[Hiring] Senior Technical Advisor, Commercial Lending Partnerships @Catholic Relief Services | CRS

Role Description

The Senior Technical Advisor (STA), Commercial Lending Partnerships serves as a technical leader on commercial lending partnerships and innovative financing approaches that expand access to capital for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in critical areas such as water-smart agriculture, drinking water, and sanitation linked to CRS programming. The STA leads the design, adaptation, and advancement of partnership models and financial structures that mobilize private-sector financing in support of CRS Programming, while prioritizing implementation across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

• Lead CRS strategy for strengthening commercial lending partnerships as mechanisms for advancing inclusive financing for SMEs and vulnerable populations in prioritized programmatic areas such as water-smart agriculture, drinking water, youth, and sanitation.
• Develop and oversee strategic CRS’s relationships with leading commercial banks and financial institutions in the regions, while understanding their banking priorities, lending restrictions, operational incentives, and risk appetites that can inform programming globally.
• Serve as CRS's technical lead on commercial lending solutions for SMEs, including guarantees, first-loss structures, subordinated loans, technical assistance, and other financing mechanisms.
• Develop and document approaches, tools, and guidance that can be adapted across CRS regions and country programs.
• Lead the readiness process and capacity-strengthening efforts for regional and country program teams to effectively engage financial institutions and implement market-based financing approaches.
• Promote cross-regional learning and knowledge exchange related to commercial lending partnerships and innovative finance.
• Support regional and country teams, as well as ongoing initiatives such as Azure, Isidro Fund, and Blue Harvest identify opportunities for partnering and unlocking local lending from commercial banks, working closely with CRS’s global innovative finance team.
• Provide technical leadership in proposal development, project design, and ongoing program management-related to commercial lending and blended finance to ensure programming consistency with CRS standards, donor requirements, and emerging industry practices.
• Contribute to CRS's knowledge management and learning agenda for innovative finance by documenting promising practices, lessons learned, case studies, partnership models, and evidence from regional implementation for broader organizational use.
• Monitor developments and emerging trends in commercial banking, impact investing, blended finance, and SME financing, and advise CRS leadership, regional teams, and country programs on opportunities to strengthen financing partnerships and resource mobilization strategies.
• Represent CRS at global and regional forums, networks, and partnerships related to SME lending, blended finance, and private-sector engagement, enhancing CRS’s profile and contributing to sector learning and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Masters degree in finance, economics, business administration or related field.
• Ten years of work experience with progressive responsibilities in blended finance or related, ideally with an international NGO, commercial bank, or finance institution.
• Five years overseas experience in multiple regions as a technical advisor and/or program manager of a Commercial Lending Partnerships Program and/or multi-sectoral project with a lending institution component.
• Track record of working with donors, development banks, and funds to unlock local bank lending for SMEs.

Requirements

• Deep understanding of commercial bank priorities, lending restrictions, incentives, and operations, and/or experience working directly within commercial banks to execute SME lending.
• Extensive knowledge of finance structures and mechanisms used in development programming.
• Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proactive, resourceful and results oriented.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish required.
• Must be willing and able to travel up to 35%.

Benefits

• CRS offers U.S. based staff a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, and a generous retirement savings plan.
• Benefits packages for successful candidates employed outside the U.S. are based on the country of employment/in-country office where the candidate will perform the role.
• CRS' work culture is a collaborative, mission-driven culture committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.