Job description

About Deal Flow Facility

The Deal Flow Facility, a first of its kind in-country, being incubated at FSD Uganda, is being set up with the support of the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) of Uganda and the European Union . This match-making facility between investors and potential investees has the ambitious target of facilitating at least 40 investments in five years. 

The key role of the DFF is making medium-to-large enterprises ‘investment worthy’ and attractive to potential investors. The Facility is sector-agnostic and is looking to solve a critical constraint in the market – The Lack of Long-Term Finance, impeding the growth of enterprises, consequently resulting in slower job growth and economic development. 

On the demand side, enterprises in Uganda, much like those on the African continent, are bridging their long-term capital needs with short tenor bank financing – financing that is expensive and does not match the growth trajectory of these businesses. 

Similarly, on the supply side, investors report a shortage of high-quality investment opportunities as a challenge. Most enterprises seeking investments are not investment-ready and often need internal reorganization before engaging outside investors. This makes them unattractive to both domestic and foreign investors – resulting in a small deal flow pipeline for the private and public capital markets.

Expectation of the DFF

The primary objective of the DFF is to match-make investors to high-quality investment-ready enterprises. It is expected to achieve this by stitching together a fragmented investment ecosystem of various actors, including tax advisors, investment bankers, legal advisors, auditors, accounting firms, and more – all necessary to enable successful investments. The Facility that will run multiple cohorts for enterprises each year, will build the tools and capacity building curriculum that will make participating enterprises stronger and put them on a fast-track to seeking investments when ready. Currently, the Facility is designed to be a catalyst and not make investments itself. 

The following are the expected outcomes of the DFF:

1. Creating an investment-worthy deal-flow pipeline.
2. Providing capacity building/advisory support that will assist potentially high-growth companies to boost their growth and make them attractive to investors.
3. Match-Making investors to investees strengthening the market ecosystem.
4. Based on challenges witnessed, inform and educate various actors in the ecosystem, beginning with the regulators to industry associations and the Ministry of Finance so that systemic constraints and misalignment of incentives are known and addressed through reforms. 
5. Strengthening a fragmented ecosystem by forming alliances with organizations and networks that are able and willing to contribute to Uganda’s investment climate and the growth of capital markets. 

About the role

The primary objective of the deal flow facility is to match-make potential investors and investees with the aim of facilitating successful debt and equity transactions. The Investment Officer will be responsible for creating an efficient and high-level due diligence process that increases the chances of investment-worthy enterprises being recruited into the DFF. The role holder will serve as an in-house expert to perform initial diagnostic assessments/evaluations to identify relevant enterprises that will be admitted into the capacity-building program. 

The Investment Officer will report to the Director – DFF. They will support the Director in thinking through the strategy, program agenda, engagement activities, capacity-building initiatives, and design of effective cohort programs. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategy Development and Execution: 

• Set-Up: Build clear criteria and templates that can be scaled to ensure the success of the DFF including but not limited to:  
• Distinct recruitment criteria of enterprises to the DFF as well as explicit matchmaking criteria between enterprises and investors.
• Clear templates/frameworks around high-level due diligence of enterprises, their capital needs, and pitch-decks with analyses. 
• With the support of the Enterprise Relationship Manager build comprehensive methods and processes around enterprise information access and enterprise value creation as part of the DFF.
• Due Diligence: Responsible for due diligence and analysis on prospective companies that will be recruited into the DFF or directly matched to debt/equity investors
• With the other members of the DFF and FSD Uganda team contribute towards: 
• Development of capacity-building modules and programs for DFF enterprise cohorts. This will include supporting the building of a standardized business curriculum (with modules), tools and materials.

Program Management and Delivery:

• Undertake due diligence and capacity needs assessment of DFF applicants.
• Share analyses of due diligence with enterprises for finalization and onward sharing with investors to gauge interest
• Educate enterprises, especially the leadership of companies that have not raised equity, on the investment process
• Support the development of a standardized business curriculum (with modules) including tools and materials

Thought Leadership:

• Build analyses around enterprises, including the challenges faced in capital raising to inform policymakers, ecosystem supporters with the aim of building a more enabling environment for businesses. 
• Lead analyses around challenges that investors face in investing in Uganda. 

Does this sound like you?

This will be a highly technical resource with an entrepreneurial drive. The successful candidate will have good practical knowledge around equity and debt capital raising and preferably comes from a PE / VC background.  

• Minimum of 7 years in private equity, venture capital, investment banking, or capital markets is required.
• Background in financial analysis and modelling. 
• Previous experience in providing business advisory services would be strongly preferred. 
• Advanced degree in finance or an MBA or equivalent, plus a professional accounting qualification, will be an added advantage. 
• Deeply curious and excited to engage with a variety of stakeholders including policymakers, investors, DFIs, and more. 
• Ability to deliver and communicate complex issues clearly and succinctly, and in a compelling manner.
• Ability to establish a strong rapport and build relationships across the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Self-motivated, confident, energetic, team player, and creative.

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