Location:    New York City, Washington, DC, or Nairobi preferred, but other locations considered on a case by case basis

Background

ISF is an advisory firm that transforms rural economies through the delivery of investment advisory services and business models that promote financial inclusion for farmers and associated enterprises. ISF’s primary role is to act as a “design catalyst.” The emphasis is on mobilizing additional financing for rural enterprises and seeding replication of innovative models. ISF works with public and private investors to develop new financial and partnership structures that can drive capital to rural clients and transform their economies. This typically includes a combination of financial inclusion and investment structuring expertise combined with partnership development and enterprise growth strategy.

ISF’s team brings together management consultants and financial experts from leading strategy, investment banking and impact investing firms. Decades of specialized experience enables ISF to respond to the specific needs of rural enterprises, financial institutions and investors. ISF’s areas of expertise include: i) sector and related market assessment, ii) financial product structuring and service delivery model development, iii) transaction and capital raising advisory, and vi) enterprise growth strategy.

ISF is housed within the Global Development Incubator (GDI) and shares GDI’s commitment to building effective partnerships that make a significant and lasting impact. For more information on ISF and GDI please refer to the respective websites: ISF (https://isfadvisors.org/) and GDI (https://globaldevincubator.org/)

The Senior Investment Associate role is a unique opportunity to work closely with financial sector innovators, agriculture supply chain experts and entrepreneurs who seek to advance financial inclusion for 500 million smallholder farmers and associated rural enterprises around the world.

The Senior Investment Associate is responsible for financial analysis, due diligence, and investment structuring in support of ISF’s work with organizations across the world. 

Responsibilities

• Support mandate execution in all phases, from design and structuring, marketing, negotiation to closing transactions. Specific projects will depend on the ISF pipeline, but sample projects may include:
  • Design and launch thematic impact investment fund or financial mechanism to address an identified market gap.
  • Support one or more social enterprises to access appropriate forms of finance or investment.
  • Develop or evaluate investment pipeline for an agricultural investment fund.
• Conduct in-depth due diligence, including financial, market, legal and stakeholder analyses related to corporate advisory and specific problem-solving mandates.
• Build financial models that cover operations, cash flow, capital structure and macroeconomic impacts and produce projections, valuations and credit analyses.
• Draft term sheets and review legal documents in connection with project execution.
• Produce clear, concise written materials and presentations in connection with project execution and business development.
• Support outreach, network-building and business development efforts.
• Manage overall work plan, including tasks and milestones.
• Provide direct intellectual input and analysis for original ISF research efforts, engage with key stakeholders to further the team’s understanding, and support the production and creation of publishable content, in collaboration with ISF’s communications team.
• Travel as needed to support implementation.
   

• Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s in business administration or finance with excellent academic record.
• Four to six years professional experience in a transactional environment: emerging markets investment banking, project finance, private equity/venture capital, equity/credit research, investment management, financial advisory, or comparable experience.
• Significant experience in financial modeling.
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills applied towards understanding and interpreting business operations, management capabilities, and practices.
• Ability to deliver consistently high levels of accuracy, efficiency and follow-through.
• Familiarity with innovative finance for development and common development finance tools (e.g. risk guarantees, concessional lending, blended finance, etc.).
• Exceptional communication skills and ability to present information in an insightful and structured manner, both written and oral.
• Professionalism and demonstrated experience working with senior officials in the public and/or private sector, particularly within financial institutions.
• Passion for application of innovative financial structures and complex partnerships towards inclusive markets for rural populations.
• Demonstrated experience getting things done independently under ambiguous circumstances, particularly in developing countries.
• Experience and/or networks in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly West Africa preferred.
• Fluency in French preferred.

If you are interested in this position and meet the qualifications above, please submit a single PDF document containing a one-page cover letter and resume when applying.

ISF provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Individuals from all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.