10/24/2012
FULL TIME JOB OPPORTUNITY WITH CDC GROUP:
Organisation:
CDC Group
Contact:
Felicity Preacher
Email:
[email protected]
Description:
We are looking for an intern to join us for an immediate start, until March 2013 on a full time basis. Due to time restrictions the successful individual will need to already have the right to work in the UK. The full description is below. Please do contact me if you have any questions.
CDC is the world’s oldest development finance institution and has a proud heritage in supporting the building of successful businesses across poor and emerging markets. Having had a focused strategy over the past 8 years as an investor (LP) in private equity funds (GPs) in emerging markets, it is going through an exciting transformation that will extend the range of its activities to include direct equity investing and direct lending alongside its fund selection business. The mission of CDC is to:-
To support the building of businesses and creation of jobs in the world’s poorest countries across Africa and South Asia, making a lasting difference to people’s lives.
CDC takes a wholly commercial approach to its investing and lending activities, but, as a DFI, doesn’t look for fully risk adjusted returns, so that its capital can be employed both to support enterprises and business building that might be considered too risky by purely commercial funders. It is also able to take a longer view – up to and beyond 10 years if that is necessary.
CDC is wholly owned by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID). and plays a key role in DFID’s strategy to help build a thriving private sector in the developing world. It is a measure of CDC’s high quality investment processes that despite investing in regions of the world that are typically considered very high risk, it has received no fresh investment from government since 1995 and has returned a profit (which has been reinvested) of £1.8bn since 2004.
CDC invests in a number of ways:
- placing capital with expert fund managers (GPs) who then use their local knowledge and expertise to find promising businesses in which to invest;
- making direct investments or co-investing in specific businesses, largely alongside local GPs ; and
- making loans, guarantees and offering micro-finance support
Following the change in strategic direction in 2011/12, CDC is looking to build its team and, in particular, attract high quality investment professionals who are motivated to use their skills to develop the private sector in Africa and South Asia.
For further information, see www.cdcgroup.com
Scope of the role:
Starting later this year, CDC will be managing an Impact Fund on behalf of DFID. The DFID Impact fund will operate under different principles to CDC’s usual investment approach. Typically, under its current strategy, CDC’s focus is on investments that provide both reasonable commercial returns and the opportunity to grow businesses and create jobs and the environment for jobs.
The DFID Impact Fund, however, will be investing on an impact first basis, whereby the investments will be focused on backing businesses that achieve positive impact specifically on the poorer sections of the population, either as consumers, producers or workers. The DFID Impact Fund will be invested in low income and lower-middle income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The Fund is open to supporting investment in all sectors where there is a demonstrated significant unmet need for investment to achieve social impact. These include but are not limited to businesses providing access to food, housing, energy, water, sanitation, health, education, financial services and livelihoods for the BoP.
Key responsibilities:
• Work closely with the Head of Impact investments in managing the fund launch activities including external and internal communications and finalising request for proposals
• Support the RFP process by managing the inflow of proposals, reviewing the proposals and managing communication with fund managers
• Develop Shortlisting criteria and process for selection of proposals to be moved to due diligence stage considering the Fund’s objectives around achieving financial and social returns
• Support Head of Impact Investments in liaising with other external stakeholders in DFID’s program
• Participate and contribute to the internal RFP scoring committee to develop recommendations for the Fund’s Investment committee
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Considerations
• As an employee of CDC, you must be aware of the importance of ESG considerations and support the continued delivery of CDC’s ESG compliance process.
• As a member of the investment team, you should ensure that CDC’s investments are made to maximize their development impact (financial, economic and ESG performance and private sector development). You will need to give certain attention and devote time to ensuring that ESG performance of fund managers and also, indirectly, to portfolio companies is appropriately managed and that all CDC’s fund managers adhere to CDC’s Investment Code on ESG and apply it consistently in all investment activities.
• ESG matters should also be addressed in your ongoing dealings with fund managers and portfolio companies and in particular during site visits.
• CDC provides regular ESG training on relevant topics and issues throughout the year which, as a member of the investment team, you will be expected to attend.
Candidate background:
• Mix of exposure to private sector and impact investing or international development
• Between 2-5 years of work experience preferably with exposure to emerging markets in Asia and Africa
• Master’s degree at the minimum preferably in business or other relevant fields (economics, finance, international development, public administration) from a reputed school
• Interest and familiarity with the impact investing sector .i.e. investors, fund managers, industry associations
• Experienced and comfortable in working with small teams
CDC is the UK's development finance institution, alleviating poverty by providing capital to businesses in poor countries...
