Head Transacting: Equity Investments - Midrand at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• The Head: Equity Investments is responsible for managing the execution of investment deals, conducting due diligence, credit committee approval processes, negotiation and portfolio monitoring of equity investment transactions.

Key Responsibilities    
Strategic Outputs

• Collaborate with the Group Executive: Transacting to formulate and implement the Bank’s equity investment strategy in line with the vision, strategy, and goals of the DBSA.
• Lead the development and implementation of an equity investment strategy.
• Lead the implementation of the plans and process improvements and initiatives for the equity investment unit.
• Monitor turnaround times and quality standards and resolve issues speedily with business to enhance service delivery and implement business improvement processes.
• Monitor, evaluate and drive compliance to the respective organisational policies and procedures.

Equity and Loan Transactions

• Lead the execution of equity investment projects in the relevant mandated areas.
• Evaluate the feasibility of equity investment transactions with a view to ensuring that they are commercially sound prospects for equity financing and are aligned to the DBSA’s strategy and mandate.
• Lead project due diligence and approval processes, with emphasis on ensuring key economic, financial, technical, and legal issues are considered and mitigants incorporated in the financing structure and legal documents.
• Provide innovative and flexible financial structures for complex transactions.
• Oversee the deal closure by taking responsibility for optimal financial, institutional, and legal structuring.
• Identify key risks facing the portfolio and implementation of mitigating strategies / policies.
• Negotiation and review of equity investment agreements and project documents.
• Undertake continuous research and provide recommendations on significant developments, emerging opportunities, and challenges in areas of responsibility.

Stakeholder Relations and Management

• Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to further develop specific investment opportunities.
• Provide value to the Division for the benefit of and/or the client through knowledge of the subject, innovation, and lateral thinking.
• Engage key stakeholders to position the DBSA as a preferred equity investor/partner.
• Build and manage relationships with key internal and external clients to increase the Bank’s reach, equity investments and loans transactions.

People Management

• Provide direction and management to the direct reports to enable the execution of strategy and manage their portfolios effectively.
• Manage and evaluate the performance of the direct reports against set target, KPI’s and metrics.
• Define, cascade and monitor business and people performance objectives direct reports.
• Attract, retain, and develop high-calibre talent.
• Develop and maintain sufficient depth in all critical functions, minimizing "key-man" risk.
• Optimise skills usage within the unit.
• Accountable for performance management of all direct reports, managing their performance in relation to quality standards and agreed benchmarks and objectives, focusing on all aspects of sound people management.
• Develop the skills and abilities of all team members, with the result that they perform to their highest potential and optimize their current and future job performance.
• Proactively support the bank's diversity strategies and initiatives.
• Contribute to building synergies and cooperation across functions in the DBSA.
• Promote DBSA values and a culture of High Performance within the Unit.
• Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Value and number of project approvals, commitments, and disbursements.
• Value of infrastructure catalysed.
• Quality of equity investment book (e.g., NPL ratio).
• % of equity book in priority geographies and sectors.
• Number of transactions that are committed for DBSA funding to black-owned entities (50% shareholding and above) and fund managers.
• Number of jobs created or "to be created" by projects - Direct and Indirect jobs.
• Quality of signed agreements / mandates.
• Implementation of strategic initiatives.
• Clients and Stakeholders service rating.
• Demonstration of thought leadership and a recognised expert in area of responsibility.
• Expertise & Technical Competencies    

Minimum Requirements

• A post graduate qualification or equivalent in Business, Finance, Engineering or Economics (e.g., CA,CFA,MBA, MSc)
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience at a senior management level and managing a team.
• A minimum of 5 years demonstrable experience at a senior level in private equity investments (DFI, Banking or Investment environment).
• Experience in leading equity investments in infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of investment products and services, e.g., private equity, direct equity, quasi equity preference shares structures, project finance and blended finance structures.
• Demonstrable experience in assessing investment transaction opportunities and projects from an early stage to an advance implementation stage.
• Experience with working with deal teams and assigning resources to conclude transactions.
• Ability to provide value to transactions for the benefit of and/or the client through knowledge of the subject, innovation, and lateral thinking.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the financial and regulatory environments within relevant sector and/or geography.
• In depth knowledge and understanding of the infrastructure market, financial markets, and the macro landscape.
• Experienced communicator and negotiator (expertise at senior level).
• Strong negotiation skills with the ability to close deals.
• Proven experience in collaborating with senior stakeholders in highly political environments in South Africa and the rest of Africa.

Desired requirements

• Financial Modelling knowledge and application experience.

TECHNICAL

 Deal Structuring

• Uses credit enhancement techniques to structure deals and optimise pricing in terms of Basel principles.
• Has an in-depth and practical understanding of how to optimise the Capital Structure, collateral package, and investment return profile.
• Interrogates financial models, including those with a high degree of complexity, to develop an optimal structure.
• Identifies complex structural issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate bankable structures.
• Demonstrates knowledge on advanced structuring including the use of derivatives, syndicated loans, synthetic loans, securitisations, Inflation linked debt, blended finance, private equity, credit default swaps and subordinated debt.
• Prepares specialised or tailored reports relating to new innovative instruments, gather information from a variety of sources, analyse and include in a report to new products approval committees.
• Compiles comprehensive specialist reports as required for inclusion into credit committee submissions.

Negotiation Skills

• Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.
• Is able to take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.
• Is able to place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of DBSA.

