Senior Associate

Department:
Business Development Unit (BDU)

Reports To:
Senior Assistant Coordinator

Location:
SAJIDA Foundation Head Office

Position Summary

The Senior Associate – BDU will provide comprehensive support to the Sr. Assistant Coordinator in managing SAJIDA's special projects, product development initiatives, microfinance process improvements, and fundraising efforts. The role will involve coordinating with internal departments, external partners, and development agencies to ensure the timely execution of pilot projects, product rollouts, and fundraising pipelines. The Senior Associate will be responsible for research, analysis, documentation, and operational follow-through to enable efficient project delivery and scaling.

Key Responsibilities

1. Partnership and Project Management – Special Projects (Accion & IFC)

• Assist in managing collaborations with Accion and IFC, including scheduling, coordination, and follow-up of stakeholder meetings.
• Draft and format project documentation such as concept notes, operational plans, strategies, and budgets.
• Coordinate with internal units (Microfinance, MIS/IT, Risk Management, Legal, HR, and Operations) to align on deliverables.
• Support data collection, analysis, and reporting to feed into the Accion credit scoring model and IFC's 360 assessment review.
• Aid in tracking pilot activities, monitor progress, and prepare periodic updates and reports for internal and external stakeholders.

2. Product Development – Consumer Financing

• Support the development and rollout of consumer financing project - Coordinate, manage, and liase with Microfinance field operations team, internal and external stakeholders for end-to-end operations management to monitor progress and maintain documentation.
• Assist in drafting and refining SOPs, incentive structures, training modules, and member selection strategies.
• Aid in track pilot branch performance, consolidate sales and repayment data, and prepare analysis for decision-making.
• Support in preparing business models, projections, and portfolio reports and documentation.

3. Process Development – Microfinance Operations

• Conduct process mapping exercises across microfinance units and sub-units to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Assist in developing and documenting new frameworks, SOPs, and monitoring tools to improve operational efficiency.
• Support the design and pilot testing of digitalisation/automation initiatives in collaboration with the MIS/IT Unit.
• Collect feedback from field staff during pilots and prepare structured reports for refinement and scale-up.
• Draft and prepare presentations, briefing notes all documentation for internal and external stakeholders on proposed process changes.

4. Microfinance Fundraising

• Conduct thorough market research to identify potential fundraising opportunities focused on microfinance, innovation, and alternative financing.
• Support in preparing drafts of concept notes, proposals, and pitch decks for prospective donors, investors, and financial institutions.
• Track fundraising leads, maintain the fundraising pipeline tracker, and prepare regular updates for senior leadership.
• Collaborate with the Partnership & Fundraising Unit to align microfinance fundraising initiatives with the organisation's broader strategy.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Finance, Marketing, Business Administration, Development Studies or a related field.
• 1–2 years of experience in project management, partnerships, microfinance, development programmes, or consulting.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and data analysis; experience with financial modelling is an advantage.
• Excellent drafting and documentation skills (concept notes, proposals, SOPs, and reports).
• Strong coordination and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to liaise effectively across departments and with external partners.
• Ability to work independently under tight deadlines and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Benefits and Compensation

Salary with Contributory Provident Fund, Gratuity, Mobile & Internet allowance, Life & Medical insurance, Festival Bonus and Performance Bonus.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit an online application through the link below by 18 October 2025.

Application link:

SAJIDA Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Women and persons with special needs are encouraged to apply.