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Investment Associate (Africa).

Join us in driving positive change and fostering sustainable growth across Africa and Asia. Apply today!

ABOUT GIF

The Global Innovation Fund is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

The Global Innovation Fund (GIF) is a non-profit, social impact investment vehicle that finds, funds, and scales-up cost-effective, evidence-based innovations that have the potential to measurably improve the lives of millions of people living on $5 a day or less. GIF was founded to invest in innovations in the public or private sector that will inspire fresh thinking and create better solutions in developing countries.

GIF is focused on doing more with less to turn innovation into impact. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the development community needs to draw on the resources of the private sector. GIF’s commitment to being part of the bridge between entrepreneurs and development finance challenges us to be creative and to seek the partnerships that drive creativity, dynamism, and collaboration. GIF’s unique hybrid model, as both a UK registered charity/US 501(c)3 and an investor, reflects our dual mission: to invest in innovations that improve the lives of the poor, and to demonstrate how bringing evidence and the power of the private sector to bear can create new solutions to persistent development problems.  

GIF offers grants, loans and equity-type investments ranging from $230,000 USD to $15 million USD to support a range of innovations with strong potential for social impact at a large scale. We support innovators at different phases of development, ranging from early start-up and pilot-testing to rigorous experiments and larger scale implementation. The innovations GIF supports can be located in any developing country and may focus on any sector relevant to international development.

GIF PRIORITIES

  1. Two core thematic areas are (i) Gender and (ii) Climate Adaptation and Resilience. 

GIF recognises the enormous potential for generating social impact through investments that enhance the agency of women and girls, and those that create climate adaptation and resilience benefits for those living under $5 (and preferably, under $2) a day in developing countries.  GIF applies a gender and climate-lens to all of its investments, but we also seek to invest in innovations that explicitly target gender equality and climate resilience outcomes. GIF provides early-stage Seed to Series A+ equity/hybrid debt capital to these innovations. 

  1.  GIF has launched GIF Growth, a new open ended debt investment vehicle set up with support from leading international development agencies and DFIs as well as private sector investors. 

GIF Growth provides debt/hybrid debt to promising early growth stage enterprises in Africa and Asia with a view to helping unlock scale and further growth capital. 

POSITION SUMMARY

GIF is seeking an Investment Associate to join its dynamic private sector investment team, which finds and funds innovations that have the potential to measurably improve the lives of the world’s poorest people.   

The Investment Associate will primarily 1) support deal teams in sourcing and evaluating investments that align with GIF’s goal of scaling promising social innovations through the private sector; 2) support GIF’s portfolio management function; and, 3) contribute across the organisation to support the organisation’s needs, including stakeholder management, resource mobilization and reporting. The Associate will report to a GIF Investment Director for private sector investments or his/her designee.  

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in finance, a deep understanding of the African market, particularly West African/Francophone Africa, and a commitment to impact investing. As an Investment Associate, you will play a crucial role in sourcing, evaluating, and managing investments in early-stage companies that align with our mission. The Investment Associate will play a prominent role in GIF Growth, and GIF’s other high priority investment themes across Gender and Climate Adaptation and Resilience.

 The Investment Associate’s core responsibilities will include:

· Deal Sourcing and Evaluation:

  • Identify and source potential investment opportunities to make significant improvement in the lives of people living in the developing world through networking, market research, and attending industry events.
  • Screening proposals and applications submitted to GIF.
  • Support deal leads evaluate equity and debt investment opportunities.
  • Conduct thorough due diligence on prospective investments, including market analysis, financial modelling, and impact assessment.
  • Prepare investment memos and help present recommendations to the investment committee.
  • Help prepare transaction documents (engagement letters, proposals, presentations, Information Memorandums, term sheets, valuations etc.) for transactions being contemplated. 

· Portfolio Management:

  • Monitor the performance of portfolio companies, providing strategic support and guidance to help them achieve their growth and impact goals.
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with portfolio company management teams.
  • Assist in the monitoring of performance metrics and impact reporting alongside GIF’s Analytics/Impact team. 

· Market Research and Analysis:

  • Stay up-to-date with market trends, industry developments, and regulatory changes in Africa.
  • Conduct sector-specific research to identify emerging opportunities and challenges.
  • Provide insights and recommendations to the investment team based on market analysis.

· Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including investors, entrepreneurs, industry experts, and development organizations.
  • Represent the company at industry conferences, panel discussions, and other relevant events.
  • Help prepare regular impact reports for internal and external stakeholders.

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND ATTRIBUTES

  • A minimum of 3 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, private investment, development finance, strategic consulting or a related field, with at least 2 years of direct buy side investing experience in Africa, with a strong preference for West African/Francophone Africa. Experience of transactions in sectors promoting climate resilience and adaptation is a very strong plus.
  • Top tier analytic, strategic thinking and project management skills, including strong financial modelling skills, valuation and pricing analysis and excellent written and presentation skills.
  • Proficient in transaction modelling and understanding of transaction structures.
  • Professional experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa is required.
  • Experience across several sectors (Agriculture, Health, Energy, Water, eCommerce, Education, Fintech, Waste Management, Nature Based Solutions) is a plus. 
  • Passion for impact investing and a commitment to driving positive social and environmental change.
  • Advanced degree in finance, business administration or similarly relevant field preferred; additional relevant professional experience may substitute for an advanced degree.
  • Comfort with ambiguity and proven experience thriving in uncharted waters.
  • Demonstrated understanding of the African market and its unique challenges and opportunities
  • High energy and an entrepreneurial mindset; self-motivated and excited by high-growth environments.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
  • Passion, humility, integrity, team player, proven self-direction and a spirited sense of humour.
  • Fluency in English required, and French desirable. 
  • Willingness to travel as needed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This role will be based at our Nairobi office. Any job offer made will be subject to the successful candidate having the authorisation to work in and already be living in the chosen location prior to commencing work at GIF.

The target start day is ASAP.

HOW TO APPLY

The applicants are urged to follow the instructions here. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application and in accordance to the evaluation criteria of the job opening. The application process will close at 11:59pm BST, 15th January 2025.

The Global Innovation Fund is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment, and creating a diverse and inclusive environment where all team members feel valued and empowered. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and strengthen our ability to achieve our mission. We strongly encourage women and individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. If you are unsuccessful in your job application with us, we will retain your data for a period of 6 months from the end of the recruitment process. After this time, your personal data will be permanently deleted from our systems.