Senior Associate, Funding to Build at Acumen Academy – Lagos

Acumen Academy is recruiting a Senior Associate, Funding to Build in Lagos. The role provides hands-on support to funded enterprises on business models, unit economics and financial planning, while managing relationships and portfolio activities across Funding to Build cohorts.

The Senior Associate will contribute to funding cycles, due diligence and pipeline development, helping enterprises translate funding into credible, evidence-based Youth-in-Work outcomes. The role reports to the Manager, Funding to Build and works with the Associate and cross-functional Legal, Compliance, Finance and Impact teams.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Support and Relationship Management

• Serve as a key contact for Funding to Build enterprises and co-facilitate office hours on project support and company needs.
• Provide tailored one-to-one support on unit economics, revenue models, pricing strategies and project-budget planning.
• Help enterprises develop realistic projects and evidence-based projections for green job creation and Youth-in-Work outcomes.
• Help enterprises translate funding disbursements into implementation plans that link each tranche to the activities required to deliver impact.
• Coordinate outstanding documentation, contract queries and disbursement conditions.

Due Diligence and Selection

• Contribute findings and recommendations during enterprise selection and shortlisting.
• Coordinate due diligence and legal, compliance and ESG reviews with the relevant teams.
• Keep enterprise documentation current and contract-ready.

Portfolio Management and Pipeline

• Support the Manager in building and strengthening the pipeline of enterprises for future funding cycles.
• Track financial, operational and impact KPIs across the Funding to Build cohort.
• Identify enterprises that may need additional support or intervention.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Analyse financial and narrative enterprise reports at each tranche milestone and turn findings into portfolio-level insights.
• Work with the Associate and Manager to improve tools, templates and processes based on experience from each funding cycle.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• At least five years of experience in enterprise support, SME finance, portfolio management or impact investing, ideally in the social-enterprise or development sector.
• Strong analytical skills, financial-analysis and unit-economics experience, and the ability to turn financial data into practical recommendations.
• Experience conducting or supporting financial, legal, compliance or ESG due diligence.
• Ability to manage an enterprise portfolio independently, with strong relationship-management and communication skills.
• Comfort using trackers, dashboards and reporting tools such as Excel or Google Sheets to monitor portfolio KPIs.
• Detail-oriented, proactive, able to work independently and collaboratively, self-reflective and aligned with Acumen values.
• Must be permanently authorised to work in Lagos, Nigeria.