Job description

About Nithio

Nithio is a venture-backed finance and analytics platform that uses advanced data analytics and machine learning to improve credit scoring capabilities for businesses, capital providers, governments, and other stakeholders in the distributed energy sector in Africa. 

The company aims to address the acute need for modern energy access on the continent by providing a sustainable infrastructure for capital delivery, offering state-of-the-art underwriting tools, and a powerful information sharing platform for stakeholders to identify high-need grant recipients and credit-worthy customers. The platform offers flexible financing options by intermediating across providers of debt, concessional finance, grants and leveraging partnerships with leading financial institutions and multilateral organizations.

About the role

The Investment Officer will lead the origination, structuring and execution of Nithio’s debt financing transactions from end to end in East Africa. He/she will be responsible for establishing and maintaining client relationships, identifying clients’ needs, developing innovative and bankable financing solutions, as well as building their loan portfolio across East Africa. The successful candidate will have strong relationship management and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex problems into clear frameworks, and an entrepreneurial mindset. As a lean, entrepreneurial company, flexibility and willingness to pitch in wherever needed is critical.

Key Responsibilities:

• Taking end to end ownership of transactions: developing and maintaining client relationships, origination, due diligence and credit analysis of existing and/or new borrowers; structuring the appropriate financing solution; preparing financial projections; negotiating legal documents with counter parties alongside legal counsel. Presenting analysis to internal credit committees
• Portfolio Management: maintaining close business relationships with existing (and potential) borrowers with regular check-ins for portfolio monitoring purposes and flagging any early warning signs, ensuring a high-quality loan portfolio in the region. Monitoring ongoing performance of facilities, tracking covenants. 
• Supporting senior management in performing detailed market research, due diligence, and business analysis; prepare analytical products, including presentations, reports, briefings, and other materials.
• Performing credit analysis of the financial condition and credit-worthiness of existing and prospective borrowers using analysis of historical and projected financial statements (income, cash flow, balance sheet), P&L, tax returns, biographical data, market information, credit reports and other data; manage client on-boarding, KYC/AML reviews.
• Supporting customized client engagements (e.g., investors, distributed energy companies, policymakers, and development agencies); assisting in the structuring, legal documentation implementation and monitoring of commercially viable financing facilities aligned with risk standards and detailed understanding of the clients strategic and financial objectives.
• Maintaining in-depth knowledge of Nithio credit risk policies and procedures in compliance with applicable local and US regulations as well as assisting the company in achieving satisfactory risk-adjusted returns on its lending portfolio as well as strong internal and external audit results.
• Assisting in defining the risk tolerance for Nithio, by supporting the creation of the systems to measure, mitigate, manage and limit credit risk exposures.

Does this sound like you?

• Bachelor’s, or Master’s in a quantitative field (Business, Finance, Mathematics, Economics, Engineering or in a related field). 
• 5 years work experience in either investment/commercial banking, private equity, debt funds, or corporate finance.
• Experience in leading, structuring, negotiating and executing debt investments in the off-grid solar or renewable energy sectors, including experience financing of SMEs/micro-finance institutions/trade finance.
• Strong analytical skills with financial modeling experience and advanced knowledge of Excel.
• Experience with legal documentation (term sheets, facility agreements, security documents, intercreditor agreements), in particular, for working capital and corporate debt finance. 
• Strong judgment and critical thinking skills, with the ability to articulate and present points of view and ideas effectively. 
• Results oriented individual with a proactive and creative approach to problem solving. 
• Proven ability to successfully prioritize multiple, competing priorities with strong attention to detail. 
• Demonstrable ability to advance discrete projects both independently and as part of a small team. 
• Entrepreneurial mindset; confidence and ‘’can-do’’ attitude. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact with senior executives, external vendors and multiple stakeholders. 
• Demonstrable interest or previous experience working in Africa and/or emerging markets is preferred but not required. 
• Must be authorized to work in Kenya. 

Persons of all gender, race, sex, orientation, age, and identity are encouraged to apply.