Senior Investment Manager Sawa Energy

Company Profile: Sawa Energy is a solar energy and energy efficiency company servicing SMEs across
East Africa, with current operations in Rwanda and Uganda. They bring together international capital and local solar expertise in order to enable SMEs to get access to solar and energy efficiency solutions with no upfront cost. In doing so, Sawa Energy aims to have a big social impact, reduce carbon emissions, create jobs, increase energy access, and save money for businesses in emerging markets. Sawa Energy’s objective is to deploy a portfolio of 35 MW of solar Commercial & Industry (C&I) projects across East Africa within the next 5 years, and have been actively deploying since February 2021. Their clients include MTN, I&M Bank, and other leading regional businesses.

Job Summary:
The company is recruiting an ambitious and energetic Investment Manager to lead fundraising initiatives for C&I solar portfolios (equity and debt) as well as oversee the deployment of capital into projects. This role will report directly to the Chief Investment Officer with responsibilities in finance, fundraising, and investor management. This person will be integral in executing Sawa Energy’s vision to lead the revolution of reliable, affordable, green energy solutions for SMEs in East Africa. Given that Sawa Energy is taking solar into a new realm with a new set of tools, the role will require independence, creativity, flexibility, and dynamism.

Annual travel to Europe may be required.
Location: Flexible within East Africa
Hours: Full time

Responsibilities:
• Support the CIO in raising debt and equity for the various portfolios.
• Lead the communication and relationship management with external investors.
Lead the preparation of financial models at the portfolio and project level.
Support the investment committee, overseeing the successful disbursement of capital into projects.
• Support sales team/disbursement of capital by preparing sales proposals to clients.
• Support sales team with contract negotiation with the clients.
• Support the due diligence of potential projects and clients, including collecting client information and coordinating across the internal teams for support.

Job Requirements:
• Business-related bachelor’s degree is required. MBA/other designations (CFA/CPA) are favorable.
• Experience working in East Africa.
• 4+ years in a business-related role within the following industries: venture capital, private equity, fund management, energy investments, or SME lending, ideally in East Africa.
• Strong financial modeling skills, including expert-level proficiency in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets.
Expert level of proficiency in building PowerPoint presentations.
• Systematic and highly organized professional with strong relationship management skills.
• An existing network and work experience with potential investors will be considered favorably.
• Must take personal accountability for tracking numerous activities across workstreams and driving them all to a successful conclusion.
• Must display a track record of thriving in a fast-paced environment, and ability to hit KPIs.
• Being a self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit is paramount.
• Must be very comfortable working in the digital realm, using tools such as Google Drive (Docs, Slides, Sheets), CRMs, and other remote working tools.
• The role will require regional travel to Europe from time to time.
• Fluency in English is required

Other Critical Requirements:
Passion
We seek someone passionate about economic empowerment, renewable energy, or investment.

Technical skills
Financial modeling, networking, relationship building, negotiating, writing, and presentation skills.

Leadership
We are a team of self-starters and expect all team members to take initiative, own their projects, and assume leadership within their set of responsibilities.

Communication
This role involves communicating both within the team, and with external partners. As such, effective English written and verbal communication is integral to ensuring all stakeholders are aligned.

Multitasking
This role involves managing many projects at once while still meeting deadlines. We seek strong multitasking, decision-making, and organizational abilities to ensure workload is managed effectively.
Interested in the role but don’t check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you’re passionate about what we’re building, apply! We want to hear from you.