About Alterfin
Alterfin’s mission is to enhance the livelihoods and living conditions of socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and communities, with a strong focus on rural areas in low- and middle-income countries worldwide.
To achieve this, Alterfin provides both financial and non-financial services to Microfinance Institutions and Smallholder Sustainable Agriculture Organizations by:
- Raising funds, primarily from individual investors and socially responsible institutions,
- Structuring and promoting ethical and sustainable investments,
- Networking and collaborating with like-minded organisations.
Founded in 1994 as a cooperative society through a collaboration between NGOs and ethical banks, Alterfin now brings together around 5,899 private citizens and institutional shareholders. By the end of 2024, Alterfin had a Total Portfolio of Investments under Management and Advisory of EUR 133 million, invested through 143 partner organisations across 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The portfolio consists of 64% investments in Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), 34% in sustainable agriculture organisations working across 13 value chains and 2% in funds under Alterfin’s advisory.
Context & position summary
Alterfin is on a dynamic impact journey, developing and implementing a sophisticated Environmental and Social Performance Management System (ESMS) in line with its broader Impact Strategy.
We are seeking an Environmental & Social Impact Manager to lead the continuous development and management of Alterfin’s environmental and social impact system. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape Alterfin’s impact strategy and contribute directly to driving meaningful, positive change for low-income and vulnerable households that we aim to empower.
The Environmental & Social Impact Manager reports directly to the Chief Impact Officer.
Your responsibilities and duties
As the Environmental & Social Impact Manager, you will advance Alterfin’s impact agenda across four key areas:
Strategic Development:
- Lead the development and execution of Alterfin’s Social & Environmental strategies.
- Develop and monitor impact KPIs for investments, ensuring alignment with our strategic objectives.
- Identify and drive new strategic initiatives to deepen and maximize Alterfin’s social and environmental impact.
Operational:
- Collaborate closely with the Investment Management Unit in pre and post-due diligence screening of potential Investments and ensure alignment with impact goals.
- Support the Technical Assistance Unit in preparing Environmental and Social performance-related projects.
- Participate in Investment Committee meetings, offering insights and recommendations on Environmental & Social (E&S) impact to support informed decision-making.
Analytics:
- Lead analytics of the social and environmental impact of Alterfin’s portfolio for management and decision-making purposes.
- Produce Social and Environmental Impact reports for internal and external stakeholders.
- Conduct impact assessments at the partner and beneficiary levels using Alterfin’s established methodology.
Transversal Collaboration:
- Collaborate with the Marketing & Communications team to effectively communicate Alterfin’s impact.
- Build and maintain partnerships with peer organisations, networks, and specialists in monitoring and evaluation, as well as E&S impact measurement to foster knowledge exchange and drive continuous improvement.
Your profile
We are seeking a value-driven professional with a strong track record in impact management, combined with the ability to think creatively and develop innovative solutions that will enhance Alterfin’s capacity to understand, measure, and manage impact effectively.
This role is embedded within the Impact Department, which includes the following units: Investment Management, Business Analytics, Technical Assistance, Marketing & Communications, and Environmental & Social Impact.
At Alterfin, we believe that our investments are the cornerstone of our impact. In this position, you will work closely with all units, playing a key role in shaping and strengthening the organisation’s impact strategy and execution.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree in international development, development economics, agriculture, social sciences, or a related field.
- Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in international development organisations or projects, working with smallholder farmers/cooperatives, impact investment funds, financial inclusion, impact advisory, or impact measurement organisations.
- Experience conducting environmental & social due diligence for social enterprises or similar organisations.
- Strong background in qualitative and quantitative data analysis, with experience overseeing data collection or designing monitoring and evaluation tools.
- Solid knowledge of industry standards in financial inclusion and sustainable agriculture, such as Client Protection Pathways (CPP), IFC Performance Standards, and FAO Environmental & Social Sustainability (ESS) standards.
- Strong conceptual, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
- Ability to thrive in an international and multicultural environment.
- Proactive and creative with a strong sense of initiative.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Willingness and ability to travel a minimum of 4 times per year.
Preferred Qualifications
- At least 2 years of international experience in developing countries.
- Technical expertise in research, learning, and monitoring & evaluation methods, with a focus on social and environmental impact (both theory and practice).
- Ability to design and deliver practical and user-friendly resources for practitioners and managers.
- Experience in operational management and in providing services/support to colleagues and partners.
- Proven ability to develop and deliver impactful training and coaching programs.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
- Fluency in written and spoken French or Spanish.
What can you expect?
- This position can be based in any location based on mutual agreement.
- The opportunity to work for a mission-driven organisation creating real social and environmental impact.
- A full-time role, starting as soon as possible.
- An international working environment with supportive, committed colleagues.
- Flexible working hours and the possibility to work from home.
- A competitive remuneration package with additional benefits, including meal vouchers, group insurance, hospitalisation insurance, and more.
How to apply?
Please submit your application, including a cover letter and CV, to jobs@alterfin.be with the job title in the subject line by 21 April 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
At Alterfin, we hire based on skills and talent, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion, origin, or disability.
