Principal Investment Officer: Project Finance at Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)

Job Description    

• The Principal Investment Officer is responsible for formulating and executing the strategic objectives of the business in collaboration with the Transacting Head, whilst generating deal flow and building a robust pipeline of prospective projects for development financing bankability.

Key Responsibilities    
Transaction Assessments

• Evaluate the feasibility of investment opportunities with a view to ensure they are commercially viable and align with the DBSA’s strategic objectives and mandate.
• Enhance the bankability of transactions by identifying and mitigating key risks, collaborating closely with Credit Risk, Country Risk Specialists, and other Divisions/Units in the Bank.
• Provide financial structuring expertise on transactions for the benefit of clients and the organisation through innovative approaches and strategic thinking.

Transaction Execution and Credit Approval

• Collaborate with the team to structure and negotiate detailed term sheets with Treasury, Legal, and Loan Administration teams, ensuring transaction approval.
• Secure internal approvals and lead or participate actively in closing transactions through successful negotiations.
• Manage the credit approval process from early review to final decision by the relevant committees.
• Review proposals submitted to approval committees to ensure they are well-structured and documented for informed decision-making.
• Resolve potential constraints in the lending value chain in collaboration with the Head of Transactions.
• Implement risk management procedures across financing functions, ensuring investment risks are appropriately structured and mitigated during operations.
• Capture and apply learning opportunities post-transaction to drive continuous improvement and successful deal delivery.
• Contribute to and lead input into certain strategic initiatives that are driven for the benefit of the organisation

Lead Transaction Execution Functions

• Lead transaction teams in conducting assessments, executing deals, and driving the credit approval process.
• Coach and mentor Senior Investment Officers and Investment Officers, guiding them toward achieving transaction bankability and to enhance their skills and performance.

Relationship Management and Stakeholder Relations

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, global and regional private businesses, banking and multilateral partners and government officials to further develop specific investment opportunities.
• Manage relationships at various levels with the relevant project stakeholders, partners, and lead promoters, following the project’s development objectives.
• Maintain communication with clients and manage client relations; ensure that they submit all the Bank’s requirements to facilitate the appraisal process.
• Provide feedback on the status of their application timeously and advise them on the bank’s processes and procedures.
• Ensure continuous communication with clients/ projects that the DBSA has funded to adequately support the division’s monitoring function.
• Identify clients’ pain points to coordinate DBSA’s solution offerings to address them.
• Network and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Undertake other tasks as assigned by the line manager, from time to time.

Key Measurements of Outputs
*The list is not exhaustive

• Revenue performance in terms of Interest Income and Fees generated.
• Delivery on the agreed Operations Mandate; these include:
• Growth rate in assets of the loan book:
• Annual disbursements, commitments and approvals
• Quality of loan book
• % of loan book in priority geographies and sectors
• Number of new clients
• Number of potential deals/ pipelines
• Management of client relationships and key stakeholders.

Expertise & Technical Competencies    
Minimum Requirements

• A postgraduate qualification or equivalent in Business (such as an MBA) or Finance (CA or CFA), or Engineering, or Economics.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience in appraising, negotiating, due diligence and closing project finance, corporate finance, or structured finance transactions in a financial institution.
• Experience in leading, initiating and developing new business strategies and opportunities to create a pipeline of development impact projects, ensuring deal flow and bankability.
• Experience in securing infrastructure investment deals in relevant sectors/geographies in SA and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the complex financial and regulatory environments.
• Proven experience in working with senior stakeholders in highly political environments in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Successful track record in leading project teams with high-level stakeholders and qualified professionals.
• Strong credit, financial, analytical, and financial modelling skills.
• Strong networks and relations with clients, global and regional private investors and banks to identify and source viable projects / investments.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the infrastructure market and financial markets.
• Demonstrable experience in identifying client challenges and playing an active part in structuring innovative solutions.

Deadline:25th September,2026