jobs

The application process for summer associates in Acumen Fund’s New York office is now open. We are currently accepting applications for the following positions for Summer 2010:

• Portfolio Associates - New York (3)
• Communications Associate - New York (1)

Applications will be accepted until 5:00PM EST on February 3, 2010. If your school subscribes to The MBA-Nonprofit Connection’s summer jobs program, please apply through that channel (a list of participating schools can be found at: http://mnconnection.org/schools/partner-schools.html). If your school is not a member of MNC, please send a cover letter and resume to summerintern2010(at)acumenfund.org. Please include the job title “Summer Associate - Portfolio” or “Summer Associate - Communications” in the subject line.

Acumen Fund is seeking talented, passionate individuals for a few open positions. Complete job descriptions in PDF form can be found on the Work with Acumen page of the website.

The Manager of Portfolio Performance Management will directly oversee Acumen Fund’s post-investment management processes, from assessing the needs of our portfolio companies to designing the most appropriate strategy considering available best-practices and our unique market in addition. The Manager will also be expected to build a successful performance management capability in a fast-changing and entrepreneurial environment. Our ideal candidate is not only deeply committed to our mission and business model but equipped with 8-10 years of work experience in management consulting, private equity, venture capital, start up businesses, or a related area. This is a global role which will require the hire be based in one of our global offices and travel frequently to our investment regions.

The East Africa Portfolio Manager will be directly responsible for managing current investments in the Water and Sanitation portfolio in East Africa and developing future investments in the sector. S/he will also manage compliance and operations of the Acumen Fund East Africa office. S/he will be expected to play a significant role globally, helping to build on the existing water and sanitation expertise in the organization. Our ideal candidate is not only deeply committed to our mission and business model but equipped with 7 – 10 years of principal investing experience in the water sector.

The India Portfolio Manager will be directly responsible for (1) managing the healthcare portfolio in India, including current investments and the development of future investments in the sector and (2) managing compliance and operations of the Acumen Fund India office. S/he will also be expected to play a significant role globally, helping to build on the existing healthcare expertise in the organization. Our ideal candidate is not only deeply committed to our mission and business model but equipped with 7 – 10 years of principal investing experience in the healthcare sector.

If you or someone you know is interested in these positions, please visit the site to learn more.

The Acumen Fund Communications team is currently looking for a volunteer to write, edit and manage content on two of our key online properties – the Acumen Fund blog and website. This is a 3-month, full-time volunteer position. The volunteer will be expected to work out of Acumen Fund’s New York office.

The Communications Volunteer will be a key member of Acumen Fund’s communications team, working with Acumen Fund staff (across functions and geographies) to ensure timely, accurate, compelling content on the website and blog, and to support internal knowledge building. This is an unpaid position, but you’ll learn a lot about the sector as well as the inner workings of Acumen Fund and have the opportunity to share your words with the ever-expanding Acumen Fund community.

The ideal candidate will have a facility for the written word (and for the technology needed to share such words), as well as a passion for Acumen Fund’s vision and mission.

Click here for the full position description. Apply by sending a cover letter and resume to mtada@acumenfund.org. Please include the job title “Communications Volunteer” in the subject line. Deadline for applications is 5:00pm EST September 30.

Global Easy Water Products (GEWP), an Acumen Fund investee in our Agriculture Portfolio in India, is currently recruiting a qualified Corporate Strategy Intern to help the company build a new 5-year business plan and financial model. This is an exciting opportunity to work directly with the Managing Director and Board of Directors of the company to shape its future direction.

GEWP is the exclusive distibutor for KB Drip, a line of micro-irrigation products that drastically increase yields and incomes for small farmers, as well as reduce water and energy consumption by 30-70%. The company currently distributes through over 600 dealers in seven states in India, as well as exports across Asia, Africa and Latin America. GEWP has witnesses remarkable growth over the past two years and has proven that enterprises can operate profitably, while having a tremendous impact on poverty. The company is, therefore, revising its 5-year business plan and financial model to account for new growth opportunities.

The intern would be based in Aurangabad and/or Hyderabad for a period of eight weeks. To apply: Check out this position description, and send a cover letter and CV to khill@acumenfund.org, with “Application for GEWP Corporate Strategy Intern” in the subject line.

Acumen Fund India is seeking a new Portfolio Manager to support our health work. The PDF version of the job description can be found here: India Portfolio Manager or on the Work with Acumen page.

