Job Description

Our client is a venture-backed finance and analytics platform that uses advanced data analytics
and machine learning to improve credit scoring capabilities for businesses, capital
providers, governments, and other stakeholders in the distributed energy sector in Africa. The company aims to address the acute need for modern energy access on the continent
by providing a sustainable infrastructure for capital delivery, offering state-of-the-art
underwriting tools, and a powerful information sharing platform for stakeholders to
identify high need grant recipients and credit-worthy customers.

The Investment Officer will lead the origination, structuring and execution of our
client's debt financing transactions from end to end in West Africa. The candidate will be
responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships, identifying clients’ needs,
developing innovative and bankable financing solutions, and building our loan portfolio
across West Africa. The successful candidate will have strong relationship management and
problem-solving skills, an ability to translate complex problems into clear frameworks, and
an entrepreneurial mindset. As a lean, entrepreneurial company, flexibility and willingness
to pitch in wherever needed is critical.
This position will perform a range of duties including, but not limited to, the following: 

• Take end to end ownership of transactions: developing and maintaining client
  relationships, origination, due diligence and credit analysis of existing and/or new
  borrowers; structuring the appropriate financing solution; preparing financial
  projections; negotiating legal documents with counterparties alongside legal
  counsel. Presenting analysis to internal credit committees.
• Portfolio Management; Maintain close business relationships with existing (and
  potential) borrowers with regular check-ins for portfolio monitoring purposes and flagging any early warning signs, ensuring a high-quality loan portfolio in the region. Monitoring ongoing performance of facilities, tracking covenants.
• Support senior management in performing detailed market research, due diligence,
  and business analysis; prepare analytical products, including presentations, reports,
  briefings, and other materials.
• Performing credit analysis of the financial condition and creditworthiness of
  existing and prospective borrowers using analysis of historical and projected
  financial statements (income, cash flow, balance sheet), P&L, tax returns,
  biographical data, market information, credit reports and other data; manage client
  on-boarding, KYC/AML reviews. 
• Support customized client engagements (e.g., investors, distributed energy
  companies, policymakers, and development agencies); assist in the structuring, legal
  documentation implementation and monitoring of commercially viable financing
  facilities aligned with risk standards and detailed understanding of the clients
  strategic and financial objectives. 
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of company's credit risk policies and procedures in
  compliance with applicable local and US regulations and assist the company in
  achieving satisfactory risk-adjusted returns on its lending portfolio as well as strong
  internal and external audit results. 
• Assist in defining the risk tolerance, by supporting the creation of the systems to
  measure, mitigate, manage and limit credit risk exposures.
  

KEY SKILLS & REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s, or Master’s in a quantitative field (Business, Finance, Mathematics,
  Economics, Engineering or in a related field). 
• 5 + years work experience at either project level or in investment/commercial
  banking, private equity, debt funds, or corporate finance, having a broad
  knowledge in renewable energy business development and/or policy advisory; 
• Experience in private sector operations, in particular with financial institutions.
• Proven experience in renewable energy structuring and advisory (e.g. business
  models, financial structuring, fund-raising, technical development, community
  engagement) is advantageous; 
• Experience of working across multiple institutions and ensuring collaboration
  across public, private, and civil society sectors; 
• Proven ability to interact competently with, as well as to assess and provide
  technical advisory services to, both public and private sector stakeholders in the
  renewable energy space; 
• Proven ability to lead renewable power project development and financing in the
  region;
  In-depth knowledge of power utilities operation as well the legal, policy and
  regulatory frameworks governing renewable energy projects, particularly in
  developing country context
• Full knowledge of the principles of project cycle and project implementation;
• Innovative thinking
• Client orientation