Vacancy title:
Business Development Specialist

[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Financial Services, Category: Business Operations, Agribusiness, Agricultural Services & Products, Finance, Management]

Jobs at:
Opportunity International Malawi

Deadline of this Job:
Wednesday, March 18 2026

Duty Station:
Malawi | Lilongwe

Summary
Date Posted: Friday, March 13 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

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JOB DETAILS:

Job Description

The Business Development Specialist will lead the design, development, and implementation of financial mechanisms that enable farmers, cooperatives, agro-dealers, and MSMEs to access Food Loss Reduction Solutions (FL-RS) under the PRIME and CMAAF Projects. The role will engage financial institutions, suppliers, and market actors to create catalytic financing models, expand credit access, and strengthen financial inclusion in target districts.
The Specialist ensures that OIM’s contribution to supply-side strengthening, MSME development, and capital deployment is effectively delivered — advancing the PRIME and CMAAF projects’ overarching goal of reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmer resilience.RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.Technical Management – Financial Inclusion & Market Systems

• Lead development of inclusive financing models for FL-RS, including lease-to-own, supplier credit, group lending, pre-financing, and blended finance arrangements.
• Conduct assessments of financial needs and readiness for farmers, cooperatives, and MSMEs operating drying, shelling, storage, and related service businesses.
• Establish partnerships and coordinate with Financial Service Providers (FSPs) and other institutions.
• Work with equipment suppliers and agro-dealers to support stock financing and strengthen the distribution of post-harvest technologies.
• Support MSMEs and cooperatives to become bankable, including in financial literacy, record keeping, pricing, and business planning.
• Provide technical guidance to MSME support teams to ensure sustainability and scalability of FL-RS business models.
• Conduct risk assessments and propose mitigation strategies for financial products supporting FL-RS adoption.
• Ensure all financing solutions integrate gender-responsive and youth-inclusive approaches.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Documentation & Reporting

• Track, review, and report on financial product performance, portfolio uptake, repayment trends, and MSME service delivery.
• Produce monthly, quarterly, and annual reports reflecting progress, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations.
• Maintain updated information on financial sector developments relevant to the project.
• Support field-level assessments, value chain analyses, and other MEL activities related to financial inclusion.
• Document successful financing models, case studies, and opportunities for scale and replication.

Stakeholder Coordination & Relationship Building

• Build and manage relationships with financial institutions, suppliers, agro-dealers, district authorities, cooperatives, and private-sector actors.
• Participate in district and national coordination platforms, including DAECC, agricultural working groups, and market linkage forums.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder agreements between farmers, MSMEs, suppliers, and financiers to strengthen the FL-RS ecosystem.
• Represent Opportunity International professionally and ethically in all engagements.
• Identify opportunities to expand OIM’s financial inclusion work and strengthen partnerships.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY     

• Business Development Officers

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Development Finance, Agricultural Economics, or related field. A master’s Degree in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working in financial inclusion, lending, MSME finance, agricultural finance, or market systems development.
• Strong understanding of Malawi’s financial sector, MSME environment, and agricultural value chains.
• Experience designing financial products or supporting credit operations within banks, MFIs, SACCOs, or development programs.
• Demonstrated ability to engage financial institutions, private sector actors, and cooperatives.
• Excellent analytical, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools, financial modelling, and digital financial services.
• Experience in donor-funded projects (AGRA experience is an asset).
• An understanding of and a commitment to advancing the mission and values of Opportunity International.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Written and verbal fluency in English, and additional 1 or 2 local languages required. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• Frequent travel (up to 60%) to project districts for stakeholder engagement, monitoring of MSMEs, financial institution coordination, and support to field officers.
• Occasional travel to other districts or regions for cross-learning, multi-stakeholder platforms, training events, or project review meetings.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: bachelor degree

Job application procedure

Interested candidates should review the full job description and submit their application through the links above.

Application Link: Click Here to Apply Now

Application Deadline: 18th March, 2026 – Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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