Organizational Unit: FACMB - FAO Representation in Cambodia
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)
Grade Level: N/A
Duration: 8 months with possibility of extension
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The main aim of the FAO Representation in Cambodia is to assist government to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
The Public-Social-Private Partnerships for Ecologically-Sound Agriculture and Resilient Livelihood in Northern Tonle Sap Basin (PEARL) is a six-year project (2023 – 2029), funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This adaptation project aims to enhance the climate resilience of farmers and local communities in the Northern Tonle Sap Basin (Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey) through public-social-private partnerships and improved access to growing segments of premium agricultural product market while ensuring climate-resilient practices.
To support the market-led transition to climate-resilient agriculture, the project has established the Farmer-led Agricultural Resilience Mechanism (FARM) under Outcome 2. The FARM mechanism is designed to assist smallholder farmers and other small-scale local value chain actors in acquiring the technologies and infrastructure assets necessary for adopting climate-resilient and high-value agricultural production and processing. Through the FARM, the project will support 124 Farmer Organizations (FOs) including agricultural cooperatives (ACs), Community Protected Areas (CPAs), Community Forests (CFs), producer groups (PGs), and agricultural unions to develop customized business plans in partnership with public extension services, private sector actors, and NGO partners. These business plans will be co-financed through matching grants under the FARM mechanism, with a focus on catalysing private sector investment and inclusive public-social-private partnerships (PSPPs). In addition to co-investment, FARM will also provide technical assistance for business and financial management and strengthen the governance capacity of farmer organizations to ensure a just and sustainable transition.
The Technical Specialist (Access to Finance) supports the implementation of Result 2.2 of the PEARL project by providing continuous technical assistance to strengthen climate-resilient agricultural finance and enhance the financial functionality of the FARM mechanism. The specialist’s role includes supporting investment readiness of business plans, facilitating partnerships with financial service providers, and building capacity for inclusive and sustainable rural finance.
Reporting Lines
The Technical Specialist (Access to Finance) reports directly to the Component 2 Lead (Technical Advisor on Agribusiness and Value Chains) and works under the technical oversight of Lead Technical Officer (LTO) in the FAO regional office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and relevant technical units at FAO headquarters and under the overall supervision of Senior Project Manager (SPO) and FAO Representative (FAOR) in Cambodia.
Technical Focus
The position is aimed to strengthen climate-resilient agricultural finance within the PEARL project by improving access to inclusive financial services for smallholder farmers and farmer organizations. The role emphasizes designing and implementing innovative financial products, assessing investment readiness, and supporting bankable business plans under the FARM mechanism. It involves facilitating partnerships with financial service providers, promoting co-financing models, and building capacity for financial literacy and management. The Technical Specialist (Access to Finance) will ensure that financial solutions are gender-responsive, climate-aligned, and scalable, contributing to sustainable rural finance systems and enhancing resilience in priority value chains across the Northern Tonle Sap Basin.
The position will require frequent travel to project provinces (Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, and Oddar Meanchey) to meet stakeholders, assess capacity, and support field implementation. All travel must be approved in advance and will be reimbursed according to FAO rules and procedures.
Tasks and Responsibilities
Technical Support for Rural Financial Inclusion
Support
the design and implementation of inclusive financial access approaches
that enable smallholder farmers, FOs, and agribusinesses to adopt
climate-resilient technologies and practices.
• Assess financial capacity and investment readiness of target farmer organizations under the FARM mechanism.
• Review
and strengthen the financial structure and co-financing proposals in
the business plans submitted by farmer organizations.
• Contribute to the support to agro-insurance development provided by the project.
• Identify existing value chain finance models in target commodities and propose options to scale them within the project.
• Design
climate-aligned loan products with FSPs (seasonal working capital,
input credit, equipment finance, warehouse-receipt, invoice/PO finance,
leasing), with draft term sheets, pricing bands, grace/tenor options,
collateral substitutes, and gender-responsive eligibility.
FARM Mechanism and Business Plan Support
• Provide
technical inputs to the FARM financial procedures, including financial
eligibility criteria, disbursement governance, and FO contribution
model.
• Conduct
financial reviews of business plans submitted under the FARM mechanism
from a banking perspective, ensuring feasibility, investment logic and
cost-efficiency.
• Collaborate
with service providers and provincial teams to improve financial
documentation of FOs, improving financial projections, budgeting and
loan-readiness documentation in FO plans.
• Contribute
to FARM –related knowledge products and internal guidance notes on
financial performance, leverage and lessons learned.
• Review
FO plans from a lender’s point of view and convert to bankable
packages: financial statements (basic), cash-flow, break-even,
sensitivity to yield/price/shock, insurance uptake, and repayment
calendars aligned to harvest.
• Define minimum documentation sets for each product type and a checklist aligned with ARDB/MFI requirements.
Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Coordination
• Map
and assess bank/MFI/ARDB/insurer products and underwriting rules;
publish a product catalogue with eligibility, KYC, fees, APR/EIR,
collateral, and approval timelines.
• Facilitate dialogue between selected FOs and financial institutions for business plan financing and co-investment.
• Identify
key barriers to agricultural finance for the partner FOs in the project
and propose strategies to support the FOs to successfully connect to
finance providers.
• Support
the implementation of tailored financial products (e.g., seasonal
loans, equipment finance, leasing, insurance) and delivery models with
selected financial service providers.
• Run
lender roundtables per province; curate FO–bank matchmaking sessions;
maintain a live pipeline of applications with stage gates (submitted,
appraised, approved, disbursed).
• Negotiate
portfolio-level arrangements: indicative caps, simplified documentation
for FOs, seasonal grace periods, and partial risk-sharing options where
available.
Capacity Building and Policy Engagement
• Contribute
to the design and review of financial literacy and financial management
training materials prepared by service providers, ensuring consistency
with FARM guidelines and FAO standards.
• Deliver
financial literacy and basic financial management training to
stakeholders, with attention to gender inclusion and adaptation of
relevance.
• Build
the capacity of subnational agencies, extension service providers and
project partners to provide basic advisory services on rural finance
access and co-financing processes.
• Provide
technical inputs to multi-stakeholder platforms, unions and technical
working groups on incentives for agricultural finance, including links
to certifications, agro-insurance, and climate-aligned lending.
• Liaise
with MAFF, ARDB, MoE, MoC, and other partners to promote
climate-sensitive financial products to be integrated into broader
institutional and policy frameworks.
• Train PDAFF/CAO/service-provider coaches on lender documentation and pipeline tracking.
• Provide inputs to MAFF/ARDB on climate-aligned lending parameters and certification-linked incentives.
Minimum Requirements
University degree in finance, agricultural economics, business administration, rural development, or a related field.
At least 5 years of professional experience in rural finance, agricultural credit, value-chain financing, or financial inclusion.
Working knowledge of English (C1) and fluency in Khmer
National of Cambodia
FAO Core Competencies
Results Focus
Teamwork
Communication
Building Effective Relationships
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, preferably in rural development or agricultural finance projects.
- Experience in designing and implementing inclusive financial products for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses.
- Experience in assessing business plans, investment readiness, and facilitating partnerships with financial service providers.
- Experience working with farmer organizations (FOs), agricultural cooperatives (ACs), and producer groups in Cambodia, particularly in the context of enterprise development or market access.
- Familiarity with value chains of high-value crops such as cashew, mango, rice, and vegetables, and knowledge of premium market standards.
- Strong coordination and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to liaise between financial institutions, government agencies, and rural stakeholders.
- Willingness to travel frequently to project sites in Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey, and Preah Vihear provinces.
Moreinfo: https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en
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