Joining Open Capital as a Principal Desired start: Q4 2019 through Q2 2020
Location: Nairobi or Kampala
Who we are
Open Capital Advisors (OCA) is a management consulting and financial advisory firm that drives growth, enables investment, and builds markets across Africa. We help high-impact businesses achieve scale, support investors to deploy capital, and enable the public sector to drive market-based solutions.
Sincewe founded Open Capital in 2010, we have completed more than 500 engagements across 20 countries in Africa. Our clients have transformed local industries in agribusiness, energy access, financial services, healthcare, and water & sanitation, among others. We have closed over $500M in capital raises in Africa and are now leading design for a new generation of market-building mechanisms, including new investment vehicles, market accelerators, and more.
OurAfrica-based team of 130+ offers experience from the world's top consultancies, private equity firms, investment banks, and development organizations including The Boston Consulting Group, Bain, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, IFC, and The World Bank. We currently have offices in Nairobi, Kampala, and Lusaka, and will open a West Africa office in the coming 6 --12 months.
The Principal role
We have built a platform to drive change through African markets and are seeking an exceptional leader to join us. We are searching for an entrepreneurial and adaptable team player who is as passionate as we are about our mission and is able to own outcomes as we scale. Our Principals lead a portfolio of client projects, managing and coaching Open Capital teams of Project Leaders, Associates, and Analysts, and serve as a thought-leader for senior-level clients, helping to co-create initiatives and structure new projects. Principals sit at our senior management table, assuming management responsibility for OCA’s growth and leading internal strategic initiatives.
Youwill be responsible for leading OCA across all aspects of its growth and development, overseeing business development and driving overall strategy. You will identify challenges and opportunities as we grow, suggest approaches and strategies, and take part in budget and agenda setting, working closely with our co-founders.
You will join Open Capital at an exciting time – we are seeking to achieve broad, ambitious growth goals, and leverage our strong international brand in the impact investing and frontier market space. We are being called to solve challenges in many diverse frontier markets – from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa to Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Zambia. The right candidate should be excited to take on a new level of responsibility and genuinely motivated by the challenging strategic and financial questions we answer for our clients.
Your skills and experience
We are looking for exceptional leaders who share our motivation and drive. Principals should feel comfortable leading multiple client projects, developing complex strategies and analyses, contributing fresh ideas, and feeling personally accountable for the impact we achieve. Our team is energetic and driven and we are quick to reward performance and initiative. We are open to a variety of backgrounds but top candidates will typically have the following:
- 10+ years of proven experience at a top global management consulting or development consulting firm or experience as an entrepreneur or leader in a high-growth business, with significant responsibility for deliverables, partnership formation, and client service;
- Demonstrated ability to manage and lead a team, with top reviews as a people manager;
- Proven ability to set strategies and drive these to completion, owning results;
- Strong communication skills and analytical abilities and insightful, structured way of presenting information;
- Ability to effectively work with potential and existing clients at all levels and backgrounds;
- Adaptability and ability to work across functions;
- Desire to work and live in Nairobi or Kampala for at least 24 months with interest in forming a career at Open Capital and progressing to Partner;
- Multiple languages and previous Africa experience useful but not required.
Compensation
We offer a competitive package among similar frontier market firms. This includes base salary, an annual performance bonus, and comprehensive health insurance coverage.
How to apply
Submit your applicationhere.
We are recruiting for Q4 2019 through Q22020 start dates on a rolling basis. Please note that due to volume of candidates, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Several recent clients
We highlight several recent client engagements below:
Strategy and finance for water utilities (Kenya, Senegal, South Africa)
Engagedin a Pan-Africa project supporting large water utilities to design strategies, increase efficiencies, and access additional commercial finance.
Goal:improve and extend water delivery to growing urban areas across Africa, contributing to solve the world’s coming drought problem; link commercial finance to sustainable expansion.
Strategy, roll-out, and financing for early-stage LPG business (Kenya)
Supportedan early-stage company developing innovative cooking fuel distribution for low-income populations in Africa. Conducted analysis to define distribution hubs and fleet configuration; built detailed financial model; supported capital raise through completion.
Goal:enable company to disrupt the cooking fuels market, providing affordable option to the mass market.
Due diligence in Ethiopia for family-owned conglomerate (Ethiopia)
Conducteddue diligence on potential investment in Ethiopia for large Kenyan FMCG conglomerate. Involved full commercial due diligence of assets in Ethiopia, including proposed strategies for acquisition and approaches to negotiation.
Goal:expand FMCG access to burgeoning Ethiopian population through strategic partnership between Kenya & Ethiopia.
Fund structuring & design for conflict country (East Africa)
Designednew investment fund for large European DFI, focused on a post-conflict country in East Africa. Proposed fund process, created fund financing strategy, evaluated initial pipeline, and designed PPM for launch of fundraising.
Goal:provide source of capital for high-growth businesses in challenging, post-conflict country.
