Mercy Corps Ventures Associate at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV) is the impact investing division of Mercy Corps, a leading global development agency. MCV leverages the global resources and reach of a leading development agency to provide high-impact startups with investment capital, value-added support and catalytic partnerships so they can scale solutions for underserved populations in fragile, frontier markets. We designed our capital and support to help ventures overcome critical barriers, professionalize faster and scale smarter. We are generating a pipeline of impactful, scalable companies that are de-risked and ready for later stage investors - and can bring idle impact investing dollars to the table.

We've closed 20 investments to date across East Africa, West Africa, Latin America, and SE Asia since our founding in 2015. We have two recorded exits, >80% follow-on rate, and aim to close an additional 20+ deals through 2022. The Principal will join MCV at an inflection point with ample opportunity to influence strategy and lead the creation of MCV's next fund.

General Position Summary

The Associate will join Mercy Corps Ventures' growing Investment Team, and work in conjunction with the Principal and Partner to drive portfolio growth in Latam and Sub-Saharan Africa. He/she will work closely with Mercy Corps' Regional leadership, field offices, technical teams, and external partners in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa to identify, evaluate, invest in and provide ongoing advisory to early stage companies that enter the investment portfolio. The role will be highly entrepreneurial, spanning emerging market venture investing, portfolio management, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on cutting edge digital tech.

The successful candidate will be expected to lead all aspects of the investment process alongside the Principal and Partner Responsibilities include sourcing, due diligence, general market / ecosystem analysis, and post-investment technical support (as needed / demanded). He/she will be a proactive and natural networker, able to identify promising deals early and build a deep pipeline of investable opportunities.

The Associate will work closely with local venture ecosystems in MCV target countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, where we expect to close ~15 additional investments by mid-2022. The goal is not only to invest in successful for-profit startups, but also to demonstrate that pioneering social entrepreneurs in partnership with Mercy Corps offer a new, effective pathway to achieve social impact at scale.

Essential Job Responsibilities

VENTURE INVESTMENT

• Foster strong relationships and strategic partnerships with incubators, accelerators, peer investors and other ecosystem actors throughout MCV target geographies, particularly in East and West Africa
• Develop a pipeline of potential investments that meet the MCV's investment theses and criteria
• Work with field and program leadership to identify Mercy Corps programming, expertise and/or partnerships that would both add value to and benefit from linkages to entrepreneurial solutions
• Provide critical investment analysis and support throughout the deal cycle
• Assist and coordinate deal closing processes, including local legal due diligence, definitive document development, and any other regulatory requirements.

POST-INVESTMENT SUPPORT

• In conjunction with the Head of Venture Growth, provide technical advisory / support to portfolio companies
• Actively identify and foster linkages between Mercy Corps field offices and portfolio companies that are mutually-beneficial
• Play a key role in identifying partnership opportunities and cultivating relationships with investors for follow-on funding or co-investment capital as ventures mature
• Be a hands-on player to fill any necessary gaps in enabling new investments to succeed

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & AGENCY REPRESENTATION

• Maintain strong relationships with social entrepreneurs, impact investment funds, accelerators, and other ecosystem actors in order to provide our ventures and Mercy Corps teams with resources and opportunities
• Proactively develop knowledge resources and thought leadership, including preparation of documents on investment status and lessons for the industry
• Represent MCV publicly at conferences, events, and working groups as needed.

SECURITY

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves

ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTNERS

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our partners and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participant communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects

Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Partner, Mercy Corps Ventures
• Works Directly With: Mercy Corps Ventures Team

Knowledge and Experience

• 3 to 5 years of relevant investment, management consulting and/or start-up experience (preference for candidates that have experience in emerging markets)
• Acute business acumen and a fundamental grasp of the venture capital model (prior investment experience strongly preferred)
• Strong and diverse toolkit - equally able to build a financial model from scratch for a startup in Jakarta, compile a comparative analysis of digital wallets in West Africa, or map out the artisanal mining value chain in DRC.
• Natural networker with the ability to quickly understand a context and develop an unmatched network of contacts (investors, angels, accelerators, talent, startups)
• Domain expertise in financial services, financial inclusion, fintech, agriculture / agtech, and/or crypto technologies
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to get things done
• Strong strategic thinking skills. Able to navigate complex environments and develop a clear, focused, and ambitious vision
• A team-oriented, “low-ego” individual who works collaboratively in a high-performance environment; just as comfortable strategizing in a boardroom with the C-team of a startup as chatting with a smallholder farmer customer in Northern Ghana
• Fluent in written and spoken English (French is a plus)

Success Factors

The ideal candidate will have innate business acumen with the ability to quickly discern whether an investment opportunity is worthwhile and impactful. He/she is a confident and superb networker with the talent to quickly understand a new ecosystem and build relationships with entrepreneurs, management teams, industry analysts, other investors and service providers. They will have experience investing in, consulting for and/or growing innovative companies, as well as a demonstrated commitment to social impact. They will have the desire and ability to play an impactful role in a highly collaborative, dynamic, mission-driven and team-oriented culture.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position location is flexible and can include one of the locations listed below. The role will require significant international travel throughout West and East Africa. Candidates must hold authorization to work in base location and work permit cannot be provided or facilitated by Mercy Corps.

USA: Washington DC
UK / Europe: London, The Hague
Sub-Saharan Africa: Nairobi, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; Lagos, Nigeria

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a short-term assignment or trip to country offices. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all Mercy Corps locations.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps' vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Application Recommendation Please submit your CV and cover letter.