Technical Advisor Sr, Commercial Lending Partnerships

Overview

This remote role serves as a technical leader for commercial lending partnerships and innovative financing approaches that expand access to capital for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in priority areas including water-smart agriculture, drinking water, and sanitation linked to programming.

The Senior Technical Advisor (STA) leads the design, adaptation, and advancement of partnership models and financial structures that mobilize private-sector financing, with implementation focus across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

The STA works closely with the organization’s global innovative finance unit, regional and country teams, and relevant stakeholders to develop scalable approaches, technical guidance, and organizational learning that strengthen engagement with commercial lenders and the use of market-based financing solutions across regions.

Responsibilities

• Lead organizational strategy to strengthen commercial lending partnerships as mechanisms for advancing inclusive financing for SMEs and vulnerable populations in prioritized programmatic areas (water-smart agriculture, drinking water, youth and sanitation).
• Develop and oversee strategic relationships with leading commercial banks and financial institutions across the region, understanding banking priorities, lending restrictions, operational incentives, and risk appetites to inform programming globally.
• Serve as technical lead for commercial lending solutions for SMEs, including guarantees, first-loss structures, subordinated loans, technical assistance, and other financing mechanisms.
• Develop and document approaches, tools, and guidance that can be adapted across regional and country programs.
• Lead readiness processes and capacity-strengthening efforts for regional and country program teams to effectively engage financial institutions and implement market-based financing approaches.
• Promote cross-regional learning and knowledge exchange related to commercial lending partnerships and innovative finance.
• Support regional and country teams and ongoing initiatives (including Azure, Isidro Fund and Blue Harvest) by identifying opportunities for partnering and unlocking local lending from commercial banks, in collaboration with the organization’s global innovative finance team.
• Provide technical leadership for proposal development, project design, and ongoing program management related to commercial lending and blended finance to ensure alignment with organizational standards, donor requirements, and emerging industry practices.
• Contribute to knowledge management and the learning agenda for innovative finance by documenting promising practices, lessons learned, case studies, partnership models, and evidence from regional implementation.
• Monitor developments and emerging trends in commercial banking, impact investing, blended finance, and SME financing, advising leadership, regional teams, and country programs on opportunities to strengthen financing partnerships and resource mobilization strategies.
• Represent the organization at global and regional forums, networks, and partnerships related to SME lending, blended finance, and private-sector engagement to enhance profile and support sector learning and collaboration.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in finance, economics, business administration or related field.
• Ten years of work experience with progressive responsibilities in blended finance or related roles, ideally with an international NGO, commercial bank, or finance institution.
• At least five years of overseas experience in multiple regions as a technical advisor and/or program manager of a Commercial Lending Partnerships Program and/or a multi-sectoral project with a lending institution component.
• Track record working with donors, development banks, and funds to unlock local bank lending for SMEs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in agriculture and water sectors.
• Demonstrated experience working in multi-cultural teams, with LACRO (Latin and Central America region) experience strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep understanding of commercial bank priorities, lending restrictions, incentives, and operations, and/or experience working directly within commercial banks to execute SME lending.
• Extensive knowledge of finance structures and mechanisms used in development programming.
• Strong relationship management skills, including the ability to influence and gain buy-in from individuals not under direct supervision and to work effectively across diverse geographical and cultural settings.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems thinking skills, with the ability to see the big picture and make sound judgments.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proactive, resourceful, and results-oriented.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish required.

Travel

• Must be willing and able to travel up to 35%.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• No supervisory responsibilities.

Compensation & Benefits

• U.S.-based staff: comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.
• Candidates employed outside the U.S.: benefits packages are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the role will be performed.

Location

• This is a remote position. The organization will only consider candidates who are based in countries where existing offices are located.
• The organization prioritizes candidates who are citizens/permanent residents of countries where the organization has offices.

Compliance, Safeguarding, and Eligibility Requirements

• Offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed.
• Positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes may require a separate government-administered medical examination.
• The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to the organization’s Code of Conduct and support safeguarding commitments for children and vulnerable adults.

Disclaimer

• This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.