INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE (MATERNITY COVER) – Flexible Location

ABOUT GIF

The Global Innovation Fund (www.globalinnovation.fund) (GIF) is a non-profit, social impact-first 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 ideas 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.

One area where we see enormous potential for impact is in investments that have the potential to enhance the agency of women and girls living under $5 (and preferably, under $2) a day in developing countries.  GIF applies a gender-lens to all of its investments but we also seek to invest in innovations that target gender equality outcomes and, in particular, enhancement in the agency of women and girls.

POSITION SUMMARY

GIF is seeking an Investment Associate (maternity cover) 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; and, 3) contribute across the organization to support the organization’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.  This position will be for a fixed term of 12 months.

The Investment Associate’s responsibilities will include:

·       Supporting deal leads in evaluating equity and debt investment opportunities to make significant improvements in the lives and opportunities of millions of people living in the developing world

·       Participating in deal teams that are actively sourcing and developing opportunities to pilot, test or scale promising private sector social innovations, including from social enterprises, large companies, start-ups and individuals 

·       Screening proposals and applications submitted through GIF’s open application platform

·       Supporting Investment Directors conducting due diligence, research and social impact analysis, and making investment recommendations

·       Supporting GIF’s portfolio management team to track and analyze investment performance against both financial and social impact metrics

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND ATTRIBUTES

·       A minimum of 4 years of experience in investment banking, private investment, development finance, strategic consulting or a related field, where the candidate has gained solid knowledge of the private investment process and the skills necessary to support investments and portfolio management.

·       Top tier analytic, strategic thinking and project management skills, including financial modeling, writing and presentations.

·       Professional experience working in the developing world (South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Latin America) is a very strong plus;

·       Demonstrated commitment to or interest in international development and social innovation.

·       Commitment to evidence-based decision-making and social impact evaluation.

·       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.

·       High energy and an entrepreneurial mindset; self-motivated and excited by high-growth environments.

·       Passion, humility, integrity, team player, proven self-direction and a spirited sense of humour.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The role is offered initially on a fixed term contract basis of 12 months with the possibility to extend. This role can be based at any of our offices: London, Washington DC, Nairobi or Singapore. 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 at https://app.beapplied.com/apply/1zapyijum3. 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, 25 July.

Global Innovation Fund is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment.

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.