Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub
Scope of Work
Finance Investment Associate
Background:
The USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (SATIH) project, a five-year trade facilitation project for Southern Africa, is expected to increase global competitiveness and intra-regional trade and improve food security in Southern Africa. Anticipated project activities include efforts to support national and regional bodies to facilitate intra-regional trade of agricultural commodities and economic integration, facilitate improved private sector competitiveness in key value chains, and expand trade through utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Objectives and Duties:
The Finance Investment Associate will work closely with and support the Finance and Investment Director in the execution of innovative strategies and activities to facilitate and accelerate access to finance investment in the SADC region.
Tasks and responsibilities:
- Identify and engage with investment firms and financial institutions to facilitate partnerships for financing and investment transactions within agri-business, financial services, consumer goods exporters and processers;
- Facilitate loans and investments throughout the region, including financial training for banks and linkages to Development Credit Authority (DCA) which are tied to trade and investment objectives;
- Support the transaction advisory unit in identifying innovative ways to structure investments for maximum social impact;
- Lead investment facilitation engagements supporting private sector clients with deal structuring, market intelligence, strategy, capital raising and due diligence needs where required;
- Structure and execute an impact investment vehicle to facilitate new commitments and private sector investment in Agriculture and non-Agriculture transactions;
- Design and implement programs that support the development of linkages with private sector partners in the region e.g producers, traders and associations that could act as finance and investment catalysts;
- Build and track a project pipeline for transactions, including identifying partners, providing technical assistance on structuring business plans towards generating loans and investments, perform initial due diligence for sourced transactions if necessary;
- Support SATIH in the identification of potential partners and firms that are likely to invest along the priority value chains identified;
- Identify and design trade finance opportunities and vehicles;
- Identify regulatory or procedural barriers to expanding lending and investment to identified partners in the region, and communicate the challenges and recommended solutions to relevant industry associations to promote advocacy and Public-Private dialogue, as well as to the Enabling Environment team to incorporate into targeted competitiveness reform;
- Manage Finance and Investment implementing stakeholders on the ground by developing streamlined reporting and budget control systems
- Act as liaison, representing the project, between finance and investment stakeholders and the SATIH project team, providing regular communication, coordination, updates, facilitation and reports to the Agribusiness Director, the Export Competitiveness Director, the Enabling Environment, Communications & M&E teams.
Qualifications:
- At least 6 years professional experience in the financial services, impact investing, private equity or venture capital sectors.
- MBA strongly preferred or master’s degree in a management or related area.
- Demonstrated experience within financial services with an understanding of how private capital can be deployed to create impact in growth and jobs in Southern Africa.
- Demonstrated experience and understanding of investment structuring, commercial due diligence processes and investing for impact.
- Demonstrated understanding of how innovative technologies can impact the agri-business sector in the Southern Africa region.
- Methodical research skills with analytical capabilities to collect distill and interpret data.
- Highly networked individual in the Southern African investment, private equity and banking sectors.
- An innovative and pragmatic problem solver with demonstrable skills for prioritization and organization of tasks within a complex project setting.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to work well within a team.
- Excellent English report writing and communication skills
Base of Operations:
- Pretoria, South Africa
Reporting:
- Finance and Investment Director
Closing Date: April 25, 2019. Send CVs and cover letter to [email protected]
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
More Information
- Job City Pretoria
