Vacancy: Senior Investment Professional (Early-Stage Equity) at Persistent Energy

Persistent is the leading climate venture builder in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We are pioneer investors, thought leaders, and venture builders driving climate-friendly investments in, amongst others, the distributed renewable energy (DRE), e-mobility, energy efficiency, ecosystem enablers and and other climate technologies.

We believe that building commercially successful climate impact ventures in emerging markets can both make the world a better place and provide attractive financial returns.

We believe that climate change is the biggest challenge of our time and therefore focus on companies that proliferate renewable energy and other climate-mitigating solutions to customers in emerging markets.

Our model is simple. We bring expertise and experience, as well as the right financial capital to start-up companies. The Persistent team can provide business and financial modeling, fundraising, legal and tax structuring, technology architecture, digital strategy, and HR management expertise.

Our model is unique for two reasons. First, we go beyond boardroom advice, roll up our sleeves and fill operational roles. Our sector experience helps companies avoid making mistakes we have already seen in the sector.  Second, due to our close involvement and deep experience, we can provide risk-tolerant capital to our companies in the most flexible way.

In addition to its core investing and venture building business, Persistent also brings its expertise to two investment advisory mandates: the 49M EUR Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa Foundation (“CEI Africa”) and the 120M USD Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund (“EEGF”) – being active part of the investment teams as well as providing hands-on support to the respective investees.

Our model provides positive impact and financial returns because we only work with exceptional entrepreneurs, are backed by the most visionary investors, institutions, and foundations, and because we are Persistent.

Application Deadline

05 September 2025

Your Role at Persistent Energy

We are looking for an exceptionally entrepreneurial person with significant experience (ideally 7+ years) making (early-stage) equity investments in Africa to play a leading role in identifying, assessing, and managing equity investments into companies active in Climate sectors (Energy Transition and others) in Africa. The role will primarily be linked to Persistent direct investments, focused on our upcoming $70M Africa Climate Venture Builder (“ACV”) Fund.

You will:

• Identify a pipeline of potential equity investments in Africa-focused, Climate impact companies – focused on Energy Transition, Agricultural and Resource Transition sectors.
• Actively lead, as the case may be, due diligence activities, including:
  – Analyze/articulate business models to identify and communicate key model elements and market relevance.
  – Build/analyze financial models to identify and communicate key drivers, funding absorption capacity, and financial risks.
  – Conduct stakeholder interviews with the ability to ask the right key questions to efficiently gather the basis for a decision.
  – Lead the development of investment memo preparation and associated presentation to secure key buy-ins (including to relevant investment committees.
• Liaise with and negotiate with investees and our investment partners.
• Portfolio management activities, including as required reporting, monitoring, hands-on support, and Board representation post-investment.
• Play active roles in the drafting and development of thought leadership papers, reports, policy briefs, and articles.

Your profile

• Entrepreneurial mindset/experience: you learn quickly and get your hands dirty; you can operate in a fast-paced environment; you’re a self-starter; you take full ownership of assigned tasks/ projects and deliver on time and quality; and ideally, you’ve been in the trenches (e.g., startup, another investment fund, etc.)
• You are a team player and know how to motivate yourself and others.
• You have significant (ideally 7+ years) experience making (ideally early stage) equity investments in Sub-Saharan Africa; deal origination, deal structuring, deal execution, and post execution deal management.
• You have relevant Climate sector/ecosystem investment experience, including, for example:  Energy Transition, Agricultural and Resource Transition, and associated ecosystem enablers.
• You have strong project and stakeholder management skills, including experience in successful negotiation.
• You have advanced Excel modeling skills and analytical thinking.
• You have post-deal, portfolio management experience (ideally including experience as board representation)
• The following are strong pluses:
  – Strong  research experience (for investment purposes)
  – Good writer (reports, investment memos, tailored to the various audiences)
  – Strong knowledge of blended finance structures.
  – Experience working within the framework U of N SDGs 6-9.
• Location & Travel: You are based in Africa (preferably can legally live and work in Kenya or Nigeria) and can travel as needed.

Build with us

Our culture at Persistent is entrepreneurial, collaborative, and flexible. We seek talented people who are passionate about climate and impact and have a drive for excellence. We offer a dynamic work environment that requires working closely with our fast-moving partner companies that are located in more than a dozen countries in Africa.

Join us at Persistent and benefit from:

Impact: An opportunity to work directly with start-ups in underserved markets and create lasting social and environmental impact.

Steep learning curve: You will join a small, but experienced team that will enable you to become a multi-skilled professional in a short period of time and build the confidence to embrace and tackle most business challenges.

Opportunity to take initiative: Leverage your expertise to create practical and relevant solutions for companies on the frontline and see concrete outcomes of your work.

Flexibility: Exercise a significant amount of discretion in determining what you do and how you do it.

Persistent is a workplace that gives you the flexibility to balance the requirements of work and private life. While you will frequently travel to our partner companies and be with your colleagues, you will also be able to work from home when necessary and make use of flexible hours and family-focused leave policies. We also offer attractive compensation that is designed to reward your performance and impact over the long term.

Applications to be sent to join@persistent.energy