Technical Assistance for SMEs, Lender Capacity Building, Innovation, and Partnerships. This is a rich learning opportunity suited for a highly motivated early-career professional with strong analytical capabilities, exceptional organizational skills, and an interest in agricultural finance.

The role reports directly to the Senior Manager, Innovation & Partnerships and collaborates closely with colleagues across the Innovation & Partnerships function.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management & Operations Support

• Support day-to-day management of multiple projects across the Innovation & Partnerships portfolio.
• Prepare and maintain dashboards, trackers, and project management tools to ensure timely delivery of milestones.
• Support contract management processes, including coordinating with Technical Assistance Providers, to monitor deliverables, timelines, and budgets.
• Draft project briefs, terms of reference, scopes of work, and other documentation as required.

Research, Analysis & Innovation Support

• Conduct desk research on market trends, ecosystem actors, innovative financing models, and emerging opportunities relevant to Aceli’s innovation agenda.
• Support data analysis (both qualitative and quantitative), synthesis of findings, and preparation of actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to concept notes, pilot design, learning agendas, and innovation proposals within the Innovation workstream.

Data Visualization & Reporting

• Develop high-quality data visualizations, dashboards, and presentations to support internal decision-making and external stakeholder engagement.
• Assist in compiling periodic reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure accuracy, clarity, and coherence in all analytic and reporting outputs.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

• Support the monitoring and evaluation of ongoing projects, including tracking indicators, assessing progress, and documenting lessons learned.
• Work with the Senior Manager to collect, validate, and analyze data required for project reviews.

Partnerships Coordination

Support coordination and implementation of Aceli’s Partnerships Framework, including tracking engagements, preparing partnership updates, and supporting relationship management.

Assist in organizing meetings, including preparation of agendas, minutes, and follow-ups.

Help maintain a repository of partnership materials, databases, and engagement logs.

Qualification Requirements

Terms:

You will receive a 12-month contract, a fixed monthly stipend, medical cover, an Aceli-owned laptop, and a supportive environment designed to help you grow.