About Accion

Accion is a global nonprofit on a mission to create a fair and inclusive economy for the nearly two billion people who are failed by the global financial system. We develop and scale responsible digital financial solutions for small business owners, smallholder farmers, and women, so they can make informed decisions and improve their lives. Through targeted investment strategies, advisory solutions, and expert thought leadership, we work with local partners to develop and scale cheaper, more accessible, and customer-friendly financial solutions. Since 1961, Accion has helped build 267 financial service providers serving low-income clients in 75 countries, reaching 440 million people. More at https://www.accion.org.

About Accion Emerge

Accion Emerge makes equity investments in financial service providers that support micro-entrepreneurs and underserved populations in developing countries.

Emerge’s strategy is to take significant minority stakes in financial inclusion businesses and work closely with the Accion Advisory team to provide capital, strategic and operational support to develop sustainable companies and deliver both commercial and social returns. Our combined Emerge and Advisory 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.

Accion Emerge 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.

Position Summary 

The summer intern will be an integral part of the team and will be involved in Emerge’s pipeline building and due diligence processes, process management and post-investment support to investee companies, and will be called upon to be an active contributor to organization-wide initiatives. The role will be highly entrepreneurial and analytical, spanning emerging market investing, consulting, and management, with a focus on financial inclusion. The targeted time for this role is a three-month period from June to August 2025. This role will be based out of our Washington, D.C. office but does offer the option of a hybrid in-person/remote schedule.  

Position Responsibilities 

• Pipeline development: 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.
• Deal cycle experience: 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.
• Macroeconomic research: Conduct market research on the financial inclusion industry (microfinance and adjacent industries) and general financial sector environments of prospective investment countries.
• Portfolio management: Provide management support to investee enterprises, including performance evaluation, semi-annual valuations, capital raising and leveraging Accion resources and expertise to benefit the investee.
• Org-wide strategy: Contribute to Accion’s strategic development by participating on any number of communities and internal working groups that best suite the interests/experience of the intern.

Position Qualifications

• 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 Accion’s mission and working globally.
• 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 always demonstrate honesty and integrity 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. 

Compensation:

• Hourly rate: $25.00 – $35.00
• The above salary serves as a general guideline. Accion considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, training, skills, location, current market conditions as well as internal pay alignment.

Accion is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. Accion seeks qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, change of sex or transgender status, or any other basis protected by law. Accion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.