The India Portfolio Manager will be directly responsible for (1) managing the healthcare portfolio in India, including current investments and the development of future investments in the sector and (2) managing compliance and operations of the Acumen Fund India office. S/he will also be expected to play a significant role globally, helping to build on the existing healthcare expertise in the organization.

Our ideal candidate is not only deeply committed to our mission and business model but equipped with 7 – 10 years of principal investing experience in the healthcare sector.

If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please visit the site to learn more.

The Acumen Fund Business Development team is currently looking for someone to join the team in New York, NY on a part-time basis (15 - 20 hours/week) for the Fall semester.

The right candidate should have a passionate commitment to Acumen Fund’s mission of solving the toughest problems of poverty, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and excellent attention to detail.

Put another way, you are a detail-oriented, hard-working, get-things-done kind of person who will get a kick out of doing something really valuable for our team, even if it’s not especially glamorous.  In exchange, you’ll learn a lot about what we do, both in Business Development and at Acumen Fund more broadly and there will be opportunities for stretch assignments if you can do a great job on your core responsibilities.

Business Development Team at Acumen Fund

The Business Development team is responsible for prospecting new donors, managing existing donor relationships (individual, foundation, corporate) and general contact and external relationship management at Acumen Fund. The Business Development Volunteer will be responsible for ensuring all data being tracked is up-to-date and assisting with supporting the team’s activities.

This position is un-paid and will require approximately 15-20 hours per week.  The position will last for the entire Fall semester (through December).

Click here for the full description

Location
New York, NY

To Apply
Send a cover letter and resume to emercer@acumenfund.org. Please include the job title “Business Development Volunteer” in the subject line. Deadline for applications is 5:00pm July 31st.

Updated March 31, 2009: The application period for the East Africa Leader position has ended. Thank you for your interest in Acumen Fund!

Acumen Fund is currently in search of an experienced individual to join our East Africa team in Nairobi as the East Africa Leader. The PDF version of the job description can be found on the Work with Acumen page.

The East Africa Leader is a senior role within Acumen Fund, requiring collaboration with our Chief Investment Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. The Leader’s main responsibilities will include, but will not be limited, to developing and managing our presence in the East Africa region, developing and managing the staff in our East Africa office as well as working closely with our Business Development team to identify, cultivate and secure partner and corporate contributions in the region

If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please visit the site to learn more.

We really hope it’s not too late. You may have already secured a great summer internship for 2009…if so, we’re happy for you. But if you’re waiting to hear back, or haven’t had the chance to apply as yet, then maybe you’re in luck. We are a little late in posting these (we’re sorry!) but are very happy to announce that we’re hiring a slew of Summer Associates to work in our New York, India and Pakistan offices.

All the details - position descriptions, duration, supervisor info, compensation, application instructions - can be found on the Work with Acumen page of our (now-resuscitated) web site.

Applications will be accepted only until February 20, so please apply today and help us spread the word to friends, colleagues, and others who might be interested.

Last year’s Summer Associates were a great bunch. I’m sure 2009’s crop will be just as fantastic…

Acumen Fund believes that talent is one of the key needs in the social enterprise sector—individuals with the skill and will to effect change in developing markets. If you are interested in job opportunities at Acumen Fund, we just announced three new positions that are now in active recruitment. A fourth is also listed on the Work with Acumen page of our website.

The new positions are:

Senior Portfolio Fellow

Capital Markets Manager

Pakistan Portfolio Manager

Please see the job descriptions (links to the PDF are above) for details and information on how to apply.

In case you’re not subscribed to the Acumen Fund web site’s RSS feed (yes, there is one), a quick update: we’re hiring an Agriculture Portfolio Associate/Manager.

Full details are available on the Work with Acumen page, including a PDF job description.

The Agriculture Portfolio Associate/Manager will, among other things, coordinate activities related to agriculture in East Africa and the development of our investments in the sector in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania. S/he will also be expected to play a significant role globally, helping to build agricultural expertise in the organization. Based on qualifications and experience, the position will be created as an Associate or a Manager position.

Specific responsibilities include:
- Identify new investments, carry out due diligence and investment activities on potential investments, with a strong focus on the water sector;
- Prepare, present and maintain detailed investment documentation for Acumen Fund Senior Management, Acumen’s Investment Committee, and the Acumen Fund Board of Directors;
- Help manage relationships with upcoming agriculture investments in the region;
- Provide management support to agriculture investees.

If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please visit the site to learn more.