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 provides hands-on, 1:1 support to funded enterprises on business models and unit economics, while owning relationship and portfolio management across the cohorts. It involves due diligence support, pipeline building and translating funding into evidence-based Youth-in-Work outcomes. The position is based in Lagos, Nigeria, and Acumen follows a hybrid arrangement (three days in the office per 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 and turn disbursements into clear implementation plans.
• Coordinate with enterprises on outstanding documentation, contract queries and disbursement conditions.
• Contribute to due diligence findings and recommendations, and support legal, compliance and ESG reviews so enterprise folders stay current and contract-ready.
• Assist the Manager in building the pipeline and track financial, operational and impact KPIs, flagging enterprises needing extra support.
• Analyze enterprise reporting at each tranche milestone and share portfolio-level insights, and help refine tools and processes each cycle.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree and 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, with strong relationship and communication skills.
• Detail-oriented, proactive, self-reflective and aligned with Acumen values.
• Permanently authorized to work in Lagos, Nigeria.

Required skills

• Financial analysis and unit economics, turning financial data into practical recommendations.
• Comfortable using trackers, dashboards and reporting tools such as Excel/Google Sheets.

Applications are reviewed manually on a rolling basis until Friday, 13 November 2026.