Financial Linkages Specialist - CARE International

CARE began operations in Ghana in 1994 by working to educate mining areas about sexual health and the prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. CARE Ghana now works with more than 40 partner organizations to implement a portfolio of projects worth about US$9 million annually in 150 districts across the country, from our main office in Accra and sub-offices in Kumasi, Sunyani and Tamale.

For 30 years, CARE has been working in Ghana to improve livelihoods and achieve social justice through interventions that address the underlying causes of poverty. Our programming focuses on food and nutrition security and social and economic empowerment, with women and youth as our impact group.

Job Description

CARE Ghana is excited to invite your applications for a new job opening in our programs and operations. Not only do we offer exceptional opportunities for career growth for Ghanaians especially women and young people, but we are also proud to welcome talented people such as yourself into the global CARE community where our core values of Transformation, Integrity, Diversity, Equality and Excellence are the benchmarks against which we measure ourselves as leaders and employees.

If you share these values and our passion for saving lives, defeating poverty, and achieving social justice, then CARE Ghana is the place for you. We hire and nurture great people from diverse backgrounds, abilities, and identities, striving every day and at all levels to build and sustain an inclusive workplace and a sense of belonging for our teams. Your well-being and satisfaction with your job in CARE Ghana matter as much to us as your performance.  Our compensation and benefits package are generous, and we offer flexible working conditions to enable you to enjoy life outside of work, and as part of our commitment to equity. 

At CARE, we recognize that skills and expertise can come from a range of experiences from work and life, in addition to education or past job titles. As such, we welcome applications from dynamic, curious, and creative Ghanaians with a passion for learning and problem-solving.

Interested? If yes, please see details below:

JOB PROFILE

CARE Ghana is seeking a highly strategic and results-driven Financial Linkages Specialist who will play a key role in strengthening the financial inclusion component of our socio-economic empowerment programs. The specialist will be responsible for facilitating access to formal and informal financial services for program beneficiaries, including savings, credit, insurance, and digital finance.

This position involves engaging financial institutions, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to design and implement innovative financial solutions tailored to the needs of the Opportunity Pathways for Entrepreneurship (OP-EN) project participants. The objective is to facilitate the financial linkage for VSLAs and their members by ensuring that the products and services provided by the institutions are adapted to the needs, aspirations and contexts of VSLA members in rural areas.

The Financial Linkages Specialist will report directly to the Project Manager and will be stationed in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE

Financial impact analysis and monitoring

• Assess barriers to access to financial services for target groups
• Monitor economic performance indicators and financial empowerment of beneficiaries including the financial and operational performance of partner FSPs to ensure the sustainability of the FSP and therefore safety of the participants’ savings and future access to products and services.
• Draft analysis reports and strategic recommendations
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of financial linkage interventions and contribute to impact assessments and learning
• Assess the financial needs and capacities of project participants (e.g., farmers, youth, women, small enterprises) and design appropriate financial access strategies.

Technical support to field teams

• Provide technical support and training to staff, community groups, and partners on financial literacy and linkage mechanisms
• Participate in the implementation of financial education programs for target populations
• Train and mentor VSLA members, community facilitators, and microfinance institution staff on financial management, loan applications, and repayment strategies.
• Ensure that financial inclusion approaches are gender-sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable.
• Document case studies, best practices, and lessons learned to inform program improvement and scaling

Partnership and Financial Inclusion Liaison

• Identify and mobilize local financial institutions (MFIs, banks, fintech, mobile money operators) as partners
• Facilitate discussions between beneficiary communities and financial institutions
• Contribute to the co-design of adapted financial products (microcredit, savings, inclusive insurance, etc.).
• Represent CARE on various national and international financial inclusion platforms.
• Establish and maintain relationships with microfinance institutions, cooperatives and other financial service providers to facilitate access to financial services for rural communities.

Monitoring, Evaluation and innovation

• Monitor broader economic, political, regulatory trends that directly impact the microfinance/financial inclusion/banking sector, risk as well as innovations in inclusive finance (fintech, blockchain, risk analysis tools, alternative scoring)
• Propose innovative solutions adapted to realities on the ground
• Participate in sector-specific working groups (clusters, microfinance networks, etc.).
• Analyze financial data, identify trends, and develop solutions to improve financial performance.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to assess VSLA functionality, track loan repayment rates, and identify areas for improvement
• Prepare detailed reports on VSLA performance, loan uptake, and financial health, highlighting success stories and challenges.

Required Skills or Experience

Knowledge

• Proficiency in English and local language(s) and knowledge of the local financial ecosystem is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in community mobilization and engagement on projects related to financial inclusion
• Good knowledge of the financial inclusion ecosystem in Ghana
• Demonstrated ability to engage and negotiate with financial institutions and service providers.
• Demonstrated knowledge in partnership and market research

Experience

• At least 3–5 years of relevant experience in financial inclusion, microfinance, or economic development—preferably within the INGO or development sector.
• Experience in designing financial products
• Strong understanding of financial products and services, including digital finance and informal finance models e.g. VSLA.
• Experience in negotiating with financial institutions for products and services adapted to vulnerable populations
• Experience with gender mainstreaming and working with vulnerable populations is an asset.
• Experience in module development and training in financial education
• Experience in qualitative research and design
• Experience in financial inclusion clusters
• Experience in providing technical support to financial inclusion projects

Skills

• Excellent facilitation, communication, and interpersonal skills, community mobilization.
• Good command of standard software: Word, Excel, Access, Power Point;
• Excellent negotiation skills, intercultural communication and multi-actor coordination
• Excellent command (written and oral) of English and good writing skills
• Skills in training and capacity building

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Development Studies, Microfinance, Business Administration, or a related field is required.
• A Master’s degree in any of the above fields will be considered an added advantage.

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