We are a trusted investment partner to businesses in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. ?Established in 1948, we are the UKs development finance institution. Weve been at the forefront of supporting companies that help developing and emerging countries grow for the last 70 years.
An Executive in an RI sector team will lead the Responsible Investing workstream for both pipeline and portfolio stage transactions. This will include supporting the operationalising of the PRI requirements, fostering a positive team culture, contributing to professional development of team members, thought leadership and market shaping work. Further details on the role are below.
Responsibilities
Transactional Leadership & Oversight
- Lead and conduct business integrity due diligence for pipeline and portfolio investments, providing clear analysis and recommendations to investment teams and senior management.
- Serve as a key liaison between the RI and Investment teams, interpreting and operationalising BII’s Policy for Responsible Investment (PRI) with a particular focus on BI and corporate governance but also some latitude to look at E&S issues.
- Monitor the portfolio for integrity issues, supporting relationship management with investees and fund managers.
- Escalate material risks or incidents as appropriate, ensuring robust risk management and compliance.
- Begin to identify and articulate macro trends affecting either BI&CG or E&S risk management/standards and BII’s broader investment approach
Operational Support & Issues Management
- Support the development and implementation of internal BI and corporate governance policies and procedures.
- Respond to significant BI-related issues (e.g., financial crime, governance failures, conflicts of interest) in collaboration with team leads and compliance functions.
- Maintain accurate data and records in line with internal procedural requirements.
Stakeholder Engagement & Thought Leadership
- Participate in relevant industry conferences and forums, and share knowledge and insights across the RI team as relevant.
- Support and contribute to thought leadership in RI themes across target geographies as needed.
- Provide either Subject Matter Expertise (SME) or thought leadership as required by RI team strategy.
- Collaborate with the Head of RI, Team Heads and Managers, and relevant stakeholders on strategically important initiatives, ensuring commercially relevant and precedent-setting positions are well articulated.
Training & Knowledge Sharing
- Contribute to the design and delivery of RI training for internal teams and external investees.
- Support the development of briefing materials, case studies and other materials that showcase how E&S or BI&CG business practices contribute to commercial and impact success.
Develop broader cross disciplinary RI understanding
- Develop cross disciplinary RI competencies via learning by doing, formal and informal internal and external training, and proactive engagement with others in RI team.
- Provide opportunities for others to develop competencies across different RI disciplines.
Regional Element
- Support/coordinate RI inputs to regional strategies and investment pipeline. on occasion, meeting with prospective investees to introduce BII’s RI requirements and value creation approach.
- Actively manage relationships with key internal local stakeholders (e.g. investment deal leads), and external consultants and investees as required. Investee relationships may be held across all sectors (FSG, I&C and ITS).
- Develop knowledge of local regulations, trends, listing requirements, industry associations, sustainability/compliance headwinds and market intelligence and regularly share with RI team.
- Support thought-leadership by providing contextual inputs; attend/speak at relevant conferences and events and share knowledge with RI team.
- Foster a strong team culture and act as a culture carrier for RI team.
Background, skills, aptitude
Essential Skills & Experience
- Significant experience in identifying, assessing, and addressing financial crime and integrity risks, preferably within private equity, banking, or development finance in Africa.
- Strong understanding of corporate governance frameworks and operational/ political risks in Kenya and the region.
- Proven ability to conduct financial crime-focused research and due diligence, both remotely and onsite.
- Knowledge of UK and international regulatory requirements (AML/CFT, anti-bribery, corruption).
- Excellent research, analytical, and report-writing skills.
- University degree (postgraduate qualification preferred) in a relevant discipline