Venture Fund Analyst – KyivPost

Competitive Economy Program

Chemonics International, a global consulting and international development firm, seeks a Venture Fund Analyst, for the USAID-funded Competitive Economy Program (CEP). CEP is a five-year program to increase the competitiveness of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine, as well as to increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian products in foreign markets, through a combined focus on improving Ukraine’s business enabling environment, increasing private sector competitiveness, increasing access to finance and investments, promoting exports, and facilitating trade.

The Venture Fund Analyst (Analyst) will assist in reviewing investment opportunities and producing action­able investment ideas and recommendations, regarding early-stage technology startups in Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, and Armenia.

This position will work under USAID CEP, but will be based at UNIT.City. Upon successful completion on this short-term assignment, this position will transition to a longer-term position under the management company to be formed in connection with the fund.

The Analyst’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Support fundraising and set-up of the venture fund, in coordination with organizational partners, and maintain accurate, comprehensive records during the set-up.
• Identify important growth themes and companies poised to lead new opportunities to help build enduring businesses.
• Perform fundamental analyses of prospective investment opportunities’ business and financial positions to assess their: quality of teams; products or services; and business models, including competitive advantage, growth potential, and sustainability.
• Utilize a variety of research methods to gain a differentiated perspective on companies; and build and maintain financial models to estimate future earnings and cash flow potential, with an emphasis on identifying companies that have the potential to meaningfully outpace expectations and possess substantial future growth potential.
• Prepare summaries of the analyses for the fund’s investment committee, with a recommendation to invest, not invest, or incubate.

The required and/or preferred qualifications for the Analyst position are:

• Minimum of a Bachelor degree required.
• Computer Science or Engineering experience preferred.
• Creativity and imagination to understand how one company/technology can succeed or fail beyond expectations.
• Intellectual curiosity with a desire to learn from multiple disciplines.
• Strong work ethic with a drive to outperform, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Superior analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to multi-task workloads required.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work constructively and successfully with other team members.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills required.
• Excellent financial modeling and valuation skills.
• Professional fluency, written and spoken, in English and Ukrainian required.

The first stage of this assignment is expected to begin on/about October 15, 2021, through on/about March 15, 2022. This position will work out of the USAID CEP and UNIT.City offices in Kyiv.

Application Instructions:

Please send a CV and brief letter of interest in English indicating related experience and achievements by October 08, 2021, to UkraineCEPrecruit@chemonics.com. Please include your name and “Venture Fund Analyst” in the subject line. Please note the position is open for Ukrainian citizens only. The post of assignment is Kyiv. Candidates will be reviewed and interviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled. No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.