Business Acumen

• Deep understanding of commercial drivers and is able to take decisions based on an assessment of alternatives concerning complex business situations.
• Deep understanding of economic priorities of South Africa and the Rest of Africa and how they can be implemented to meet an organisation strategic objective.
• Deep understanding of the need to coordinate efforts with many government entities, private sector, community groups and individuals to ensure effective implementation of new policies and regulations.
• Takes actions to fit business strategy.
• Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives.
• Reviews own actions against the organisation's strategic plan; includes the big picture when considering possible opportunities or projects or thinks about long-term applications of current activities.
• Anticipates possible responses to different initiatives.
• Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.

Strategic Planning

• Ability to analyse business trends, implications, and options to devise holistic and long-term strategic plans as well as execute the required change is essential to meet an organisation’s objective and future goals.
• Establishes challenging, attainable goals and objectives based on a customer focus perspective.
• Looks to the future with a broad perspective.
• Ensures performances measures are in place to monitor progress and assess accomplishments and achievement of strategic goals and objectives.
• Develops initiatives to achieve goals and objectives.
• Articulates the vision and plans to others.
• Project Management
• Defines, plans, and manages large and/or strategic projects, including those with a high degree of technical complexity, with impacts across the organisation and/or with national implications.
• Assembles and leads diverse and multi-disciplinary teams, ensuring maximum effective resource utilisation.
• Successfully manages substantial project budgets and reports directly to senior managers on the progress and results of projects.
• Identifies complex issues that need escalation and proposes appropriate corrective actions.

Financial Acumen

• Makes sound financial decisions after having analysed their impacts on the organisation, partner agencies, and community.
• Effectively prepares budgetary submissions and forecasts for own department.
• Knows the internal and external factors that impact on resource and asset availability.
• Is able to interpret management account reports in an operational/commercial context and take action as appropriate to maximize revenues and control costs.

Solutions Focused

• Identifies complex problems based on a broad range of factors, many of which are ambiguous or difficult to define.
• While remaining guided by organizational values, identifies optimal solutions, thinking first in terms of approaches and flexibilities in the system vs. blind adherence to rules or procedures.
• Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions after they have been implemented and identifies needed changes.

Planning & Organizing

• Coaches’ others on advanced planning and organising skills.
• Plays a role in transferring advanced planning and organising skills and knowledge to others.
• Identifies and acts on opportunities to partner with other units in the department to achieve desired results.
• Develops partnership agreements that ensure win-win outcomes for all parties.
• Develops integrated plans for the work unit and others that interfaces with the function’s budget.

Reporting & Communication

• Designs, reviews and improves reporting processes and provides guidance.
• Leads production of complex environment reports, takes an editorial role, determines content and level of detail, and ensures consistent messaging and branding.
• Is relied on by others to help them write complex technical and non-technical documents and briefs.
• Can determine which aspects of this knowledge area need to be transferred to others to achieve organisational goals.
• Coaches’ others and transfers communication skills and knowledge to others.
• Able to communicate complex problems or concepts, by making them simple and understandable for others.
• Adapts language to the level of the audience to ensure that the message has a positive impact and is interesting to the audience.
• Is articulate, demonstrates a wide range of vocabulary, and is confident when talking to large/high level audiences.

Presentation Skills

• Knows how to deliver arguments persuasively by employing a range of advanced presentation techniques (e.g., the appropriate use of body language, how to close a presentation so that the audience continues to think about the subject matter etc.).
• Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding.

Required Personal Attributes    
LEADERSHIP/BEHAVIOURAL

Leading & Empowering Others

• Identifies long-term goals for the team and communicates them to team members, ensuring their buy in.
• Sets a good example by personally exercising desired behaviour; acts on values and beliefs.
• Communicates a vision for the team and future success that inspires team members.
• After assessing others’ competence, delegates authority and responsibility to others to do a task in their own way.
• Ensures that competent employees are given opportunities to further their careers.

Leading & Managing Change

• Anticipates the need for change when not obvious and influences others to gain support.
• Builds sustainable business and organisational capacity to embrace and thrive on change.
• Re-engineers and aligns structures, processes and practices to support and sustain the desired change.

Strategic & Innovative Thinking

• Understands connections and trade-offs of strategic choices to evaluate which ideas are practical and possible by considering business and/or scientific implications.
• Develops innovative business and/or customer solutions that shape industry practices.

Teamwork & Cooperation

• Acts to promote a friendly climate and good morale and resolves conflicts.
• Creates opportunities for cross-functional working.
• Encourages others to network outside of their own team/department and learn from their experience.

Developing Others

• Gives specific positive or mixed feedback for developmental purposes.
• Gives negative feedback in behavioural rather than personal terms.
• Reassures and/or expresses positive expectations for future performance when giving corrective feedback.
• Gives individualised suggestions to individuals for their improvement.

Driving delivery of results

• Identifies and implements a business opportunity that will have a long-term impact on the business (which may include the organisation’s reputation or brand image).
• Monitors progress and adapts the plan, if necessary, to ensure optimal benefit to the business.
• Makes decisions, sets priorities, or chooses goals based on inputs and outputs: makes explicit considerations of potential profit, return on investment, or cost benefit analysis.
• Based on the cost-benefit analysis, makes decisions of entrepreneurial risk nature.

Decisiveness (High Performance, Service Orientation)

• Makes timely decisions about complex issues even when some information is missing.
• Makes decisions and stands by them even when they are controversial or unpopular.
• Grasps critical business opportunities when they arise by making timely decisions.