VP, Africa & Middle East Practice

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Kenya.

📋 Description

• Drive a comprehensive strategy across Africa and the Middle East.

• Identify and promote strategic funding and financing opportunities.

• Collaborate with regional, functional, and organizational leadership on resource distribution and strategy.

• Act as Village Capital's senior representative for the regional portfolio.

• Partner with communications, business development, finance, data and impact, and regional teams for cohesive execution.

• Stay updated on trends in entrepreneurship, venture capital, innovative finance, philanthropic capital, and blended finance.

• Lead engagement with strategic stakeholders and business development initiatives.

• Build and maintain relationships with investors, foundations, corporations, governments, and funders.

• Collaborate on proposal development, donor reporting, pitch materials, case studies, and budget contributions.

• Co-create regional and sector-specific fundraising strategies and maintain a fundraising roadmap.

• Support long-term commitments and the growth of portfolio revenue.

• Oversee the execution of entrepreneur support programs and investment initiatives.

• Ensure program and investment quality, delivery standards, and management of outputs.

• Supervise investment transactions, decisions, structuring, due diligence, and investment frameworks.

• Distribute resources across initiatives as priorities evolve.

• Assess the effectiveness of investment strategy and entrepreneur support.

• Manage budgets and prioritize expenditures.

• Collaborate with delivery teams to maintain regionally relevant curricula.

• Manage, coach, develop, and support geographically distributed teams, including delivery and investment staff, and contractors.

• Foster a culture of learning, accountability, and leadership development.

• Oversee ecosystem engagement across alumni, portfolio, investor, and expert networks.

• Represent Village Capital at ecosystem gatherings and working groups.

• Supervise the development of thought leadership content and conduct final reviews.

• Lead the creation and review of region-specific reports for funders and stakeholders.

• Ensure reporting capabilities through the appropriate staff, tools, consultants, and third-party platforms.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 8 years of investment experience in banking, entrepreneurship, impact investing, or international development.

• Experience in entrepreneur support and ecosystem development is advantageous.

• Proven track record of building and managing complex, multi-stakeholder business lines to a high standard.

• Demonstrated success in business development, including devising fundraising strategies, shaping proposals, and managing multi-year funder commitments.

• Experience in managing and developing distributed teams across diverse cultures and geographies.

• Understanding of the early-stage investment landscape, encompassing venture, blended, and philanthropic capital.

• Experience within the investment sector from both the entrepreneur and investor viewpoints.

• Preference for candidates with experience in impact investing, venture capital, private credit, or DFI.

• Cultural fluency and a consistent commitment to equity.

• Ability to operate strategically while being vigilant enough to identify risks early.

• Proficiency in the terminology of early-stage investment capital, including equity, debt, hybrid, blended capital, and philanthropic capital.

🏝️ Benefits

• 12-month fixed-term position with the possibility of extension if Village Capital achieves its funding targets.