Palladium is hiring an Investment Associate into the project team in Accra, Ghana.
Investment Associate Details
The Investment Associate will work closely with the Investment Manager on all aspects of developing the pipeline and managing the portfolio of Grantees in West and Central Africa and other emerging platforms within Palladium’s nature-based solutions work area.
Outline of Investment Associate Position
- The Investment Associate is a valued member of the team completing a variety of substantive and proposal development and analytical tasks that are critical to high-quality pipeline and portfolio management.
- This role encompasses proposal writing, developing analytics, project management and relationship building.
- Initially focused on learning the basics of pipeline and portfolio management, this role works closely with the Investment Manager to be trained in these duties and best practices in project delivery.
- Over time, the Associate should apply that learning to complete tasks independently and build competencies and skills in preparation to take on Manager-level roles in project delivery or other functional areas of Palladiums business.
Key Responsibilities, Duties and Tasks of the Investment Associate
The Investment Associate is an early-mid career role supporting the delivering a returnable grant fund, with particular responsibility for driving innovation in pipeline development, portfolio management and financial management.
Pipeline Development
- Develop a strong pipeline of cocoa companies who can apply for financing from the Rebuild Facility
- Attend regional events to promote the Rebuild Facility to the wider cocoa sector.
- Screen applications to the facility, conducting early assessments and building investment proposals for the facility Steering Committees
- Carry out site visits to potential applicants to verify applications and carry out initial due diligence.
- Write proposal documents and coordinate the proposal development process with the Grants and Finance team.
- Support in forecasting and updating the proposed outcomes and finance flows for sub grantees, both in the pipeline and portfolio stages
- Conduct desk-based research on supply and commodity prices as well as identifying potential risks at the Country level.
Portfolio Management
- Lead progress meetings with all companies in the portfolio over the course of the grant term.
- Carry out site visits and spot checks to ensure sub grantees are complying with the terms and conditions of the sub grant agreement.
- Coordinate the contracting of all sub grantees, under guidance from the Grants Manager.
- Support in the preparation of the grant allocation, disbursements, and forecast schedules, as required.
- Ongoing identification and management of relevant operational risks.
- Maintain a risk dashboard highlighting potential risks and issues (operational, fiduciary, and reputational) and mitigation plans.
- Carry out ongoing monitoring and evaluation of project results and outcomes for Grantees.
- Ensure that goods and services are purchased by each grantee according to Palladium Procurement policy and guidelines.
- Support in programme closeout.
Reporting
- Coordinate project expenditure verification and support in the programme audit.
- Input to regular reporting to Client and internally within Palladium.
- Work with the Project Management team in preparation of quarterly and annual reports and work plans.
- Maintain comprehensive information management and filing system that ensures all client contractual documents, reports, key correspondences, etc. are appropriately filed in up-to-date and consistent soft and hard libraries available as needed.
Relationship Management
- Develop and manage strong working relationships with clients, project partners and other stakeholders.
- Develop strong working relationships and regular dialogue on project progress and challenges with the Palladium team working on the project
Required Qualifications:
Education and professional experience:
- Bachelors degree in Finance, Management, Business Administration or Agricultural Economics.
- Experience working in the cocoa sector in West Africa.
- Additional experience in consulting roles is preferable, but not required.
Required skills and abilities:
- Commitment to fighting climate change and deforestation with the ability to convincingly articulate this commitment.
- Passion for environmental issues, international development, private sector-led development, forestry/nature- based solutions, sustainability or supply chain management
- Demonstrable experience of successfully contributing to a team in a similar early career role.
- Experience of developing business analytics and writing proposals.
- Good understanding of completing due diligence assessments and best practices in contracting.
- Able to work with limited supervision, be flexible and comfortable in a multi-cultural workforce.
Good communication skills:
- The ability to build good working relationships with the project team and partners at a range of levels and in different locations
- Fluency in spoken and written English.
- The ability to communicate in French will be considered a distinct advantage.
- Advanced computer skills in Word and Excel.
- Experience working with Wrike project management software or ArcGIS would be an advantage.
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to work under pressure to meet specific deadlines
The role will work from our Accra office.
The successful applicant will have the right to work and live in Ghana.
This is a one year, fixed-term contract with the potential for extension.
Application Process
DEADLINE
The deadline for applications is 11/09/2021 08:30 GMT