Habitat for Humanity International Nepal Vacancy for Sr. Manager – Housing Finance and Markets

No. of vacancies: 1 (One)
Date of Announcement: 15 January 2025
Duration: One Year and Extendable
Location: Kathmandu
Reports to: Program Director
Field Visits: 50% travel to project areas

Core Function

Habitat Nepal’s country strategy for housing market systems and housing finance in Nepal calls for an expanded role in market approaches to housing improvement for low-income communities. The Senior Manager will be responsible for developing and implementing the financial inclusion strategy for Nepal by working closely with the financial institutions and helping them develop/refine housing finance products. The position will also support a new and evolving work of the housing finance system. The position also provides strategic leadership, management, and oversight of programs to expand Habitat’s work with housing market actors in the country. The position requires working with private sector firms and the other departments of the Nepal office, requiring exceptional interpersonal and consulting skills.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Financial Inclusion and Housing Finance

•  Guides the implementation of the Financial Inclusion Strategy in Nepal and provides inputs for further developing the strategy
•  Work closely with financial intermediaries (including microfinance institutions, digital platforms, FinTechs, NGOs, and banks) and help them develop/refine affordable housing finance and housing microfinance products by delivering a range of advisory services such as market design, process mapping, product design, pilot planning, and training, development of housing support services, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Work with the microfinance associations and identify the levers for system changes in the market including policy reforms, market infrastructure, etc.
•  Work closely with the other departments on housing-related initiatives and embed financial services’ linkages

Market Systems

• Lead the design and oversee implementation of the market-based component of various projects.
• Provide technical expertise to the team members managing project activities such as: coordinating with internal staff involved in implementation, overseeing external consultants, collaborating with partner organizations, and contributing to management plans.
• Build capacity of project teams to implement Habitat Nepal’s market systems approach.
• Provide technical guidance and leadership to new business opportunities, develop proposal content and serve as technical or contributing writer or subject matter expert.

Project and Staff Management

• Manage the market systems and financial inclusion partnerships in the country by serving as a project manager and relationship manager for the engagements
• Implements and monitors key strategic metrics such as Standards of Excellence (SOE) and Global Matrix Tool (GMT) for housing finance
• Assures quality for technical assistance and advisory engagements, including project resources and deliverables
• Work closely with the international housing finance and market system teams, and adapt best practices, tools, and frameworks at the country level.
• Oversees budget of the programs dedicated to financial inclusion
•  Ensure timely and high-quality donor reporting

Networking and Representation

• Influences the sector to allocate more capital to housing by sharing learnings and experience from Habitat’s financial inclusion and market system initiatives.

Knowledge Management and Business Development

• Prepare technical briefs, reports, and presentations after synthesizing learnings from across the projects and help position HFH Nepal as a thought leader in the affordable housing finance
  space.
• Develop collaterals such as concept notes, proposals, pitch decks, etc., for donors and investors
• Donor identification and proposal development

Other responsibilities

• Ensure appropriate dissemination of meeting minutes, assessment reports and other information products to relevant partners.
• Represent Habitat Nepal in relevant fora, conferences, and meetings at local, national and international levels as required.
• Keep up to date with knowledge on land and housing policies in Nepal.
•  Keep up to date with the seven-step planning process.
•  Coordinate and support other departments as and when required.

Safeguarding

In accordance with its foundational mission principles, Habitat for Humanity International is committed to the highest ethical standards and opposes all forms of discrimination, exploitation, and abuse. We intend
to create and maintain a work and living environment that is safe, productive, and respectful for our colleagues and for all we serve. We require that all staff take seriously their ethical responsibilities to
Safeguarding (Child Protection, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Harassment and Abuse) our intended beneficiaries, their communities (especially children), and all those with whom we work. In line with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, all staff must pass a thorough background screening, police check and will be held accountable to upholding our policies around ethical behaviour, including safeguarding and whistleblowing. Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop
systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of Habitat for Humanity’s code of conduct.

Education Qualification and Professional Experience

•  Master’s degree in economics, business, finance, international development or any other relevant discipline.
• Minimum seven years of experience in microfinance, market system development, housing finance, or inclusive finance related business with progressively increasing responsibility.
• Experience developing and/or managing projects.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the housing ecosystem.
• Ability to provide guidance and facilitate the staff, partner, through knowledge and experience on the technical area.
• With good writing and communications skills in English and Nepali.
• Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, research studies and advocacy initiatives.
• Self-organized, strong interpersonal, planning and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to build respectful relationship with the government, partner organizations and other networks.
• Commitment to travel in the field.

Preferred Competencies

•  Upholds highest organizational and ethical norms and maintains high standards of integrity and trustworthiness.
•  Works well in teams with a preference for transparency and collegial decision-making with an attitude to learn and share knowledge.
•  Balances the needs and interests of various stakeholders, internal and external, while determining priorities and allocates time and resources effectively.
•  Demonstrated ability to work with external partners to deliver project results.
•  Capacity to write and oversee writing of technical proposals, concepts note for grants.
•  Capacity to write and oversee writing of policy documents such as local level strategies, acts, guidelines.
•  Strong computer skills, especially the MS Suite.

Habitat for Humanity Nepal is an equal opportunity organization. Women, persons with disabilities, marginalized and disadvantaged communities are encouraged to apply.

It can be applied through www.merojob.com/habitatnepal.

Application submission deadline is 29 January 2025

Human Resources Department, Habitat for Humanity Nepal

We strive to keep our recruitment process consistent and fair. Only shortlisted candidates will be
notified