AGRICULTURE PORTFOLIO MANAGER
Acumen Fund is a global non-profit venture capital fund, focused on supporting the delivery of critical services - water, health, housing, energy, agriculture - at affordable prices to the four billion people who lack access in India, Pakistan, and East Africa. Acumen Fund exists to help end poverty by changing how the world addresses it. It does this in two ways: (1) by investing patient capital to identify, strengthen and scale business models that effectively serve the poor and (2) by championing this approach as an effective complement to traditional aid, which can create dependence, or pure market approaches, which can bypass the actual needs of the poor.
With more than $35 million invested in South Asia and Africa, and offices in India, Pakistan, Kenya and New York, Acumen Fund addresses problems of poverty using market based approaches. Acumen Fund's vision is that one day every human being will have access to the critical goods and services they need so that they can make decisions and choices for themselves and pursue lives of greater purpose. This is where dignity starts - not just for the poor but for everyone on earth. www.acumenfund.org
Position description
The hire will directly be responsible for managing the global agriculture portfolio, including current investments, and the developing future investments in the sector. S/he will also be expected to play a significant role globally, helping to build on the existing agricultural expertise in the organization.
Specifically, the Manager will be expected to:
• Identify organizations with proven or promising approaches to delivering agriculture products and services to the poor and conducting due diligence on their capacity to achieve sustainability and scale
• Identify new investments, carry out due diligence and investment activities on potential investments
• Prepare, present and maintain detailed investment documentation for Acumen Fund Senior Management, Acumen's Investment Committee, and the Acumen Fund Board of Directors
• Managing relationships with other Acumen stakeholders in the sector including prospective investees, advisors, thought leaders and technical experts
• Provide post-investment management to investees in the agriculture performance
• Ensure regular contact with Acumen Fund investors on the performance of the organizations and portfolio
The Agriculture Portfolio Manager will report to the portfolio lead in the global office where s/he is placed.
Qualifications
Candidates for the role should have a strong knowledge in the agricultural sector, deep business/finance experience, experience in our investment regions and a passionate commitment to Acumen Fund's mission of tackling the issue of poverty. A master's degree in business administration or a relevant field is highly desirable. International work experience and knowledge of foreign languages are also assets to the position.
Additionally, s/he will have the following attributes:
• Deep principal investing experience in the agriculture sector making agriculture investments and managing an in investment portfolio, with 7 - 10 years of work experience in the same
• A strong entrepreneurial spirit
• A proven ability to manage projects and execute
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present arguments and analysis in a clear and succinct manner to Acumen Fund management, partners and investees
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work well in a team and successfully interact with corporate and non-profit partners as well as low-income clients in the field
• Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail and follow-through
• Commitment to and enthusiasm for Acumen Fund's mission and business model, and respect for
the organization's core values: generosity, accountability, humility, audacity, listening, leadership, and respect
Compensation
Acumen Fund offers a competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience.
Location
The position will be based in one of Acumen Fund's country offices in Nairobi, Hyderabad or Karachi.
Frequent travel to our investment regions will be required.
To Apply
Send a cover letter and resume to Shahela Sajanlal at ssajanlal@acumenfund.org with copy to portfolio iobs@acumenfund.org. Please include the job title "Ag Portfolio Manager" in the subject line. Regrettably, due to the volume of applicants, we are only able to contact those for whom a possible match is identified.
