Job Description
Venture Growth (80%)
Post-Investment Support: The intern will provide post-investment support to MCV portfolio companies.
Based on portfolio company needs, Venture Growth priorities, and skillset, the intern will work with portfolio company founder(s) to scope project(s) and deliverables during the first phase of the internship.
The intern will work on a key strategic or operational concern for the portfolio companies to help the company grow and achieve its impact potential and financial targets. The intern will work closely with the portfolio company’s management. The intern will engage internal Mercy Corps resources, and external partners (board members, co-investors, etc.) to leverage support as needed.Depending on how the fund and the start-ups evolve, the projects and deliverables may also evolve.
Scalable Post Investment Systems (20%)
Support the evolution of current offerings for portfolio companies focused on: products, markets, and impact management
Develop and improve tools for each offering based on the results with each portfolio companies
Evolve the knowledge management capacity and tools of the MCV team
In addition to the primary work streams above, the MCV Intern will join all team calls and gain exposure to the entire investment lifecycle. He/she/they may have the opportunity to assist in the technical evaluation of investment opportunities.
Learning Objectives
Through the internship, the intern will acquire:
Deep, hands-on experience in the delivery of effective post-investment support to startups in frontier markets.
Exposure to Kenyan/East African entrepreneurial ecosystem, tech sector, investors/venture capital, and government and policy actors.
Insight into investment landscaping, sourcing, and analysis.
Exposure to portfolio management and the investment lifecycle.
Exposure to innovation in the development sector.
Experience researching and landscaping a specific sector in East Africa region.
Deliverables
Final deliverables will be determined two-weeks prior to the start of the internship. Specific projects are designed based on the fluctuating demands of portfolio companies. A successful candidate has a broad toolkit, and will be able to dive into an array of different types of technical assistance projects.
The Ideal Candidate
MBA or equivalent experience,
5 years experience developing businesses either in management consulting, finance or as part of an enterprise,
Direct experience in the management and operations of a business and a successful record of implementation,
Entrepreneurial mindset
Experience with development of a business from early stage conceptualization through scale,
Strong financial modeling, business planning, due diligence, competitive analysis, and valuation skills and experience,
Experience in process mapping and tools that support efficiency and workflow mapping,
Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to get things done,
Strong strategic thinking skills. Able to navigate complex environments and develop a clear, focused, and ambitious vision,
Prior demonstrated interest in creating positive social impact,
Ability to work collaboratively, build trust and facilitate change in organizations,
Experience working across a distributed team.
Mercy Corps interns and team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Diversity is powerful. To achieve transformational change, we seek out team members with different origins, beliefs, backgrounds and ways of thinking. Diversity helps us unlock complexity.
