General

Description of assignment title: Rural Finance Officer

Assignment country: Côte d'Ivoire

Duty stations: Abidjan

Work location: UN Premises

Expected start date: 03/31/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal: 13. Climate action

Host entity: IFAD CIV

Modality: Onsite

Type: International

Volunteer category: Specialist (2025)

Work arrangement: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized United Nations agency and an international financial institution dedicated to ending rural poverty and hunger. Since 1978, IFAD has mobilized more than USD 25 billion in low-interest loans and grants, creating opportunities for millions of smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs in developing countries.
• In Côte d'Ivoire, IFAD aligns its support with national strategies to foster resilient, inclusive, and sustainable rural economies. Programmes aim to boost agricultural productivity, safeguard natural resources, and build resilience against climate shocks and market volatility. IFAD prioritizes investments that empower women, youth, and marginalized groups to improve food security and household incomes. Through partnerships with government bodies, farmers' organizations, the private sector, and other development actors, IFAD finances high-impact rural projects that directly advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Country Office ensures climate adaptation and sound environmental management form a core part of its operations, helping rural communities secure long-term livelihoods and stronger food systems.

Context:

• Agriculture contributes over 20% of Côte d'Ivoire's GDP and provides livelihoods for nearly two-thirds of the population. However, most small-scale producers remain outside formal financial systems. Microfinance institutions reach only a fraction of rural areas, and most available financial products fail to meet the needs of low-income farmers. High collateral requirements, limited service coverage, and lack of tailored credit instruments restrict the ability of rural households to invest in production or adapt to market shocks. IFAD addresses these challenges by incorporating inclusive rural finance into its country programme. Ongoing interventions expand access to village savings groups, promote digital financial tools, and strengthen partnerships with microfinance networks to reach women, youth, and marginalized communities.

Task description:

• Under the direct supervision of the Country Programme Coordinator, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Contribute to the technical design, supervision, and implementation of rural finance components across IFAD-funded projects.
• Review and analyse rural finance delivery models supported by IFAD; assess their sustainability, outreach, affordability, and relevance to target groups.
• Support financial inclusion strategies tailored to smallholders, women, and youth, including savings groups, digital finance, value chain finance, and blended financing.
• Participate in the identification of barriers to rural financial access and propose solutions to enhance outreach and service quality.
• Engage with rural financial service providers, regulators, fintechs, and development partners to strengthen partnerships and expand access to finance.
• Prepare analytical inputs, mission reports, results summaries and contribute to corporate-rate reporting systems (e.g., ORMS, GRIPS).
• Support the monitoring of rural finance indicators, documentation of good practices, and knowledge exchange across projects.
• Assist in organizing learning events, partner consultations and technical workshops related to rural finance.
• Carry out any other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Donor priorities:

• .

Nationality: Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Additional eligibility criteria:

• This assignment is funded by the Government of Korea and therefore specific criteria apply:
• - Candidates must be Korean nationals.
• - Candidates must be 27 years of age at the time of application.
• - Candidates who have already served as UN Volunteer Specialist funded by the Government of Korea are not eligible to apply (former UN University and UN Youth Volunteers are eligible).
• - Serving UN Volunteers will not be considered for other UN Volunteer assignments until they reach three (3) months before the End of Contract date of their current UN Volunteer assignment. This provision applies equally to first and subsequent contracts.
• - Candidates may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the 'Additional remarks' field when filling in the application form.
• - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment.
• APPLICATION DEADLINE: 8 February 2026
• +++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in in finance, development economics, agricultural economics, rural development, or a related discipline.
• Competencies and Values
• ☒ Accountability
• ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility
• ☒ Building Trust
• ☠Client Orientation
• ☒ Commitment and Motivation
• ☠Commitment to Continuous Learning
• ☒ Communication
• ☠Creativity
• ☠Empowering Others
• ☠Ethics and Values
• ☒ Integrity
• ☠Judgement and Decision-making
• ☒ Knowledge Sharing
• ☒ Leadership
• ☠Managing Performance
• ☒ Planning and Organizing
• ☒ Professionalism
• ☒ Respect for Diversity
• ☒ Self-Management
• ☒ Technological Awareness
• ☠Vision
• ☒ Working in Teams

Skills and experience:

• Sound understanding of inclusive rural finance mechanisms, risk-sharing tools, and digital financial solutions.
• Familiarity with financial literacy promotion, women/youth-targeted products, and community finance.
• Capacity to assess financial products and delivery models; ability to provide operational recommendations.
• Strong analytical and communication skills; ability to draft technical reports and presentations.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, Word, and financial analysis software; knowledge of IFAD tools and platforms (GRIPS, ORMS) is desirable.

Area(s) of expertise:

• Economics and finance, Agriculture, Development programmes

Driving license:

• -

Other information