About the Organization

Root Capital is a Non-Bank Financial Institution (NBFI) founded in 1999 as an NGO with a mission to support the growth of agricultural enterprises so they can transform rural communities. This support takes the form of finance and technical advisory services (“Credit + Capacity”). The businesses Root works with, from farmer cooperatives and associations to local processors and millers, purchase crops such as coffee, cocoa, nuts, or grains from smallholder farmers and in most cases export to global markets. With growth, they become engines of impact that can raise incomes, create jobs, empower women and young people, and preserve vulnerable ecosystems. Root Capital supplies these businesses with vital resources: access to capital, trade and technical partners, financial, management and other forms of capacity building training, and advice and support to enhance bankability, gender equity and opportunity, climate resilience, and youth employment. Root works in hard-to-serve geographies where others don’t go and serves clients whom the local financial institutions are reluctant to support. To date, Root has loaned over $1.8 billion to improve the lives of over ten million people in farming communities.

Root has been a widely recognized pioneer in areas like bankability, access to finance and gender equity, and is building on this success to enhance its focus on climate resilience and youth employment. Root takes pride in its rigorous monitoring and evaluation of projects, in learning from its experience, and in proactively seeking the input of its clients and counterparts to remain “global enough to matter, regional enough to act” with agility and creativity. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital currently works in over 15 countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, and Kenya. Root’s global staff is 145 and growing rapidly to address our ambitious 5-year strategy to both broaden and deepen our reach in our target agricultural communities.

About our Advisory Services

Root Capital helps enterprises—often earlier stage businesses—overcome critical challenges, improve their ability to acquire and manage financing, and strengthen their governance and resilience, through interactive and tailored training. Advisory services are available to potential borrowers and existing lending clients through either centralized workshops or customized training. Enterprises participating in our customized training benefit from one-on-one consulting with experts in SGB’s management. We work directly with each enterprise to assess their current practices, develop a customized plan, and provide on-site training for enterprise staff to put new knowledge and practices into action. Our training curriculum is constantly evolving, to best answer our clients’ needs, and provide them with a high-quality and comprehensive support. Our Advisory services currently cover the following areas: financial management, governance & leadership, agronomic planning & climate resilience, business intelligence & data management, gender equity & youth engagement.

Position Overview

The Global Advisory Associate supports the operational and administrative management of the Advisory Service program globally. This role coordinates the global Advisory data and information management, and provides administrative and logistical support to the global Advisory management team. This role reports to the Senior Director – Global Advisory, and coordinates closely with the Advisory Quality Assurance Manager and the Regional Advisory Associates, as well as with the Client Operations, Impact and Grants Management teams.

Responsibilities

Advisory Data and information management (50%)

Data quality and reporting

• Participate in controlling and ensuring the quality of the information on Advisory activities globally. Compile and clean current and historical data.
• Lead the Monthly validation of Advisory Information related to Advisory Services, Events, and Participants information.
• Contribute to the periodic review of Agribusiness Diagnostic, Talent Partnerships, and Resilience Grants records.
• Create and coordinate the Advisory Quarterly Qualitative Inputs tool with the regional Advisory teams, and circulate the deliverable to other teams.
• Consolidate information and perform basic data analysis for the preparation of internal reports on Advisory activities and indicators, such as the monthly performance dashboard.
• Manage the advisors database and update of general advisors’ information, in close coordination with the Regional Advisory Associates.

Information exchange

• Coordinate Advisory team meetings, assist with scheduling, setting agendas, note-taking, and follow-up. Schedule and support preparation of Advisory team presentations. Support with internal survey elaboration, translation, implementation, and analysis.
• Ensure all relevant information on the advisors is up-to-date, available by region, consolidated globally, and available to regional managers as well as organizational senior leadership.
• Provide inputs and contribute to the development of materials, visuals, and talking points, for internal and external Advisory communication and marketing purposes, in close coordination with the Communication teams.

Global Advisory Administration and Logistics (25%)

• Support Global Advisory Management in the preparation of documents: terms of reference for contracting, minutes of meetings and emails, review and correction of agreements, contracts, letters, as well as the translation of these according to the quality criteria required by it.
• Participate in budget planning, execution, and monitoring of the Advisory Management budget and resources. Invoice processing for expenses related to the Advisory Management budget.
• Support in the development of processes and mechanisms that favor budget efficiency: travel costs, event costs, etc.
• Responsible for preparing expense reports, and managing payment and reimbursement, for the following: Senior Director – Global Advisory and Advisory Quality Assurance Manager.
• Support to the Global Advisory Manager and Advisory Quality Assurance Manager, in the management of their work schedules and travel logistics (ticket purchase, reservations for lodging, registration to events, trip schedule).
• Liaise with the Accounting team for the update and roll-out of cross-cutting and global administrative and budget processes.
• Support with the coordination and organization of Advisory global events (such as Advisory team retreat) or strategic visits (donors, board of directors) that involve several regions.

Global Advisory Processes and Systems (25%)

• Participate in the update and roll-out of cross-cutting and global logistical and operational processes and tools; support team onboarding, training, and guidance; ensure advisors’ access to systems; contribute to process manuals and user guides as required.
• Support the Advisory Quality Assurance Manager in the development and roll-out of processes and templates for the Advisory team and contracting management: selection, activity planning, reporting, payments.
• Contribute to the content development and update of Advisory knowledge management systems, including the Advisory intranet portal, the Advisory Box folder, and all other resource repository and sharing mechanisms.
• Contribute to the Learning Management System for Advisory: Build and clean courses for Advisors learning process, provide support to the Advisory Quality Assurance Manager and to the Advisory regional teams to develop and upload content.
• Conduct the Annual Advisory Nomenclature update with the coordination and revision of services and themes portfolio delivered to our clients.
• Conduct or coordinate all necessary translation of Advisory tools and material as required. Lead collaborative mapping of translation providers, provide guidance on relevant providers to use and invest in, develop an Advisory vocabulary guide that translators can use.
• Propose improvements to existing systems and contribute to overall efficient management of Advisory resources, team, and processes.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economic Development or related field.
• At least four years of professional experience in project management, systems management, administrative and/or logistics support, ideally within a multi-geography context or teams.
• And at least two years of professional experience in data analysis, monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, or other relevant work incorporating quantitative and qualitative management of information.
• Strong analytical abilities and quantitative skills; experience with data collection, management, cleaning, and analysis required. Proven ability to produce clear reports for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Attention to detail. Very strong organization and project management skills, including the ability to prioritize, multitask, meet deadlines, and manage roles independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and in Spanish.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. User experience with Salesforce is preferred.
• Service-oriented and system-oriented mindset with the ability to proactively identify and address team and program needs; creative thinker and proactive problem solver.
• Basic knowledge of accounting processes preferred.
• Strong commitment and empathy with the Root Capital mission and vision. Interest in working with small and medium rural businesses.
• Have the legal authorization to work in any country with a Root Capital registered office, proximity to the CST time zone preferred.

How to Apply

More information about Root Capital is available at www.rootcapital.org. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply using the company site as soon as possible, making sure to include a resume and cover letter that describes your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position. Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.

U.S applicants: Root Capital Inc. participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government your I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information, see here. Learn more about your right to work.

Root Capital provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that upholds our leadership principles of empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.