Access to Finance Specialist

About the role

The Access to Finance Specialist will support the Enhancing Capacities of Young Women and Youth‑Led Enterprises for Regional Trade (ECoWYERT) project, a UNDP‑coordinated initiative funded by the Mastercard Foundation. Based in Lusaka, the specialist will help youth‑ and women‑led MSMEs in six African countries access finance and develop market‑ready businesses.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement access‑to‑finance interventions for youth‑ and women‑led enterprises.
• Provide business development support, including financial planning and market analysis.
• Facilitate digital inclusion and market‑access activities to connect enterprises with regional value chains.
• Support policy and regulatory advocacy to improve the financing ecosystem for MSMEs.
• Coordinate with project partners – ITC, COMFWB, TDB – and monitor progress across Botswana, DRC, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Required profile

• Experience in development finance, MSME support, or youth‑economic empowerment.
• Familiarity with the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and regional trade dynamics.
• Proven ability to work with multi‑stakeholder partnerships in an international development context.

Required skills

• Financial analysis
• Project management
• MSME development
• Stakeholder engagement

What we offer

• Opportunity to contribute to a high‑impact UNDP project across six African countries.
• Collaboration with leading development and trade institutions.
• Professional growth in finance inclusion and regional trade.