Jacana is recruiting an Investment Manager to work with its partner SME Fund Managers in Africa. Minimum 4 years experience of SME investment in Africa required.

1. Jacana Venture Partnership
Investment Manager
Job Description
About Jacana
Jacana aims to alleviate poverty by attracting public and private investment to SMEs in
Africa. Our approach is to partner with and develop local venture capital fund managers.
We invest our capital and expertise to help our partners grow their teams, build their track
records and raise larger funds. For more information, see www.jacana.org.
The Role
This is an opportunity to play a significant role in an ambitious team aiming to support the
development of the SME private equity industry in Africa. The Investment Manager (IM) will
report to the CEO of Jacana and will work with the CEO and Jacana Expert Mentors in
providing support to Jacana partners in Sub‐Saharan Africa.
Location
The preferred location for the role is with Jacana’s core team in London. However the
successful candidate will be expected to spend significant time with Jacana’s partners in
Africa (e.g. 3‐4 months per year) and could therefore in the long‐term be based in either East
or West Africa, depending on the preferences of the successful candidate.
Primary Responsibilities
1. Working with the CEO and Jacana Expert Mentors in providing hands‐on deal team
support to Jacana’s SME Fund Manager Partners in East and West Africa, including
assistance with:
 Initial meetings with potential investees and assessment of potential transactions;
 Developing deals and agreeing heads of terms with investees;
 Financial modelling of company projections and potential returns to the Fund;
 Preparing documents for investment committees;
 Training and mentoring investment managers and analysts;
 Reporting to the CEO on the local partner’s progress vs. an agreed partner
development plan.
2. Supporting the CEO in identifying new potential SME Fund Manager Partners for Jacana
in Sub‐Saharan Africa, including:
 Initial assessment of potential fund management teams and their suitability as
Jacana partners;
 Negotiation of partnership structures;
 Due diligence on potential partners; and
 Legal documentation of partnership agreements.
3. Supporting the Chairman and CEO in fundraising efforts on behalf of Jacana partners
with international investors.

2. Jacana Venture Partnership
Investment Manager
Job Description
Long Term Career Path
It is expected that the Investment Manager role described above will provide a challenging
and fulfilling career path for the first 3‐4 years of the employment. In the longer term there
are a number of different career paths for the IM, including for example (i) another more
senior management role within Jacana; (ii) an Investment Director role for the large scale
SME Fund (e.g. $100 million+) that Jacana is considering raising in the medium term; or (iii)
starting an SME fund, potentially sponsored by Jacana, as a SME Fund Managing Partner.
Requirements for the Role:
 At least 4 years’ experience in SME investing in Africa
 Strong commercial judgement
 Excellent English– both written and oral
 Fluent French would be an advantage
 High degree of initiative and entrepreneurial spirit
 International business experience
 Advanced excel modelling
 An understanding of and commitment to Jacana’s mission and objectives
 A good sense of humour
Compensation
 Competitive market salary
 Equity participation in Jacana and a share in carried interest
 Private medical insurance