Senior Associate job at Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P)

Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) is looking for a Senior Associate who will be involved in Advisory, Learning and Advocacy activities:

• Collection, aggregation, processing and analysis of primary and secondary investment data (quantitative and qualitative) on SMEs, start-ups and investment funds in African frontier markets
• Building of learning products for the ecosystem, including the design of methodological frameworks, key informant interviews, literature reviews, incorporation of data collected, writing and analysis. These products take the form of reports, studies, databases or advocacy documents.
• Analysis and diagnosis of investment ecosystems (mapping stakeholders, identifying needs and supply of capital, analysing value chains);
• Support to design of financing solutions and seed funding or support mechanisms (funds, programmes, etc.);
• Sector monitoring and contribution to internal learning via internal tools and methodologies;

In addition to operational matters, the senior associate will be expected to provide support on business development and contribute actively to the life of the team including representation during major industry gatherings and cross-team collaborations with other I&P teams.

Qualification and experience

• A master or PhD degree with a specialisation in entrepreneurship, finance, management or business strategy
• +5 years of experience in consulting, development-sector research, publishing reports on African private sector; including at least one proven contribution to a public publication/report/study or other shareable work on this topic
• Passion to address the economic and structural challenges facing the African continent and improve the financing of African SMEs, including via emerging and impact fund managers
• Based in sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Uganda or in Côte d’Ivoire or Senegal
• Sharing I&P’s values: entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to development, integrity and high standards
• Bonus: direct SME investment or fund-of-fund investment experience

Technical and personal skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (advanced Excel) and in at least one other data tool (R, Power BI or Python)
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English, and ideally in French
• Strong analytical and summarising skills with critical thinking, intellectual rigour, self-starting attitude, determination to achieve set objectives
• Understanding of financial analysis in the context of African SMEs
• Ability to be a credible interlocutor with high-level external stakeholders (clients, donors, public institutions, etc.)
• Excellent interpersonal skills in a multicultural and multi-stakeholder context
• Curiosity and strong ability to adapt to a constantly changing environment

What we offer

You will be embedded into a pioneering pan-African impact investing group, with data and experience drawn from 20 years of investment and 25+ funds, and a strong track record in research and advocacy. You will contribute to the advancement of the African investment sector by designing innovative products responding to SME needs, sharing of novel data to inform the ecosystem, advocacy and thought leadership…

• Collection, aggregation, processing, and analysis of investment data
• Building learning products for the ecosystem
• Analysis of investment ecosystems
• Support in designing financing solutions
• Sector monitoring and internal learning
• Business development support

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data tools like R, Power BI, or Python
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English and French
• Strong analytical and summarizing skills
• Understanding of financial analysis for African SMEs
• Interpersonal skills in a multicultural context
• Adaptability to changing environments

• Master or PhD degree in entrepreneurship, finance, management, or business strategy
• +5 years of experience in consulting or development-sector research
• Passion for addressing economic challenges in Africa
• Based in sub-Saharan Africa
• Direct SME investment experience (Bonus)