Senior Associate, Funding to Build

About the role

Acumen Academy is hiring a Senior Associate to support Funding to Build, a structured funding program that gives early-stage, climate-focused enterprises across Africa up to US$50,000 in project funding, coaching and community support. The role reports to the Manager, Funding to Build, and involves hands-on, 1:1 support to funded enterprises on business models and unit economics, relationship management and portfolio management across the cohorts. It is a hybrid arrangement: in the office three days a week.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a key relationship point of contact for funded enterprises, co-facilitate office hours and give tailored 1:1 support on unit economics, revenue models, pricing strategy and project budget planning
• Help enterprises develop realistic projects with evidence-based projections for green job creation (Youth-in-Work outcomes)
• Help turn disbursements into clear implementation plans matched to each funding tranche
• Coordinate with enterprises on outstanding documentation, contract queries and disbursement conditions
• Contribute due diligence findings and support coordination of legal, compliance and ESG reviews
• Assist the Manager in building the enterprise pipeline and track financial, operational and impact KPIs
• Analyze enterprise reporting at each tranche milestone and refine tools and processes with the team

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 5 years of experience in enterprise support, SME finance, portfolio management or impact investing, preferably in the social enterprise or development sector
• Experience conducting or supporting due diligence (financial, legal, compliance or ESG)
• Ability to manage a portfolio of enterprise relationships independently
• Permanent authorization to work in Lagos, Nigeria

Required skills

• Financial analysis and unit economics
• Trackers, dashboards and reporting tools such as Excel/Google Sheets
• Strong analytical and relationship-management skills