Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is anchored in a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. This vision drives all HFHI's actions and activities, which have led to more than 60 million people worldwide building or improving the places they call home. To further this vision, HFHI has established the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (The Terwilliger Center ) to build and expand inclusive housing markets by supporting innovative business models and customer-focused financial solutions in the housing sector. The Terwilliger Center recognizes that local markets play a critical role in closing housing gaps among low-income and vulnerable families in the incremental construction market.
An estimated 2.8 billion people live in inadequate shelter globally a crisis that has been exacerbated by a lack of attention to, and investment in, informal housing markets. For low-income families in the countries where Habitat works, housing is often a process rather than a purchase. Families build and upgrade their homes incrementally as finances allow. This incremental construction process can last for decades, significantly degrading the quality and resilience of their homes. The Terwilliger Center works to expand low-income families access to innovative housing products, construction services, and financing. It collaborates with actors throughout the housing ecosystem, including financial institutions, manufacturers, retailers, academic and vocational institutions, and others.
HFHI's strategy calls for an expanded role in market approaches to solving the housing crisis. One of the critical elements of the strategy is increasing access to finance by low-income households. Efforts in this area include: supporting financial institutions to develop, refine, and scale housing finance products; introducing financial intermediaries and investors to the opportunity to scale access to financial products; and informing regulators and policymakers about pathways that can improve access to finance and support low-income families and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the housing value chain.
Objective of Assignment
The Terwilliger Center is seeking a mid-level finance professional to join the housing finance systems team in the Asia Pacific as a full-time consultant to support the implementation of housing finance interventions in the region. The consultant will support the cultivation of relationships with financial institutions and the delivery of technical assistance to develop and refine housing finance solutions for low-income households. The consultant will also support the Housing Finance Systems Manager in new and evolving work in the region.
Scope of Work
Duties & Responsibilities
Housing Finance Project Implementation
- Deliver a range of advisory services, such as market assessment, product and housing support services design, process mapping, pilot planning, staff training for financial intermediaries (including microfinance institutions, digital platforms, FinTechs, NGOs, and banks) to develop/refine housing finance products for low-income households.
- Support the development and stewardship of financial inclusion partnerships in the region.
- Work closely with Habitat National Organisations on housing and financial inclusion strategy and initiatives.
- Ensure quality for the Terwilliger Center--driven advisory engagements and deliverables.
- Knowledge Management
- Document learnings from program activities as well as ongoing conversations and interactions with key market actors and partners.
- Support in preparing technical briefs, reports, and presentations that synthesize learnings from across the projects and help position HFHI as a thought leader in the affordable housing finance space.
- Support the global learning agenda related to the housing finance vertical. Collaborate with the Terwilliger Center's regional teams in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to share best practices and foster organizational learning.
Success Criteria:
- Financial inclusion-related projects supported and implemented successfully
- Deliverables for each project are produced with attention to quality and within specified timelines
- High-quality research documents are developed, and knowledge dissemination materials are produced
- Consultancy Management / Reporting
- The consultant will work with and report to the Housing Finance Systems Manager Asia Pacific.
- This is a full-time role.
Duration of Assignment
- The contract will be for 12 months, beginning April 2026.
- Working days/hours: Monday to Friday; 20 days a month/8hrs a day.
- Location: The consultant shall be based in India.
Qualifications
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in economics, Business, Finance, International Development, or related field. Master's degree preferred.
- Minimum four (4) years of experience in microfinance, housing finance, or inclusive finance-related areas with progressively increasing levels of responsibility, including experience supporting projects or programs (academic, internship, or early professional experience acceptable).
- Experience in product development related to financial inclusion for Financial Intermediaries is desirable
Requirements of the Role:
- Project Support Ability to assist with project activities, track progress against plans, support budget tracking, and help prepare reports and documentation on time. Strong attention to detail.
- Microfinance Exposure Exposure to microfinance or financial inclusion work is a must; basic understanding or interest in housing microfinance is an advantage.
- Training & Coordination Support Ability to support training programs through logistics, preparation of materials, documentation, and participant coordination. Comfortable working with diverse teams and stakeholders.
- Business & Program Understanding Basic understanding of how projects and organizations operate, including coordination across teams. Willingness to learn about institutional processes, partners, and the broader operating environment.
- Written Communication Good writing and presentation skills and ability to draft clear emails, notes, summaries, and project reports.
- English Proficiency Fluency/working proficiency in spoken and written English.
- Safeguarding and Data Protection
- Safeguarding: HFHI requires that all employees, consultants and contractors take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguarding our intended beneficiaries, their communities, and all those with whom we work.
- 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.
Data Protection: The contractor will be required to abide by Habitat for Humanity International's data protection and security policy during the assignment period.
Proposal Requirements
The proposal will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
- Experience in housing finance/microfinance/financial inclusion, market development, program design, and management, particularly in the low-income housing context.
- The profile and work experience of the candidate / Curriculum Vitae.
- Proposed monthly fees on a full-time basis, for a duration of 12 months. Habitat for Humanity International is not bound to award the contract to the consultant who provides the lowest estimate. The decision on the selection of the contractor will rest with Habitat for Humanity International.
- The above services are to be provided in accordance with Habitat for Humanity's policies, procedures, and guidance, as well as the supervisor's advice. For any travel undertaken as part of the project, the consultant will be reimbursed per Habitat's travel expense policy on an actuals basis.
- Travel and lodging With prior approval from the supervisor and based on actuals per Habitat's policies.
- Email - Habitat email id will be provided for professional use.
Submission Guidelines
CV and cover letter should be sent to [Confidential Information] by 30th March 2026 via email with the subject line: Full-time Consultant_Housing Finance. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
