Provide full-time commercial and financial due diligence support for SME Lending Unit transactions across East and Southern Africa, reporting to the Investment Manager – SME Lending Unit.
Prepare screening papers summarizing country, sector, and competitive context.
Conduct initial borrower KYC (constitutive documents, IDs, licenses) and manage borrower data rooms.
Perform preliminary and detailed financial analysis: review historical financial statements, calculate key ratios, assess projections, test sensitivities, and evaluate assumptions.
Engage with borrower management teams; document findings from interviews, inspections, and market visits; join investment officers on site visits.
Track progress against DD checklists, follow up to secure complete information packages, and provide feedback on gaps or inconsistencies.
Incorporate cross-functional inputs (ESG, impact, legal, risk) into analyses.
Draft commercial and financial sections of credit proposals, develop risk/mitigant narratives, and build screening papers into full credit proposals aligned with templates.
Take primary drafting responsibility post-DD to free investment officers to progress other deals.
Provide flexible support for sector deep-dives (e.g., clean cooking), support handover to portfolio management, and contribute templates or tools to strengthen unit capacity.
Requirements
5 years’ experience in investment analysis, transaction advisory, or financial due diligence.
Prior exposure to DFIs, private equity, Big Four transaction advisory, or impact investment preferred.
Demonstrated due diligence experience in energy access, clean cooking, commercial & industrial solar, or adjacent infrastructure.
Strong financial modelling and ratio analysis skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Familiarity with credit risk assessment and borrower due diligence.
Understanding of African financial and energy markets.
CFA designation (in progress or completed) preferred.
Proactive self-starter with ability to independently drive work and collaborate across teams.
Strong written and verbal communication; capacity to produce high-quality reports.
Effective stakeholder management with internal colleagues and external borrowers.
Adaptable to fast-moving, multi-country transaction environments; detail-oriented and deadline-driven.
Language: English.
Capacity for frequent travel across East and Southern Africa.
Preferred location: Harare; remote acceptable with required travel.
Availability ASAP and ability to contract October–December 2025 (potential extension).