Full-Time Head of Acceleration and Investments
Job Description
Yunus Social Business (YSB) is social business accelerator, focusing on incubating and financing social businesses globally. A social business is a new kind of company that combines the strengths of both the social development and the business world. It is created with the sole purpose to solve a social problem – like NGOs – but to do so in a financially sustainable way – like businesses.
YSB was co-founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of the microfinance organization Grameen Bank, as well as a variety of social businesses in Bangladesh and worldwide. A social business ourselves, we report directly to Professor Yunus, and we are part of
the Grameen network of over 40 social businesses and more than 50,000 employees.
We at YSB are currently a global team of 40 people with experience in entrepreneurship, consulting, venture capital, business incubation, finance and international development. YSB further has a large pool of expert volunteer consultants that contribute to its global and local operations.
Our main office is in Frankfurt, Germany and we have an on-the-ground presence through our local country teams in Albania, Haiti, Brazil, Colombia, Tunisia, India, and Uganda.
Our core business is the incubation and financing of social businesses in the following manner:
• We design and implement incubation and/or accelerator programmes in our local countries to search for, coach and mentor entrepreneurs to create strong, investment-ready social businesses
• We also serve as a financing vehicle for the most promising social businesses in a defined geographic area (country, region or city), using a methodology similar to those used in the venture capital space
• We further provide on-going advice and support post-investment, including a peer-to-peer exchange with other social business entrepreneurs
YSB has been present in Uganda since 2013 and is now scaling up its operations in the view of running an Accelerator program in early 2015
Main responsibilities of the Head of Acceleration and Investments:
YSB Uganda is looking for a dynamic and self-motivated team member with strong management, organisational and leadership skills to join its small, entrepreneurial team.
The Head of Acceleration and Investments will be based in Kampala. Reporting to and in coordination with the Managing Director, s/he will manage and coach a Social Business Consultant and 2 volunteer consultants and also liaise with the teams in YSB’s Headquarters in Germany and its 7 other country offices around the world.
His/her responsibilities include, but will not be limited to:
o Structuring and implementing the social business investment process, suggesting continuous Improvements in the
Search, selection and acceleration process
Due diligence and investment process (including preparation of Review
and Investment committees)
Monitoring & support of the social businesses in the investment portfolio
o Working with Social Business Consultants, maintaining relations with investees in the portfolio, in particular ensuring that
Monthly, quarterly and annual reporting is performed
Adequate support is given to each Social Business
If there are any issues (lack of reporting, underperformance, mission
drift), they are escalated
o Contributing to building and maintaining relation with external parties involved in the support of the entrepreneurs (coaches, mentors, lawyers, auditors and accountants)
o Build-up, structure and manage set-up of joint venture initiatives and projects in Uganda with multinational companies in close cooperation with Executive Director and counter-part at YSB Global Initiatives and subsequent managing of consultant team working on joint venture projects
o Supporting fund raising activities on a local level, such as drafting of investor proposals, supporting Executive Director in negotiation of investment proposals, as well as supporting on investment reporting
o Managing and mentoring the Social Business consultants
o Close collaboration with the Program Director (based in Frankfurt) on any overall project topics
o Close collaboration with the Social Business Fund manager (based in Frankfurt) on Fund related topics
Any other activities dealing with the day-to-day or long-term business continuity and serving the purpose of advancing the Yunus Social Business Uganda
Qualifications of the candidate:
An ideal candidate should display the following qualities, skills, and experience:
A Master’s degree and 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience for
o Strategy consulting – experience with SMEs is valued
o Investment Banking, Private Equity, Venture Capital
o Project Management in the private sector
Numeracy, critical thinking, evidence-based analysis, efficiency and thoroughness, demonstrated by excellent academic qualifications;
Warm, ‘can-do’ and hands-on attitude with a strong team spirit in supporting the entire team, including the following:
o Ability to work independently in a fast-pace loosely structured environment
o Ability to adapt quickly as things change
o Comfortable working with an entrepreneurial and international team
o Diplomacy, negotiating skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
An excellent understanding of “social business” and how this is related to other concepts, e.g. social innovation, social entrepreneurship, inclusive business, impact investing…;
Familiarity and comfort with Microsoft Office and Google Apps
Willingness to travel outside of Kampala, including to rural areas
Fluency in written and oral English is a must