Controller, Acumen Ventures Debt Partners Limited

• About Acumen
• Acumen is working to solve problems of poverty and build a world based on dignity. They invest patient capital in businesses whose products and services help people living in poverty to transform their lives. To date, Acumen has positively impacted over 500 million lives by investing $154 million in 167 innovative, early-stage companies in Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and the United States. Acumen also invests in relationships - connecting with emerging leaders in their own countries and engaging them in extended collective dialogue, moral inquiry, and skill building.

• About Hardest to Reach
• Hardest to Reach (H2R) is an initiative by Acumen focused on expanding clean energy access in some of Africa’s most remote and underserved regions. Of the 789 million people globally without electricity, around 215 million are projected to remain unserved by 2030 due to their location in risky or hard-to-reach areas. H2R addresses this gap through two vehicles: the Market Support Facility, a philanthropic fund, and the Market Expansion Facility, an impact debt fund - both designed to support off-grid energy companies and bolster clean energy markets where traditional investors are absent.

About the role

Responsibility for financial operation for the following legal entities in the Hardest-to-Reach Amplify debt fund structure:

Acumen H2R Expansion Fund LP domiciled in Guernsey (“the Fund”)

Acumen H2R Expansion 2 Limited domiciled in Guernsey (“the LendCo”)

Acumen H2R Expansion Investments Limited domiciled in Guernsey (“the GP”)

Acumen Ventures Debt Partners Limited domiciled in the UK (“AVDPL”)

Hardest to Reach Debt Ltd domiciled in Kenya (“H2R Kenya”)

Main responsibilities, in collaboration with Vistra as administrator for the Guernsey entities and local book-keepers for the UK and Kenyan entities:

Accounting and book-keeping

Review and approval of Purchase Orders

Raising invoices for advisory fees, reallocation of costs etc

Banking and cash management

Review and approval of payments, initiation of payments for approval ensuring segregation of duties with the Head of Finance

Payroll

Review and approval of monthly payroll for employees of AVDPL in the UK and H2R Kenya including applicable deductions

Financial reporting including reporting to various stakeholders

Preparation and review of quarterly and year end reporting

Budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow planning

Preparation of quarterly cashflows for the Fund

Preparation of annual administrative expenses budget for the Fund

Preparation of annual and rolling budgets for AVDPL, H2R Kenya and the GP

Financial analysis

Preparation of monthly budget to actual analysis for AVDPL and H2R Kenya

Preparation of quarterly budget to actual analysis for the Fund/LendCo and GP

Timely flagging of variances to enable corrective action

Cost control

Regular review of costs to ensure these are being charged to the correct legal entity (eg fund expenses vs. management fee)

Internal controls

Build and enact controls to ensure compliance with policies and procedures including obtaining necessary approvals for expenditure

Develop robust documentation of polices, procedures and processes

Taxation

Transfer pricing – ensuring compliance with regulations and accounting for charges between AVDPL and its Kenyan subsidiary

VAT – ensure compliance with regulations and that VAT is being correctly recorded on invoices (including reverse charge where applicable) and work with book-keeper to ensure returns are accurate and filed on time to facilitate reimbursement of input VAT

Corporate tax – work with external tax advisors to ensure tax returns for AVDPL and H2R Kenya are accurate and filed on time

Payroll taxes – review and approval of monthly payroll deductions for employees of AVDPL in the UK and H2R Kenya and ensuring these are remitted to the relevant authorities (eg HMRC, KRA etc)

External audits

Leading and/or supporting the annual external financial statement audits of the Fund, GP, AVDPL and H2R Kenya in collaboration with Vistra and the book-keepers

Compliance matters including regulatory filing where required

Work with company secretaries to ensure filing of financial statements, tax returns, confirmation statements, changes in Directors etc

Financial systems and processes

Ensure accounting systems and processes are fit for purpose (eg software, approval processes etc)

Support with Fund operations such as:

Preparing recommendations for drawdowns and review of drawdown notices

Loan operations eg reconciliation of interest income, principal repayments

Payment/recording of invoices and

Review of management accounts

Review of capital account statements

Review of ratio calculations

Review of excess cash calculations

Review of Loss Trigger Ratio calculations

Managing relationships with third parties such as Vistra, KPMG, HSBC, Armstrong Watson, Jampo Group, etc

Support with preparation and coordination for Board Meetings, where required

Skills and experience

Minimum of 6 years of experience

Qualified Accoutant (Eg ICAS, ICAEW etc)

Experience with Fund Accounting

Experience in partnering with an executive team.

Experience in leading and motivating a team.

High integrity, strong ethical principles and ability to command respect at all levels.

Preparedness to assert one’s views, including where ethical or legal requirements are being challenged.

Well-developed diplomatic, interpersonal and communication skills.

Strong stakeholder management skills.

Based in UK, Permanantly authorized to work in the United Kingdom.

• Deadline
• Apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed through November 25 and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis.

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