Job Description

The purpose of the Investment Officer role is to support the generation of deal flow and build a strong pipeline of prospective projects for development financing. This role is also responsible for structuring deals, as well as appraising, negotiating, and closing Project Finance, Corporate Finance, or Structured Finance transactions.

Key Responsibilities

Key Performance Areas:

Investment and Loan Transactions


Originate, identify, structure and execute infrastructure investment opportunities in key strategic sectors/investment themes. Perform detailed analysis of investment opportunities, including commercial analysis, financial modelling and risk and institutional analysis. Negotiate and review transaction agreements (including finance agreements) and project documents. Facilitate deal closure by taking responsibility for optimal financial, institutional and legal structuring. Provide innovative and flexible financial structures for complex transactions. Prepare Investment Committee and Board papers on investment opportunities for consideration by management and committees (including the Board). Manage relationships at various levels with the relevant project stakeholders, partners, and lead promoters, in accordance with the project's development objectives. Identify and report growth opportunities to enhance market presence and implement structured and targeted marketing strategies to promote services.

Transaction Execution and Credit Approval


Collaborate with the Treasury, Legal, Credit and Loan Administration teams to structure and negotiate detailed term sheets, ensuring transaction approval. Secure internal approvals and lead or participate actively in closing transactions through successful negotiations. Manage the credit approval process from early review to final decision by the relevant committees. Review proposals submitted to approval committees to ensure they are well-structured and documented for informed decision-making. Resolve potential constraints in the lending value chain in collaboration with the Head of Transacting. Implement risk management procedures across continent-wide financing functions, ensuring investment risks are appropriately structured and mitigated during operations. Capture and apply learning opportunities post-transaction to drive continuous improvement and successful deal delivery.

Relationship Management and Business Development


Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities. Undertake business development in South Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa and position DBSA as the preferred lender/investor/partner. Ensure continuous communication with DBSA-funded project clients to support the division's monitoring function. Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs:

The list is not exhaustive

Number of transactions that are committed for DBSA funding to black-owned entities (50% shareholding and above) and fund managers.

Quality of signed agreements/mandates.

Clients and Stakeholders' service rating.

Number and quality of early review reports (ERR's) submitted.

Revenue performance in terms of interest income and fees generated.

Percentage of the loan book in priority geographies and sectors.

Annual disbursements, commitments and approvals.

Management of relationships with new/ existing clients.

Expertise & Technical Competencies

Qualifications and Experience:

Minimum Requirements


A postgraduate qualification or equivalent in Business (such as an MBA) or Finance (CA or CFA), or Engineering, or Economics or Actuarial Science. A minimum of 3-5 years' experience in appraising, negotiating and closing project finance, corporate finance, or structured finance transactions in a financial institution. Experience in working on investment projects through an established approval process. Experience in successful investment, appraisal, analysis and implementation is required. Experience in executing infrastructure transactions in Africa is a requirement. Demonstrable track record of originating, structuring and closing infrastructure transactions. Understanding of the types of agreements/contracts typically used in corporate finance and/or limited recourse project finance. Demonstrated ability to structure a variety of complex financial instruments (debt and equity) and analyse financial models. Capacity to deal with conflicting priorities and deliver high-quality work on schedule; ability to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries. Commitment to ethical standards and to sustainable development with sensitivity to social and environmental challenges. Outstanding interpersonal, diplomatic and partnership skills required for building and maintaining collaborative relationships with key stakeholders.

Technical Competencies:

Project Management


Defines, plans, and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications. Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation. Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects. Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective actions.

Business Development


Takes overall lead for proactive business development at the national and international level. Initiates, reviews, and interprets competitor environment reviews and takes actions accordingly. Formulates and modifies market approaches based on competitor analyses. Leads the formulation, development and implementation of the business development strategy to generate new business opportunities in public and private sector delivery of infrastructure. Identifies and develops new markets, products and clients. Leads the participation and presentation of an organisation at investment conferences and roundtable discussions. Coordinates business activities to ensure that investment initiatives are in support of government BEE strategies, broader national and regional economic development strategies.

Solution Focus


Identifies broad, highly complex problems based on a multitude of factors, many of which are complex and sweeping in nature, difficult to define and often contradictory. Creates procedures to articulate the nature of problems and to identify and weigh alternate solutions. Evaluates the effectiveness of solutions using approaches tailored to the situation.

Deal Structuring


Uses credit enhancement techniques to structure deals and optimise pricing in terms of Basel principles. Has an in-depth and practical understanding of how to optimise the Capital Structure, collateral package, and debt repayment profile. Interrogates financial models, including those with a high degree of complexity, to develop an optimal structure. Identifies complex structural issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate bankable structures. Demonstrates knowledge of advanced structuring, including the use of derivatives, syndicated loans, synthetic loans, securitisations, inflation-linked debt, credit default swaps and subordinated debt. Prepares specialised or tailored reports relating to new innovative instruments, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyse and include in a report for new product approval committees. Compiles comprehensive specialist reports as required for inclusion in credit committee submissions.

