Investment Officer – Agri, Food & Forestry Nairobi, Kenya

Your role

As an Investment Officer based in Nairobi, you will play a pivotal role in expanding FMO’s agribusiness portfolio across Eastern Africa. You’ll report jointly to the Regional Manager in Johannesburg and the Agribusiness Manager in The Hague, working closely with sector teams in the Netherlands.

Your responsibilities will include:

1. Investment Activities

As part of FMO’s Agribusiness team in East Africa, the Investment Officer will play a key role in identifying and advancing impactful investment opportunities. Responsibilities include:

• Market Engagement & Opportunity Development: Proactively engage with agribusiness clients and stakeholders to identify promising investment opportunities aligned with FMO’s strategic priorities.
• Client Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and prospects, gaining deep insight into their operations, market dynamics, and strategic ambitions.
• Transaction Advancement: Steer promising opportunities through FMO’s internal processes, coordinating with sector experts and credit teams to ensure alignment and quality.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as a bridge between local market insights and FMO’s global investment teams, contributing to the development of tailored financial solutions.
• Strategic Input: Provide informed perspectives on regional trends, risks, and opportunities to support investment decisions and portfolio development.

2. Strategic Representation & Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent FMO’s interests across Eastern Africa, acting as a key liaison for all FMO activities in the region.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with strategic stakeholders including:
  • Dutch Embassies
  • EU Delegations
  • Development partners
  • Local government bodies
  • Industry associations and relevant NGOs
• Advocate for FMO’s mission and impact agenda in regional forums, conferences, and relevant dialogues.

Our offer

• Beyond FMO’s strong employment benefits, this role offers excellent opportunities for personal development and growth in an international, impact-driven environment.
• This is an opportunity at scale 10.

Your team

The Agribusiness, Food & Forestry department contributes to sustainable food security globally, using fewer resources. The department focuses on economic growth, rural development, and climate change by investing in companies that support a sustainable value chain. The department has five distinct investment teams. Each team oversees a specific region or sub-sector, such as Africa, Latin America & The Caribbean, East and Central Asia, or Forestry. This structure enables us to develop customized strategies and create a high-performance culture.

The Africa team consists of 14 investment professionals (including this vacancy) with diverse backgrounds and works in our offices in The Hague, Johannesburg, and Nairobi. The team is responsible for a portfolio of around 20 clients and c. EUR 600 million exposure and supported by a team of environmental, social, insurance, legal and compliance specialists.

FMO is headquartered in The Hague with a Regional Representative Office in Nairobi that covers the Eastern African region. The office in Nairobi was established in 2020 as a satellite office of the Johannesburg office and currently consists of one investment professional.

Your background

• Master’s degree in economics, Business Administration, or comparable studies.
• Minimum of 7-10 years banking experience with at least 5 years' experience in Agribusiness.
• Proven track-record in sourcing, structuring, writing high quality credit proposals and
• Designing and documenting of finance products.
• Client relationship management experience and in-depth credit knowledge.
• Existing network in Eastern Africa (e.g., food & agribusiness companies, banks, funds, consultants etc.).
• Regional working experience would be a strong advantage.

Personal skills and requirements

• Extensive banking experience, with a solid understanding of financial products, services, and market dynamics.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a high degree of independence, balanced by a strong ability to collaborate effectively within teams.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, enabling productive relationships with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to source and close impactful transactions aligned with FMO’s mission to be a leading impact investor.
• Strong affinity with the agribusiness sector, with the ability to engage and build trust with clients in this domain.
• Commercially driven self-starter with sound business acumen and a proactive approach to identifying opportunities.
• Team-oriented and motivational, capable of inspiring colleagues and partners toward shared goals.
• Robust networking and analytical capabilities, with a strategic mindset and attention to detail.
• Fluent in English, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel, both domestically and internationally, as required.

Do you fit the criteria and are you ready to embark on an exciting journey with us, where you can learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact? We invite you to apply for the position of Investment Officer at our Nairobi office. We look forward to learning more about you and your contribution to our team and mission.

Please note:

• A preferred candidate has been identified.
• This position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and you will be required to relocate, and the necessary relocation support will be provided.

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About FMO

FMO delivers economic, social, and environmental development to entrepreneurial initiatives on a global scale, believing in our contribution to a better world, starting from our values as an organization and respect within our teams. 

To learn more about who we are; our Vision, Purpose, Mission, Company Culture and Leadership, please visit our page Profile - FMO. At FMO, we are guided by our four core values: Diversity, Integrity, Making a Difference and Quality. These values are the foundation of our strong company culture, fostering an environment where we work together to make a positive impact on the world.