Acumen America is looking for an Investment Associate to join our San Francisco-based, US venture investing team. We’re looking for someone with a minimum of 3 years of experience in investing or related fields and a commitment to tackling poverty to support the deal life cycle.The right candidate is bold, creative, and can excel in a fast-paced, startup environment.
Acumen America
The Associate will be joining a team building a portfolio of game-changing companies focused on tackling poverty in the United States. Since 2015, Acumen America has invested in 43 companies reaching over 26M low-income Americans. We’ believe in the power of a diverse portfolio, and 63% of our companies have a founder of color and 47% have a female founder. The team is responsible for finding, vetting, structuring and managing investments in companies that serve low-income Americans in our three portfolio sectors: financial inclusion, workforce development, and health. This position is entrepreneurial and preferred candidates will be excited by a start-up environment.
Responsibilities
The Associate will be accountable for supporting the deal cycle: source new investment opportunities, support diligence, help prepare analyses for Acumen’s Investment Committee, and support senior team members to structure deal terms. The Associate will play a central role in portfolio operations, supporting analyses of portfolio performance and managing key reporting processes. This role reports to the Principal and requires significant collaboration with the rest of Acumen America team. Accountabilities include:
Operations
- Oversee portfolio and impact data systems to ensure current accurate data on pipeline, portfolio, and portfolio impact metrics
- Ensure accurate and timely data collection is entered in impact management system
- Support team closing process on transactions
- Project manage weekly and quarterly pipeline and portfolio management process
- Build internal dashboard for impact reporting of portfolio companies
Investing
- Identify, cultivate, and review a pipeline of investment opportunities providing critical products and services to the poor in the United States, in collaboration with the team. Sourcing includes industry and trend research, as well as directing and proposing strategies that produce deal flow
- Support due diligence and investment analysis, including financial modeling, valuation review, and transaction structuring
- Prepare and maintain investment documentation for Acumen America’s Investment Committee
Post-Investment
- Document and track key metrics to measure the social and financial returns of portfolio companies
- Work with the team to analyze and document data-driven explanations for intervention decisions of portfolio companies
- Extract and document investment-specific and portfolio-wide insights; analyze financial and impact metrics to identify valuable patterns or lessons learned; and package and share data for marketing and fundraising
- Actively support Mid-Year and Annual Review of portfolio
Skills & Qualifications
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, or investment management. Experience with financial and operational due diligence experience in early-stage businesses is a plus
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Strong financial, modeling, and business analysis skills
- Strong Project management experience with demonstrated track record of task ownership and end-to-end management on deliverables.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present clear and succinct analysis and arguments to Acumen America, management, partners and investees
- Ability to take initiative, follow through, and meet deadlines independently
- Excellent relationship and interpersonal skills, demonstrating courtesy, tact, and patience.
- Self-reflective and aligned with Acumen America's values
- Familiarity with social enterprise and impact investing sectors, with a preference for a demonstrated commitment to serving the poor
- Permanently authorized to work in the U.S.
- Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate
Location
San Francisco, CA
Deadline
Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed through October 18, 2024
The salary range for this role in San Francisco is $90,000 to $110,000 USD plus a performance-based bonus. This range represents the present low and high end of pay range for this role. Actual compensation will vary based on various factors including but not limited to experience. Acumen has equal pay, so pay is determined through comparison to a cohort of employees in the market at the same level of accountability.
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What We Do
Acumen is changing the way the world tackles poverty by investing in companies, leaders and ideas. We invest patient capital in businesses whose products and services are enabling the poor to transform their lives. Founded by Jacqueline Novogratz in 2001, Acumen has invested more than $128 million in 128 companies across Africa, Latin America and South Asia. We are also developing a global community of emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills and determination to create a more inclusive world. In 2015, Acumen was named one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Not-for-Profit Companies. Learn more at www.acumen.org and on Twitter @Acumen.
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