Portfolio Director, West Africa

BACKGROUND

Global Partnerships (GP) is an impact-first investor dedicated to expanding opportunity for people living in poverty. Impact-first investing means investing in a way that seeks the greatest possible social impact, while seeking to preserve capital with a modest financial return for investors. GP believes that impact-first investing has an essential role to play in advancing sustainable solutions to poverty for millions of people worldwide.

GP creates and manages impact-first investment funds that make loans and early-stage investments in social enterprises serving people living in poverty in less developed countries, primarily in Latin America and Africa. The GP team is comprised of mission-driven, dedicated, high-performing colleagues working primarily from offices in Seattle, Washington, Bogotá, Colombia, and Nairobi, Kenya. To learn more about Global Partnerships, please visit our website at www.globalpartnerships.org.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Portfolio Director, West Africa will play a leading role in managing and growing the GP’s presence and Partner relationships in West Africa, in collaboration with team members in Nairobi, Kenya, Seattle, WA, and Bogota, Colombia.

This role will be responsible for the following:

Most Senior Executive in West Africa

• Responsible for representing Global Partnerships in West Africa to key constituents and at aligned events (advisors, financial institutions, law firms, trade organizations, conferences, board members)
• Lead collaboration efforts with other GP employees for all activities in West Africa
• Support recruiting efforts for additional GP employees in West Africa
• Helps to develop, communicate, and execute a long-term strategy to grow the West African Portfolio

Loan Origination

• Develops a broad knowledge of all partner candidates (MFIs/Agricultural Coops and Enterprises/Other Social Enterprises) operating in targeted countries and identifies candidates for GP funding
• Acts as the primary relationship officer for a portfolio of high-impact social enterprises known as “partners”
• Proactively seeks opportunities to build the debt portfolio through networking and other means of identifying new partners
• Schedules, conducts, and oversees screen visits to partner candidates to determine whether they are a good fit for GP funding
• Analyzes the needs, strengths and weaknesses of the candidates and works in conjunction with the Impact and Credit teams to ensure that candidates are aligned, or likely to become aligned, with GP’s investment initiatives
• Negotiates possible loan transactions with the partner candidates, issues letters of interest with accompanying term sheets, and works with partner candidates to close negotiations resulting in signed term sheets
• Conducts comprehensive due diligence with the partner candidate and completes a well-written due diligence report in the required format
• Properly structures loan proposals to ensure risk is properly controlled
• Reviews pipeline on an ongoing basis with Social Investment Team management to ensure that Fund priorities and partner needs are addressed, and strategies for proper Fund investment are implemented
• Reviews all drafts of due diligence reports to ensure they are comprehensive, accurate, and worthy of presentation to the managers of the Social Investment Team, to the Investment Committee, and to certain investors for whom consent is required
• Answers questions and may otherwise participate in presentations to the Investment Committee to obtain approval for loans/investments
• Ensures that the borrower understands the key terms and responsibilities of the loan contract and works closely with the Finance and Operation Team and partners to ensure that loans are closed in a timely and prudent manner

Portfolio Management

• Shares information and insight with the Chief Lending Officer and the Chief Investment Officer, as well as colleagues in Nairobi, Kenya and Bogota, Colombia, to identify trends and potential problems relative to credit risk
• Confers with supervisor(s) on action steps to be taken to strengthen portfolio management and reduce risk to fund performance
• Collaborates with the Credit Team to provide information and insight into the credit risk of partners and partner candidates
• Retains responsibility for the credit relationship and credit performance of the borrower throughout the term of the loan(s)
• Ensures that action steps relative to compliance with loan agreements as well as needed improvements in performance are carried out by the partner organizations
• Maintains strong relationships with partner CEOs/Directors to promote the GP brand, ensure that GP distinguishes itself as a provider of choice, and to be responsive to partner needs

Core Capabilities

• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within and across teams, across cultures, and across time zones.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; capable of highly professional engagement with colleagues and partners
• Self-motivated work ethic, proactive; ability to see tasks through to completion independently
• Organized and capable of balancing multiple priorities, with great attention to detail and thoughtful knowledge management
• Has potential to lead and manage additional Portfolio Directors in the future
• Has a passion for GP’s mission to expand opportunity for people living in poverty
• Embodies GP’s culture: Dedicated, Strategic, Collaborative, Aspirational, Learning, and Excellence

Qualifications

• Minimum seven years of experience in a lending or credit administration position, preferably including experience in lending to agricultural organizations including cooperatives, microfinance institutions and other types of social enterprises or value chain businesses. The ideal candidate will have experience in lending to financial institutions, agricultural organizations, receivables financing, inventory financing, etc., and structuring loans for multiple types of businesses
• Experience and demonstrated performance in restructuring and resolving problem loans.
• Financial analysis experience (with emphasis on credit performance) for investments in social enterprises will be a plus, as is experience in trade finance and asset-based lending
• Advanced degree in business administration, finance, or a similar field
• High level of verbal fluency in English and French. Writing skills in English and French should be advanced.
• A strong interest in and personal commitment to impactful solutions that reduce poverty and need in Africa.
• Must be able to travel frequently throughout West Africa
• Must be able to legally work and reside in desired remote location

Required Application Documents:

• Brief cover letter
• Resumé

Global Partnerships is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on ethnic origin/race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. For priority consideration, please apply by September 25th, 2024.

Due to the volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates selected for interviews – no follow-ups, please.

Finalists will be required to submit references, including name, email, and phone number, of at least two former supervisors. All offers will be contingent upon reference checks as well as a background check.