Investment Readiness Program Lead

Acumen is seeking a Venture Building Program Manager with at least 10 years of professional experience, including at least 5 years working directly to facilitate investments in African social entrepreneurs, to lead the ongoing delivery of our organizational capacity-building programs for social entrepreneurs. 

This is an excellent opportunity for a personable leader with direct investment experience to lead and manage programs that accelerate business and investment-readiness for high-potential, early-stage impact enterprises. As part of a fast-moving global team, you will help prepare these ventures to attract and secure capital, driving impactful growth and success. This position is located in Nairobi or Lagos, with the expectation of working in the office 3 days a week. Remote from other geographies is not an option. 

The role is offered on a 5 year contract basis, subject to available funding. 

About Acumen

Acumen is a global force of entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, and social innovators working together to build a world based on dignity. We were founded by Jacqueline Novogratz on the radical idea that business, when cultivated with moral imagination, can break the cycle of poverty. We invest in transformational companies, build sustainable markets, and prepare leaders with the tools they need to create a more just and inclusive future. Since 2001, we have scaled companies and shaped markets in some of the hardest-to-reach communities on the planet, impacting over half-a-billion lives. To learn more visit acumen.org.

About the role

The role will report to the Program Lead.

This role will oversee all social enterprise acceleration support programs in Africa, including piloting new program structures designed by our investment and learning design teams and making data-informed iterations to arrive at a validated, market-leading approach. 

This role will consult and collaborate closely with existing team members (e.g., East and West Africa Portfolio and Acumen Academy) to test and evolve new programs, technical advisory projects, and learning experiences that accelerate the business and investment readiness of social enterprises. 

You will be part of a team working on a new pan-Africa program, collaborating closely with a diverse mix of colleagues across Africa, London, New York and Canada to bring the program to life. Additionally, you will be expected to oversee and manage a large network of technical assistance and delivery partners. 

Accountabilities include: 

• With support from the Business Readiness Program Lead, scope, recruit, and manage a network of delivery partners, ensuring targets are met, quality is maintained, and value for money is achieved. 
• Build a strong network of partner investors who could support ventures with capital needs beyond the program's end, facilitating introductions and smoothing the diligence process for both sides. 
• Directly run an annual investment readiness program in both East and West Africa from start to finish (20 enterprises per year): From pipeline development and candidate search and selection through to supporting ventures through the investment due diligence process. 
• Provide additional oversight and management support to the business-readiness program manager and workstream, which works with enterprises that are still in the business model validation stage (20 enterprises per year). 
• Assess and analyse the business strengths, challenges, and priority focus areas of social enterprises to enhance their investment readiness and overall investability.
• Act as portfolio manager for the participating enterprises, matching them with bespoke external support and follow-on funding opportunities to help them overcome core challenges.
• Oversee technical assistance managers in guiding participating enterprises in identifying and prioritising the most effective and impactful use of limited technical assistance grants to maximise their investment readiness and growth potential.
• With Acumen’s impact team (based in London), implement impact measurement frameworks and systematically capture data to track the effectiveness of investment readiness programs, supporting continuous learning and program improvement.
• Collate and share back key program results, insights and broader Acumen Academy teams to ensure data-driven programmatic improvements and refinements. 
• With the Development and Partnerships team, engage donors and other stakeholders as needed. 
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders to align program objectives with broader organisational goals and market trends, maximising the effectiveness and relevance of investment readiness support.
• Manage the program team and coach and support them in developing skills related to investment-readiness program delivery and operations support.
• Plan, organise, and convene high-quality ecosystem gatherings — including pitch sessions, demo days, investor roundtables, and curated deal-room interactions — to connect cohort enterprises with capital providers and deepen engagement across our investor community.
• Occasionally represent Acumen at relevant conferences and events. 

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Entrepreneurship, International Development, or related programs.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience, at 5 years working directly to facilitate investments in African social entrepreneurs.
• Proven expertise in supporting early-stage entrepreneurs through various growth phases. 
• Strong network of Angel and impact investors across the African continent and a proven direct track record of supporting small-scale ventures to close their first fundraising rounds. Specific experience with gender lens investing is desirable. 
• Experienced in lean startup methods, business modelling and validation, deal structuring, and financial modelling.
• Deep knowledge of the social impact sector and the nuances of building profitable business models that create positive social or environmental impact in East and West Africa. Additional expertise gained through working directly with women entrepreneurs is a plus. 
• Articulate presenter and coach who can describe business concepts clearly, diagnose common mistakes made by early-stage startups, and provide constructive feedback, both orally and in writing, in a succinct, direct manner. 
• Energized by helping people and can keep busy entrepreneurs engaged and inspired during an intensive program.
• Experience managing a team of direct reports and a network of contractors.
• Solid operational skills, including problem-solving and project management skills, and the ability to work and deliver projects independently, proactively, and under pressure.
• Detail-oriented, able to effectively coordinate all program components on a schedule, and manage direct reports.
• Strategic thinker who can aggregate and act on key programmatic and operational insights.
• Effective collaborator able to work with different colleagues and personalities, at all levels both externally and internally, and across a variety of functions and geographies.
• Knowledge of impact measurement frameworks, social innovation, and lean startup approaches.
• Deep networks with funders and direct fundraising experience.
• Commitment to and enthusiasm for Acumen's organization’s mission and respect for our core values: generosity, accountability, humility, audacity, listening, leadership, integrity, and respect.
• Ability to thrive when there is ambiguity, remain cool-headed when there are curve balls, and withstand the tests of a rapidly changing environment with resilience and resolve. 
• Permanent work authorization for either Kenya or Nigeria. 

Compensation 

Acumen offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience.

Deadline 

The deadline to apply for this position is Tuesday 13th January but candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.