Venture Investment Lead

Location: Nairobi; Kigali; Kenya; Rwanda Workplace: Hybrid ABOUT THE COMPANY Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy Rwanda (AGGPR) has embarked on a journey to develop responsible entrepreneurs across the African continent in service of the common good. Our Vision is an empowered, prosperous, productively engaged African citizenry thriving in ethical societies with dignity and hope. Our Mission is to attack poverty by investing in, nurturing, and empowering responsible entrepreneurs and leaders who benefit society by helping to accelerate meaningful employment creation, while embodying the values and behaviours of ethical leadership. Our Values are long-term commitment, spirit of humility and significance, excellence, responsible stewardship, and diversity and inclusion. Jasiri, one of AGGPR's main programs, invests in, nurtures, and empowers entrepreneurs who benefit society and attack poverty through the creation of high-impact new businesses, creating new markets on the African continent. - Jasiri Talent Investor is a one-year program for high-potential individuals who display exceptional entrepreneurial potential to form part of a community of high-impact, responsible entrepreneurs growing businesses from scratch. Participants are funded and guided through a process of team formation, idea generation, business validation and market entry. The program introduces Jasiri Fellows to equally ambitious co-founders, and supports them on an individual, team and business level through seasoned Facilitators and Coaches. - Jasiri Growth Accelerator invests in early-stage, high-potential startups that may still be too risky for commercial funders to invest in. Early-stage ventures with potential for high growth and demonstrated product-market fit are provided with funding to support their growth and assisted with investor readiness. Accelerator implementation is delivered by specialist external Accelerator Partners, with JGA's internal team structured around venture investment strategy, partner oversight, and portfolio capital mobilisation." Wavumbuzi is a pioneering entrepreneurship ecosystem development initiative that delivers a gamified, competency- and practice-based online challenge, purposefully designed to boost the success odds of African innovators in business, employment and social change. By engaging secondary school learners, Wavumbuzi intentionally contributes to future talent pipelines and strengthens entrepreneurial ecosystem building in East Africa. ABOUT THE ROLE The JGA Venture Investment Lead is a strategic role at the centre of Jasiri's venture investment strategy in East Africa. The Lead should ensure the long-term sustainability of Jasiri Capital, so that investment objectives are achieved, and returns are recycled to fund future investment. Operating at the intersection of venture investment strategy, Accelerator Partner governance, and investor and ecosystem relationship-building, the Lead positions Jasiri as both an investor and ecosystem orchestrator. As the public face of JGA to investors, delivery partners, and the wider East Africa startup ecosystem, the Lead also holds the internal discipline of deal pipeline development, portfolio oversight, Investment Committee management, and team leadership. WHAT YOU WILL DO 1. Strategic Oversight - Own and drive the overall Jasiri Growth Accelerator strategy, ensuring tight alignment with Jasiri Capital's investment thesis and programme/portfolio objectives. - Capture lessons learned from programme delivery and investment decisions and turn them into practical improvements to the venture support model, investment processes and decision-making. - Monitor venture ecosystem trends and draw on partner insights to improve the JGA strategy and venture outcomes. - Prepare and present detailed venture portfolio and investment reports to the Executive and Investment Committees. - Work closely with the Jasiri Talent Investor and Post Programme team to optimize internal venture sourcing and investment strategies. - Oversee the annual valuation of the JGA venture portfolio. 2. Venture Scouting & Selection - Lead venture investment decisions from deal identification, selection, due diligence completion, presentation to the investment committee for approval, to post-investment oversight. - Build and sustain strategic relationships across the ecosystem, including partners and funder platforms, to generate high-quality deal flow and high-potential ventures for the JGA portfolio. - Shape portfolio construction with a disciplined approach to sector diversification, balancing concentration risk and ensuring the venture mix aligns with Jasiri Capital's broader risk appetite and investment strategy. 3. Accelerator Partner Management - Lead the identification, due diligence, and selection of external Accelerator Partners, ensuring Jasiri works with the strongest venture-building and investor readiness expertise available across the ecosystem. - Manage Accelerator Partner relationships end-to-end, setting clear performance expectations, reviewing delivery quality, holding partners to account on contract compliance, and ensuring matched ventures consistently receive high-value support. - Establish and chair structured governance checkpoints (monthly and quarterly reviews) to maintain delivery standards across all partner-led cohorts. 4. Investor Network & Relationship Management - Build and manage Jasiri's investor network and relationships to connect portfolio ventures with the right sources of follow-on capital. - Champion Jasiri's distinct dual mandate - commercial discipline alongside measurable impact- ensuring this is clearly understood and valued by investors and partners engaging with the portfolio. 5. Portfolio Oversight & Reporting - Serve as the primary liaison to the Jasiri Capital Investment Committee for venture review and approvals, accelerator performance reporting, and portfolio escalations. - Oversee portfolio pipeline health across all active cohorts, ensuring ventures are progressing toward investment readiness and follow-on capital milestones. - Strengthen venture portfolio data and evidence-based quarterly reporting processes, ensuring timely delivery aligned with the standards expected at Investment Committee and Board level. - Strengthen venture portfolio data and quarterly reporting, ensuring these are evidence-based, timely, and aligned with the standards expected at Investment Committee and Board level. - Establish robust portfolio performance monitoring and dashboarding, providing ongoing visibility into portfolio health, growth, and capital mobilisation. 6. Budget & Team Leadership - Oversee JGA budget development and Jasiri Capital Fund management, partnering closely with the Regional Finance Manager. - Lead and manage the JGA programme team, building a lean, high-performing team through coaching, clear accountability, and a culture of continuous learning. 7. External Representation & Thought Leadership - Represent Jasiri in external accelerator, investor, and ecosystem forums, maintaining and strengthening Jasiri's positioning as a leading venture investment platform in East Africa. - Build thought leadership on East Africa's venture investment landscape, speaking credibly on market trends, capital gaps, and governance standards, and positioning Jasiri as a reference point for key conversations on venture investing in the region. WHAT YOU HAVE Education: - Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field; - A Master's degree or MBA is an advantage. Experience: - 8+ years of experience in venture capital, impact investing, accelerators, or an adjacent investment ecosystem-building function. - Proven experience managing external partners or vendors, including setting performance expectations and holding partners to account on contractual and delivery standards. - Demonstrated experience building and managing investor relationships and capital networks. - Experience serving as a liaison to an Investment Committee, including preparing credible portfolio performance data and decision-ready reporting. - Managing and developing a high-performing team. - Deep familiarity with the East Africa startup and investment ecosystem; existing relationships with investors, DFIs, and ecosystem players required. Skills and Competencies: - Strategic judgment: assesses venture portfolio health, identifies risk early, and makes sound capital-related decisions. - Partnerships management: sets clear expectations with external delivery partners, holds them accountable to agreed standards, and maintains effective, proactive communication that surfaces and resolves issues quickly before they escalate. - Strong Investment & Financial Acumen: draws on robust financial management expertise to rigorously assess ventures' financial health, funding structures, and overall investment position. - Investor and Stakeholder Relations: builds credible, lasting relationships with investors, co-funders, and ecosystem players that translate into real capital outcomes, not just venture introductions. - External presence and thought leadership: represents JGA with confidence, speaking with confidence on investment trends and JGA portfolio opportunities. - Effective governance and reporting: delivers clear, timely, evidence-based reporting to the Jasiri Executive Committee, Investment Committee and Board. - Commercial and impact fluency: balances commercial discipline and social impact with equal conviction.