ABOUT NEXUS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Nexus for Development mobilises climate finance to accelerate the growth of climate positive enterprises across Southeast Asia, with a focus on carbon and debt financing. Founded in 2009, Nexus is an international, not-for-profit organisation registered in Singapore with an operational team based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Through carbon finance and impact investing, we support enterprises and projects working on clean energy, clean cooking, clean water, waste management, and climate resilience. As one of the early pioneers of carbon finance in the region, we help organisations navigate complex carbon markets and unlock the capital needed to scale their climate solutions, while our impact investing strategy provides SMEs and social enterprises with flexible, uncollateralised loans that help them scale their climate solutions to low-income communities.
As a not-for-profit organisation, we're not driven by shareholder returns; we prioritise ensuring that climate finance genuinely benefits the local enterprises, communities, and ecosystems behind the projects.
Following the successful pilot phase of our Pioneer Facility - which deployed 11 loans across six countries with zero defaults - we're entering an exciting period of growth.
The team are focused on three key areas of growth:
- Expanding our investment portfolio
- Secure new investors and funders
- Closer cross team collaboration to deepen carbon finance partnerships
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Nexus is seeking a dynamic and driven Investment Associate to join our Impact Investment team at a pivotal moment as our flagship debt fund, the Pioneer Facility, prepares to scale into a $30 million regional fund. The Investment Associate will play an integral role in building a pipeline of deployment ready climate enterprises as we approach our next fund close. This is a front-row opportunity to help shape how an innovative impact fund grows, as part of the investment team that expands our investment activities and portfolio across the region.
The Investment Associate will be responsible for independently managing transactions through the full investment cycle. The position reports to our Head of Impact Investment and will be based in our office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Key responsibilities include:
- Sourcing and Pipeline Development: Identify investment opportunities through independent research, strategic relationships with accelerators and incubators, and active engagement with other regional investors.
- Origination and Investment Screening: Independently conduct screening and pre-qualification assessments of potential investments, ensuring alignment with the Pioneer Facility investment mandate, as well as identifying key risks, recommending areas for focused due diligence, and presenting pre-screening memos to the Investment Committee.
- Due Diligence: Independently conduct financial due diligence on identified investment opportunities, addressing key risks and providing investment recommendations. This includes site visits, financial modelling, impact assessments, and drafting of due diligence reports for presentation to the Investment Committee.
- Loan Contracting and Documentation: Contribute to the drafting and negotiation of loan contracts with investee management teams, including loan covenants, impact reporting KPIs, conditions precedent and other key loan terms.
- Portfolio Management: Manage a portfolio of investee companies by monitoring financial performance, loan repayments, and impact performance. Provide strategic and operational support where appropriate, and identify operational or repayment risks, recommending appropriate mitigation actions as required.
- Business Development: Represent the Pioneer Facility and Nexus at relevant industry events, including accelerator pitch days, impact investment conferences, and networking events. Build relationships with founders, investors, and ecosystem partners to strengthen the investment pipeline and raise the profile of the Pioneer Facility.
- Process Improvement: Continuously review existing processes, forms and templates to ensure that risks are properly flagged and mitigated, payments are on time, and deals progress as efficiently as possible.
QUALIFICATION
The ideal candidate will have:
- At least 3-5 years of relevant experience in investment analysis, venture capital, SME lending or international development finance. Candidates with a background in corporate finance or investment banking are also encouraged to apply.
- Demonstrable knowledge and experience of managing investment transactions, particularly screening, due diligence, and preparing written memos or reports.
- Strong financial analysis skills, including interpreting financial statements and building three-statement financial models.
- Understanding of impact measurement processes and frameworks, namely SDGs and IRIS+.
- Experience in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, or other frontier markets is preferred.
- Have a genuine passion for impact investing and be up to date on financing mechanisms and trends in development finance and startup investing.
- Be highly organised and detail-oriented, with a proven track record of project management success.
- Be self-motivated and adaptable, capable of working independently in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
- Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to build strong relationships with colleagues, investors, and investees.
- Have an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to make a positive impact on businesses and communities.
- Be fluent in English (both written and spoken). Knowledge of Southeast Asian languages (e.g. Khmer, Vietnamese, Bahasa Indonesian, Filipino) or Bengali is a valuable asset.
Apply Here