Portfolio Manager, Uganda

About Us

Agriculture is the key to unlocking a better future for billions of people. But while rural families sustain the world, they struggle to sustain themselves. At the same time, they face increasingly urgent challenges, from volatile crop prices to extreme weather.

Root Capital is a social impact investor that provides financing and business training to agricultural enterprises so that they can transform rural communities. We work with enterprises in the “missing middle” of agricultural finance: those whose credit needs are too big for microfinance and too small or risky for commercial banks.

Since 1999, we have loaned over $1.9B to more than 800 businesses, and we have trained more than 1,800 ones-improving the lives of 10 million people. As these agricultural businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact for their local communities, raising incomes, creating jobs, uplifting women and young people, preserving vulnerable ecosystems, and building rural prosperity.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital currently works in a dozen countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and has staff in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

Proud winner of the 2024 SCA Sustainability Award for Non-Profits. Learn more here.

Position Overview

 The Portfolio Manager is responsible for: Highlighting potential borrowers; proactively making contact with loan leads and providing information on Root Capital’s credit services. Analyzing loan applicants using rigorous financial, environmental, and social criteria; presenting loan analysis to Root Capital’s internal and external credit committees for decision; closing loans, including ensuring complete documentation; monitoring existing loans to ensure timely repayment; and assisting in coordinating training and technical assistance on financial management to selected candidates and clients.

Responsibilities

Business Development & Partnership Relationship (20%)

• Initiating a pipeline of qualified loan candidates in East Africa where Root Capital is present.
• Developing networks of referrals, including value chain actors, technical assistance providers, and trade associations.
• Presenting Root Capital’s credit offerings to and invite loan applications from qualified businesses.
• Assessing clients’ credit and advisory needs and recommending an appropriate mix of Root Capital services.
• Delivering and maintaining a pipeline of loan opportunities.
• Collaborate with Investor Relations to establish a pipeline of key partners/stakeholders relevant to Root Capital’s activity in Country.
• Main local contact for Root Capital and donor relationship in the assigned country.

Underwriting and loan closing (30%), with support from the Credit Analyst

• Collecting & analyzing information about loan applicants as specified by Root Capital’s credit policies.
• Reviewing all proposed loans meet Root Capital’s criteria for credit quality and security.
• Performing due diligence to verify client information, including conducting site visits and management interviews.
• Conduct financial, operational and management analysis of applicant companies, working with the credit analyst.
• Collaborating with the Credit Administration in relation to transactions involving third party lenders. Communicating and negotiating terms as required.
• Completing credit memos, presenting analysis, and making credit recommendations to Root Capital’s credit committees for decision-making, following Root Capital’s credit underwriting policies and procedures.

Client Relationship Management (30%), with support from the Credit Analyst

• Reviewing client performance by monitoring active loans, tracking compliance with covenants and reporting requirements, and developing risk ratings.
• Communicating with Root Capital clients to address identified deficiencies in active loans. In heightened risk situations, collaborate with Risk Manager to devise and implement a collections strategy.
• Presenting to the Credit Administration and Treasury on all loan servicing needs, resolving customer issues as they arise.

Advisory Services (10%)

• Engaging with the Head of Advisory Services, Africa to address financial management weaknesses of prospective and existing clients as necessary by facilitating training provision through qualified local consultants.

Social and Environmental Champion (10%)

• Highlight feedback on new and/or revised S&E due diligence tools and project member in the overhauling of the S&E tool and SEM in salesforce.
• Communicate concerns and suggestions related to S&E due diligence from Lending staff in their regions, and generally “ground-truth” our due diligence platform.
• Collaborate with the Impact team to facilitate S&E training (e.g., around gender sensitivity, climate change) for their regions to deepen Lending staff’s knowledge and comfort with issues related to social and environmental sustainability.

Performing other relevant duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong interpersonal, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience and proven track record in agricultural, SME finance, Commercial/ development Banking or Financial institutional environment.
• University degree in Business management, Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Economics, or any other relevant field from a recognized university
• Strong Credit Proposal Underwriting, Financial Analysis and Business Analysis skills.
• Able to work under pressure, establish and maintain deadlines, and can coordinate easily with multiple people across the organization.
• Strong experience with Microsoft Word and Excel is necessary.
• Strong interest in the field of socially impact investing.
• Passionate about supporting the advancement of Root Capital’s mission of growing prosperity in rural communities in East Africa.
• Flexible to travel within rural areas of East Africa.
• Excellent communication skills in English and fluent in local dialect.
• Authorized to work in Uganda.
• Please upload your CV and cover letter in English.

Root Capital provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that upholds our leadership principles of: empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.