Financial Analysis


Serves as subject matter expert. Evaluates and determines fiscal, operational, and service impacts; analyses and evaluates legislation; and implements and evaluates statistical models in their subject areas. Demonstrates in-depth technical and administrative knowledge of the rules and regulations in the subject area and to defend analyses, testimony, and recommendations relating to a variety of issues before management and commissions.

Financial Acumen


Makes sound financial decisions after having analysed their impacts on the organisation, partner agencies, and community. Effectively prepares budgetary submissions and forecasts for own department. Knows the internal and external factors that impact resource and asset availability. Can interpret management account reports in an operational/commercial context and take action as appropriate to maximise revenues and control costs.

Attention to detail


Quickly identifies relevant and irrelevant information to support accurate decision making. Maps out all the logistics and details of a situation to ensure smooth and flawless implementation. Consistently identifies all relevant details that are not obvious in complex situations. Requires the highest standards for accuracy and quality for their work. Establishes processes to ensure accuracy and quality of services delivered by the team.

Negotiation


Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences. Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation. Can take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy. Can place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of DBSA.

Commercial Awareness


Deep understanding of commercial drivers and can make decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations. Deep understanding of DBSA economic priorities and how they can be implemented to meet DBSA's strategic objectives. Deep understanding of DBSA's core sector role in achieving DBSA's strategic objectives. Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, the private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations. Takes actions to fit business strategy. Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives. Reviews own actions against the organisation's strategic plan; includes the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projects, or thinks about long-term applications of current activities. Anticipates possible responses to different initiatives. Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.

Research


Demonstrates expert skill levels in strategic and operational research techniques, including process analysis, modelling, and forecasting. Adapts, creates, and designs new research techniques to meet the organisation's requirements. Provides specialist coaching and guidance to researchers and other organisation employees. Promotes the professional reputation of the organisation by maintaining a respected profile with relevant external organisations and the research community in general.

Communication and Reporting


Able to communicate complex problems or concepts by making them simple and understandable for others. Adapts language to the level of the audience to ensure that the message has a positive impact and is interesting to the audience. Is articulate, demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary, and is confident when talking to large/high-level audiences. Designs / customises reports to meet user needs. Prepares complex or tailored reports, gathers information from a variety of sources, analyses and includes in a report. Keeps standard reports under review and proposes improvements to meet user needs.

Presentation Skills


Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g., the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter, etc.). Knows various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Required Personal Attributes

Leadership/Behavioural Competencies:

Customer Service Orientation


Tries to understand the underlying needs of customers and matches these needs to available or customised products and services. Adapts processes and procedures to meet ongoing customer needs. Utilises the feedback received by customers to develop new and/or improve existing services/ products that relate to their ongoing needs. Thinks of new ways to align DBSA's offerings with future customer needs.

Integrity


Acts consistent with basic values of openness and honesty. Acts consistent with values and beliefs. Acts on values when it is not easy to do so. Acts on values when a significant cost or risk is associated with doing so.

Self-awareness and Self Control


Withholds effects of strong emotions in difficult situations. Keeps functioning or responds constructively despite stress. May apply special techniques or plan ahead of time to manage emotions or stress.

Achievement Orientation


Undertakes challenging assignments and strives to complete them. Sets priorities and chooses goals based on calculated costs, anticipated benefits and improvement of performance. Aims at exceptional performance; setting out to achieve a unique standard. Constantly analyses outcomes to ensure the achievement of business goals. Identifies short-term opportunities or potential problems, aiming to achieve better outcomes.

Analytical Thinking


Identifies multiple elements of a problem and breaks down each of those elements in detail, showing causal relationships between them. Uses several analytical techniques to identify several solutions and weighs the value of each.

Conceptual thinking


Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others and not learned from previous education or experience to explain situations or resolve problems. Looks at things in a significantly novel way, breakthrough thinking.

Strategic and Innovative thinking


Experiments with new approaches, tests scenarios, questions assumptions and challenges conventional thinking. Creates new concepts that are not obvious to others, leveraging internal and external sources of information, to build incremental revenue and growth opportunities. Recognises opportunities or problems emerging in patterns and trends, and their impact on the business and profitability drivers. Applies learning from previous situations and experiences. Sees underlying causality in the current situation. Applies business acumen to make sound decisions. Recognises opportunities or potential problems, before they become obvious, by seeing the connections in a range of sources of information, including insights from outside DBSA. Restates complex knowledge in a way that makes it easier for others to understand.

Commercial Business Acumen


Understands business fundamentals. Analyses and comprehends organisational goals and strategies. Understands tactical business fundamentals in the public sector environment and incorporates them into decision-making.

Driving delivery of results


Sets challenging goals that will have a significant impact on the business or support the organisational strategy. Commits significant resources and/or time to ensure that challenging goals are achieved, while also taking action to mitigate risk.

Teamwork


Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts. Creates opportunities for cross-functional working. * Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.