About Accion:

Accion is a global nonprofit committed to creating a financially inclusive world, with a trailblazing legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing. We catalyze financial service providers to deliver high-quality, affordable solutions at scale for the 1.8 billion people who are left out of, or poorly served by, the financial sector. For more than 60 years, Accion has helped tens of millions of people through our work with more than 200 partners in 63 countries. More at http://www.accion.org. 

About Accion Global Investments:

The Accion Global Investments team makes equity investments in financial service providers that support micro-entrepreneurs and underserved populations in developing countries.

Global Investments’ strategy is to take significant minority stakes in financial inclusion businesses and work closely with Accion’s Chief Regional Officers and the Global Advisory Solutions team to provide capital, strategic and operational support to develop sustainable companies and deliver both commercial and social returns. Our combined Global Investments and Global Advisory Solutions team interventions incorporate a deep understanding of financial inclusion business models, customer needs and help our partners capitalize on the value of their data, leveraging technology and automation to transform their business processes, and reach their customers through the most cost-effective and convenient digital channels, lowering costs and increasing quality at scale.

Global Investments manages a portfolio of companies across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. We also work closely with our seed stage fintech for financial inclusion investment group (Accion Venture Lab) as well as our growth stage fintech for financial inclusion fund (Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund, managed by Quona Capital). Learn more here.  

Position Summary:

The summer associate will be an integral part of the team and will be involved in Global Investments’ investing activities, process management and post-investment support to investee companies. The role will be highly entrepreneurial and analytical, spanning emerging market investing, consulting, and management, with a focus on financial inclusion. The targeted timing for this role is early June to mid-August 2023. This role will be based out of our Washington, D.C. office but does offer the option for a hybrid in-person/remote schedule.

Position Responsibilities: 

• Provide analytical support to Investment Officers on assessment of new investment opportunities, including completing prescreening analysis, conducting background research, financial modeling and collecting and analyzing diligence documents
• Participate in the investment process with a variety of financial analytics, including the analysis of financial statements, financial projections and valuation of equity and debt transactions
• Conduct market research on the financial inclusion industry (microfinance and adjacent industries) and general financial sector environments of prospective investment countries
• Provide portfolio management support to investee enterprises, including performance evaluation, semi-annual valuations, capital raising and leveraging Accion resources and expertise to benefit the investee
• Contribute to Accion’s impact measurement work through market practice research and data collection and analysis

Qualifications and Requirements

• Candidate for MBA or MA in Finance / Economics or related degree program
• Strong Excel skills in connection to financial projections & valuation analysis
• 2+ years of related work experience (preferably in impact investing and/or private equity)
• Proficiency with MS Office
• Demonstrated communication skills, including excellent oral and written English language skills and ability to communicate ideas effectively
• Cultural awareness and ability to interact effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and multi-cultural environments
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize various projects and work with little supervision
• Proficiency in Spanish desired, or in another language relevant to Accion's work (French, Portuguese, etc.)
• Interested in our mission and working with global teams
• Willingness to embody our values of excellence, respect and passion for social change.
  • Excellence: Accion staff should always put forth their best effort in all activities, strive for high quality of collective and individual performance; and demonstrate honesty and integrity at all times while in the workplace and while working on behalf of the organization
  • Respect: Accion staff should value one another’s roles and responsibilities as much as their own, be encouraging, and value the diverse and unique perspectives of colleagues. They should honor obligations and commitments to each other and to external partners
  • Passion for Social Change: Accion staff should be committed to making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, value the greater good of the organization over personal gain, and promote a productive workplace by acknowledging the accomplishments of others