DEAL ORIGINATION & INVESTMENT SPECIALIST – Export Development Fund (EDF) Limited

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, source and cultivate new business opportunities in EDF’s priority sectors and markets.
• Develop and maintain a sufficiently deep and diversified pipeline of bankable transactions aligned to EDF’s strategic priorities.
• Undertake market intelligence, sector scanning, client mapping and targeted business development activities to identify prospective transactions.
• Convert prospects into qualified opportunities through structured engagement, preliminary screening and assessment of financing needs.
• Maintain accurate pipeline records, including transaction size, stage, probability of conversion, expected approval and disbursement dates, foreign exchange requirements, developmental impact, key risks and identified blockers.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with existing and prospective clients, sponsors, investors, commercial banks, DFIs, government agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
• Act as a principal point of contact for assigned transactions and provide timely, professional and solution-oriented engagement throughout the transaction lifecycles
• Understand client’s business models, financial needs, strategic objectives, operating constraints and funding requirements.
• Manage client expectations regarding EDF’s products, processes, timelines, conditions and governance requirements.
• Undertake detailed analysis of historical and projected financial statements, cash flows, working capital and debt-servicing capacity.
• Assess profitability, liquidity, leverage, efficiency, solvency, cash conversion and other relevant financial indicators.
• Evaluate the quality and sustainability of operating cash flows and identify key drivers of financial performance.
• Conduct sensitivity and scenario analysis on key assumptions, including revenue, prices, volumes, costs, exchange rates, interest rates and project implementation timelines.
• Evaluate the quality, enforceability and realizability of proposed collateral and other credit enhancements.
• Develop financing structures that are appropriate to the client’s cash-flow profile, project economics, risk characteristics and EDF’s mandate.
• Recommend appropriate facility type, tenor, repayment profile, pricing, security, covenants, conditions precedent and other risk mitigants.
• Consider appropriate risk-sharing and mobilisation structures including co-financing, syndication, guarantees, blended finance and other partnerships where relevant.
• Assess the commercial viability, developmental impact and sustainability of proposed projects and Investments.
• Prepare high-quality, comprehensive and decision-useful credit and investment papers for management and Board consideration.
• Minimise omissions, rework and delays by applying rigorous quality assurance before submission.
• Respond promptly and accurately to credit, risk, legal, technical and investment committee queries.
• Coordinate with Credit, Legal, and Finance functions to facilitate timely transaction execution.
• Monitor conditions precedent and ensure that all required documentation, security perfection, insurance and other requirements are satisfactorily completed before disbursement.
• Escalate transaction blockers early and propose practical solutions to prevent avoidable delays.
• Maintain regular post-approval engagement with clients until full utilisation or completion of the transaction.
• Maintain appropriate knowledge of assigned clients after disbursement and monitor material developments affecting transaction performance.
• Identify emerging risks, covenant concerns, project implementation delays, cash-flow pressures and other early warning indicators and escalate them promptly.
• Support portfolio management, restructurings, waivers, amendments and remedial actions where required.
• Maintain accurate and complete transaction files and ensure compliance with internal record-keeping requirements.
• Assess and document the developmental rationale and expected impact of transactions, including employment, exports, import substitution, and value addition.
• Integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into transaction origination and appraisal in accordance with EDF requirements.
• Assess EDF’s additionality and ensure that financing addresses identifiable market or development gaps rather than simply replacing commercially available funding.
• Support measurement and reporting of agreed developmental outcomes.
• Directly supervise Origination Officers and provide coaching, technical guidance and quality assurance on their assigned work.
• Allocate work, set priorities, monitor progress and ensure that assigned officers meet agreed quality, productivity and turnaround expectations.
• Review and strengthen the financial analysis, risk assessment and credit-paper preparation capabilities of direct reports.
• Promote disciplined use of transaction checklists, appraisal templates, pipeline tools and other approved processes.
• Build a culture of accountability, client responsiveness, collaboration, continuous learning and professional integrity.
• Check that all origination and transaction activities comply with financial regulations, policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate audit trails and ensure that material deviations from approved terms are appropriately escalated and authorised.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Banking, Business Administration, or related field from a recognized and accredited institution.
• Those with a related bachelor’s degree and with a minimum of over 5 years relevant experience may be considered.
• Negotiating and consensus building capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Good planning, organizing skills and team player.
• Ability to comprehensively analyze financial statements.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to build and analyze financial models.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Credit principles, financing of infrastructure projects and general banking practices and procedures.
• Excellent credit risk analysis and transaction structuring skills.
• Familiarity with types of agreements/contracts typically used in project finance, including relevant legislative framework for Development Finance Institutions.

How to Apply