Finance, Investment & Accounting
Job Description
FSD Africa is a specialist development agency working to help make finance work for Africa’s future. FSD Africa’s team of financial sector experts work alongside governments, business leaders, regulators, and policymakers to design and build ambitious programmes that make financial markets work better for everyone.
FSD Africa’s investment arm, FSD Africa Investments, provides early-stage, risk-bearing, catalytic and patient capital to inventive commercial organisations to stimulate capital flows to support green economic growth benefiting people and the planet. Established in 2012, FSD Africa is incorporated as a non-profit company limited by guarantee in Kenya. It is funded by UK aid from the UK government.
About The Role
Reporting directly to the Chief Investment Officer (CIO), the Principal Investment Risk is responsible for cultivating a comprehensive risk management framework that supports FSDAi purpose and primary investment goal of “making finance work for Africa’s future.”. This role leads the second line of defence, safeguarding organizational assets through effective risk identification, evaluation, and mitigation. The Principal Investment Risk collaborates closely with management to support decision-making processes and enhance risk governance while ensuring clear delineation of responsibilities with the Head of Internal Audit, who leads the third line of defence. By developing and implementing best practices, this role contributes to informed decision-making, strong financial performance, and sustainable impact.
Additionally, the job holder is in charge of enhancing and managing FSDAi’s investment risk framework, covering all aspects of strategic, business integrity, and compliance risk. Strategic risk relates to FSDAi’s investment risk appetite. Business Integrity relates to all other aspects of the risks associated with investing in companies and funds at early stages of their deployment strategies. Compliance risk is associated with both investees and FSDAi.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategy Best Practice
Develop and implement a comprehensive risk management strategy that aligns with FSDAi’s objectives and incorporates global best practices and emerging trends:
- Conduct ongoing market research and engage with industry networks to enhance the risk strategy based on current trends and benchmarks.
- Establish clear communication channels to ensure that risk management goals are understood and supported across all teams and departments.
- Collaborate with the Head of Internal Audit to ensure alignment on risk management strategies and to support the effective implementation of the organization overall risk framework while clearly delineating the responsibilities of each role.
- Develop and maintain annually updated risk assessments that highlight potential impacts on FSDAi’s strategic objectives.
- Lead strategy workshops and discussions to integrate risk management as a fundamental component of organizational decision-making, ensuring alignment with its investment risk appetite.
Policy, Procedures, and Tools Development
Establish, update, and maintain robust risk management policies, procedures, and tools that support compliance and strategic objectives organization-wide:
- Design and maintain comprehensive policies and procedures for risk management that are practical, understandable, and easily accessible for all employees.
- Develop and refine risk assessment tools, templates, and systems to facilitate effective risk evaluation and compliance at all levels.
- Lead stakeholder consultation processes to ensure all risk management policies reflect organizational needs and industry standards.
- Regularly update risk management manuals and resources, ensuring oversight and approval from the relevant governance bodies.
- Collaborate with ICT teams to integrate risk management frameworks, including cybersecurity considerations, into both current and future technological systems.
Investment Risk Framework Analysis
Enhance and manage FSDAi’s investment risk framework, ensuring comprehensive oversight of strategic, business integrity, and compliance risks, while providing expert risk analysis and support to optimize investment performance:
- Perform comprehensive risk assessments for all investment products, including grants and loans, identifying key risk factors and developing mitigation strategies.
- Offer ongoing risk analysis and advisory support throughout the investment lifecycle, from initial evaluations through to monitoring and disbursement.
- Provide guidance on risk considerations for incoming investments, assisting in making informed decisions regarding potential partners and capital flows.
- Monitor and analyse risks associated with outgoing investments, ensuring that business integrity risks are effectively managed and that FSDAi and its investees adhere to compliance requirements.
- Develop and maintain investment risk dashboards to capture and report key metrics, providing insights to inform investment teams and executive decision-makers.
Capacity Building and Training
Cultivate strong collaborative relationships with stakeholders and lead initiatives to embed a culture of risk awareness within the organization:
- Build and foster relationships with internal and external partners to support shared goals in risk management and capacity building.
- Design and implement training programs on risk management best practices, particularly focusing on investment products and strategies.
- Organize regular workshops and seminars to enhance risk management skills and promote a culture of awareness throughout the organization.
- Collaborate with HR to integrate risk management principles into orientation and performance evaluation processes, reinforcing a risk-aware culture.
- Facilitate training sessions tailored to staff and investment managers on risk identification, management techniques, and strategies to enhance investment performance.
Monitoring, Reporting, and Compliance
Oversee the monitoring and reporting of risk metrics, ensuring compliance with established standards while delivering insights to stakeholders:
- Develop a monitoring framework for ongoing assessment and evaluation of risk management processes and outcomes across operational areas.
- Produce comprehensive risk reports and presentations for the Board and senior management, delivering timely communication of insights and recommendations.
- Implement a routine risk monitoring schedule incorporating both qualitative and quantitative assessments to inform key decision-making processes.
- Liaise with internal and external audit teams to facilitate thorough reviews, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and best practices.
- Maintain and regularly update risk registers and compliance checklists, ensuring established response protocols are implemented and operational.
Team Leadership
Lead the FSDAi Risk team of staff and consultants in a manner that empowers them to add value to the organisation and deliver high standards of performance:
- Ensure that the Risk Unit is resourced with the expertise necessary to deliver on the work plan through a combination of recruitment and management of staff and procurement of consultants.
- Ensure that each team member (including consultants) is provided with clarity concerning goals and expectations of their personal role in achieving results, standards and behaviour
- Plan and organise the work of the team to accomplish goals and targets in the most cost-effective and impactful manner possible
- Monitor and review performance and hold staff accountable for achieving results, meeting standards of excellence and taking decisive action in the case of poor performance
- Ensure delivery of an engaging leadership style that motivates team members, results in high performance and complies with FSD Africa EDI policies
- Carry out any other duties or special assignments as assigned by the Management.
Qualifications and Education
- Master’s degree in Risk Management, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, with 12 years of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s degree with 14 years of experience.
- Relevant professional certifications in risk management or compliance (e.g., PMI-RMP, CRCMP, or equivalent).
- Excellent skills in written and spoken English, including drafting, reporting, and presentations.
Essential Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
- Extensive experience in risk management, compliance, or related fields within corporate finance, investments, or development finance, with a solid understanding of diverse regulatory environments, especially across African jurisdictions.
- Experience leading risk assessments and managing complex issues associated with investment portfolios or projects that have encountered significant challenges.
- A strong understanding of development finance principles and a commitment to applying risk management expertise for developmental and impact purposes.
- Expertise in risk assessment frameworks, business integrity, compliance monitoring, and Environmental, Social Governance (ESG) considerations.
- Adequate seniority and capacity to engage collaboratively with FSDAi’s Investment Managers, internal teams, and external partners during the risk assessment process and throughout the investment lifecycle.
- A strong network within the risk management and compliance community and a proactive approach to work creatively with teams to ensure effective risk mitigation strategies.
- Ability to guide on various aspects of risk management and compliance within the business environment, making informed recommendations regarding necessary actions and mitigation strategies.