Deputy Team Lead – Grants and Guarantee Transactions (fm)

Job title:Deputy Team Lead Grants and Guarantee Transactions

Job type: 40 hours/week

Employer:ACGF Afghan Credit Guarantee Foundation

Location:Berlin or Cologne

Start:ASAP

Who we are:

ACGF Afghan Credit Guarantee Foundation (ACGF) is a charitable foundation based in Cologne and Berlin Germany. Our mission is to improve access to finance for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Afghanistan by providing credit guarantees and technical assistance to Partner Financial Institutions (PFIs) and grants to MSMEs.

Established in 2014 ACGF launched its operations in January 2015 as an institutional successor of the Credit Guarantee Facility for Afghanistan (CGF-A). Our funders are DEG Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (member of the KfW Group) the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) the World Bank and the European Union. ACGF is supported by its Afghan subsidiary SCSA SME Client Support Afghanistan LLC.

We are seeking a Deputy Team Lead Grants and Guarantee Transactions to join our team in Berlin or Cologne. The role includes operational leadership responsibilities and will serve as interim team lead during a one-year parental leave period (planned April 2026 March 2027).

As part of ACGF you will join an experienced mission driven multicultural team and contribute to impactful development finance operations.

What You will do:

As Deputy Team Lead you will support the daily administration processing and monitoring of guarantee and grant transactions. You will help ensure that all operations meet internal policies donor requirements and environmental and social (E&S) standards.

The role focuses on operational implementation documentation process optimization and quality control. You will coordinate a team of operational staff and act as a key point of contact for partners and internal departments.

Key Responsibilities:

Guarantee & Grant Operations

• Support the processing and monitoring of blanket guarantees delinquency monitoring claims recoveries and guarantee fees.
• Coordinate the implementation monitoring and internal evaluation of grant processes with partner institutions.
• Review documentation submitted to internal committees for completeness and accuracy.
• Ensure timely and correct documentation of all transactions in line with operational standards.

Process Development and Compliance

• Apply and help maintain operational manuals cooperation guidelines agreements and E&S standards.
• Identify process gaps and support practical improvements to increase efficiency and reduce errors.
• Contribute to updating processes procedural templates and reporting formats.
• Support the integration of workflows into the MIS and ensure data quality.
• Contribute to routine operational and compliance reporting.

Partner & Stakeholder Coordination

• Liaise with partner financial institutions on guarantee and grant procedures.
• Provide guidance on documentation process steps and compliance requirements.

Leadership & Supervision

• Coordinate a team of operational staff (5 direct reports; up to 10 indirect)
• Support workload distribution and follow-up on tasks and deadlines.
• Contribute to staff development training and daily support to ensure strong operational performance.
• Act as interim team lead during the parental leave period.

Your Profile:

Professional Experience

• 45 years of experience in credit administration guarantee schemes loan processing or development finance operations.
• Experience working with financial institutions or MSME finance.
• Prior experience coordinating operational processes and teams.
• Experience with donor-funded programs is a strong asset.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of credit processing workflows (knowledge of guarantee schemes is a plus).
• Experience with process optimization and operational quality control.
• Familiarity with MIS systems and data workflows is an advantage.
• Excellent MS Excel skills and experience with operational tracking tools.

Leadership & Management

• Experience in coordinating or supervising teams.
• Ability to make sound operational decisions and manage deadlines.
• Strong mentoring and coaching skills.
• Analytical & Strategic Skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to translate strategic guidance into operational procedures.
• Experience with KPI development monitoring and reporting.

Personal Competencies

• Structured disciplined and highly organized work style.
• Strong communication and coordination skills.
• Resilient proactive and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).
• Knowledge of German Dari or Pashto is an asset but not mandatory.

What we offer:

• A job in a distinctly international environment offering steep learning curves and close cooperation with your team
• Opportunity to contribute to a visible economic development impact in Afghanistan
• Great opportunity for learning and professional growth
• An open and cooperative working atmosphere
• Short communication and decision-making processes
• Competitive salary
• Participation in training courses
• Flexible working hours including mobile working possibilities (by arrangement three days a week)
• An office in the heart of Berlin easily accessible by public transport
• Working abroad up to 4 weeks per year
• Free Deutschlandticket
• Subsidy for Urban Sports Club
• Regular team lunches and events

We are looking forward to getting to know you. For more information about us please visit our website at.

Please apply here with a CV and remuneration expectation. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

For questions regarding this position please contact Cynthia Walbaum at.