Gender, Rural Finance and Financial Inclusion Specialist

Delivers the planning phase of FAO’s Sierra Leone work on gender-responsive rural finance, producing diagnostics, assessment tools, targeting protocols and a co-designed pilot package for women farmers.

• Develop the diagnostic study methodology and instruments with FAO technical teams
• Conduct desk review, policy mapping and stakeholder mapping
• Lead field data collection through interviews, focus groups and surveys
• Develop the VSLA maturity and autonomy assessment tool
• Analyse data and produce the draft and final diagnostic reports
• Develop value chain and geography selection criteria and propose the pilot district
• Convene consultations with women, financial institutions and government
• Produce the co-designed pilot package, rollout plan and lean MEL plan

• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, finance, development studies, gender and development, social sciences or a related field
• At least five years of relevant professional experience in rural finance with additional expertise in financial inclusion, gender-responsive programming or applied research on rural development
• Experience carrying out rural finance needs and market assessments focused on rural women's financial inclusion using qualitative and, where possible, quantitative methods with sex- and age-disaggregated analysis
• Experience working with VSLAs, cooperatives or community-based financial institutions in Sierra Leone or West Africa
• Knowledge of Sierra Leone's financial sector landscape, including the NSFI 2022-2026, GEWE Act 2022 with 2024 Regulations and Feed Salone Programme
• Working knowledge of English at level C
• National of Sierra Leone

• Plan phase covers July to December 2026
• Handover support to the Service Provider is expected from January to March 2027
• Appointment is subject to medical fitness certification, accreditation, residency or visa requirements and security clearances
• Applications must be submitted through the FAO recruitment portal with a letter of motivation