Executive, Impact Investment - Palladium Group

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits. 

For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved - and is committed to continuing to improve - economies, societies and most importantly, people's lives. 

Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Palladium is searching for an Executive to join its Impact Investing team based in Ghana to support in the building of Palladium‘s Impact Investment portfolio with with a focus on deals in West Africa. Candidates should either be based in, or willing to relocate to, Accra, Ghana. 

Your role would be focused on supporting the strategy of executing direct investment utilising Palladium’s own capital, while also supporting the raising of 3rd party capital for management and onward investment, consolidated as the Palladium Impact Fund.

You will be expected to work with a high degree of autonomy, leading on the West Africa portfolio, supported by the Director of Asset Management to document and implement a successful business proposition, and in so doing deliver on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as defined for this position and amended from time to time.

The primary responsibilities of the role are to:

• Assist periodically with documenting and implementation of the Fund during the raising of 3rd party capital;
• Identify and review new impact investment opportunities in the region, both within the current pipeline and new opportunities;
• Support on the negotiation, structuring and executing impact investments, and will be working with and across the entire Palladium group;

• Develop and maintain detailed financial models for evaluating potential investments;
• Prepare and present detailed memorandums (e.g. investment proposals) for investment and exit opportunities;
• Lead and participate in due diligence trips abroad to assess potential portfolio companies;
• Analyse and bench-mark fund / investment performance reports / data;
• Keep up to date deal flow, deal management, investment performance and portfolio monitoring
• Evaluate exit opportunities for the investment portfolio;
• Maintain up-to-date market knowledge and active network among fellow impact investors/fund managers;
• Assist in preparing presentations during the raising of 3rd party capital;
• Develop strong internal and external relationships to facilitate pipeline sourcing from within Palladium as well as from 3rd parties and co-investments;
• Maintain a strong working relationship with Palladium M&E teams, to support ‘impact’ fit for the purpose of impact investing;
• Lead and manage multiple investments simultaneously;

Required Qualifications:

• Significant experience in identify, executing and providing after-care to investments deals in the West Africa region in countries such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Burkina Faso 
• Experience with private equity fund management, impact funds, and/or fund-of-funds management;
• Equity valuation and experience of direct investing is desirable;
• Significant business experience in an international environment, including a proven track record of working in emerging market investment or capital raising activities;
• Strong academic credentials, including a post-graduate finance qualification such as CFA, ACA, CIMA, IMC, MBA, MSc. in Finance or equivalent; and
• Full professional fluency in French is a key requirement 
• Detailed working knowledge of and demonstration of an active interest in impact investing in emerging markets.

Key competencies and skills

• Demonstrated ability to lead investment transactions with minimal supervision;
• Ability to operate in complex situations, with imperfect data, and relying on assumptions;
• Demonstrated ability to lead bespoke due diligence trips abroad, including to remote locations within emerging markets;
• Ability to critically examine propositions, including analytical, research and financial modelling skills (incl. valuations);
• Understanding of equity, hybrid and debt investments and the challenges inherent in these types of investment;
• Knowledge of fund management structures and governance;
• Familiarity with PPMs, diligence processes, financial terms, legal terms and wider ESG-governance related principles;
• Sound working knowledge of monitoring and measuring ‘impact’ in context of impact investments
• Investment portfolio management knowledge, relevant to investment portfolio monitoring post financial close;
•   Willingness to travel and work abroad for extended periods as required;
• Ability to develop high level strategic relationships in an international environment;
• Financial acumen and the ability to interpret and analyse financial reports;
• Confidence and competence to speak at public events,conferences and other client-facing engagements