Impact Business Consultant

--Nairobi--

Duty Station: Nairobi (Kenya)


WHO ARE WE

Advance Consulting is an impact business advisory firm operating in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. We drive impact through private sector development with a focus on SMEs in the Agrifood, Renewable Energy and Circular Economy sectors.

By 2050, the number of people who live on our planet will have doubled. We believe that SMEs in Agrifood will play a key role in feeding this population, as they hold critical positions along the value chains as producers, input suppliers, off-takers, processors, and distributors. At the same time, access to affordable energy is a pre-condition for sustainable development, and renewable energy production in developing countries already surpassed the capacity generated by fossil fuels. SMEs in the renewable energy sector are pivotal in assuring that 900 million people, who currently do not have electricity, will gain access to affordable energy by 2030. Lastly, we need to transition to a Circular Economy as we cannot sustainably continue extracting the earth’s limited resources. We are contributing to these goals by facilitating private sector development of the Agrifood and Renewable Energy sectors in an environmental-friendly, socially responsible and commercially sustainable way.

We have been active in this space since 1999, working across 60 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Our clients include SMEs, impact investors, NGOs, donors and governments. Our core team of 42 dedicated professionals contributes to these impact goals from our offices in the Netherlands, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Jordan.


WHAT WE OFFER OUR CLIENTS

  • We support SMEs and NGOs to develop and strengthen their value propositions, project designs and business cases. With an impact mindset and private sector approach, we co-create partnerships and project proposals that quality for funding.
  • We assist SMEs to access impact finance: grants, debt, and equity intended to create positive change besides and beyond financial return. We connect impact investors to investible businesses and support them to improve the performance of their portfolio by raising capital for their investees. We also assist NGOs to qualify for grants for their private sector development programmes.
  • We initiate and implement private sector development programmes at the request of Donors and NGOs to deliver on their Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on value chain development, job creation and climate resilience. We offer business coaching, financial training, matchmaking and technical advice to SMEs.
  • We support our clients with performing actionable research, market sector studies, impact measurement and feasibility assessments. In partnership with our sister company Advance Insight, we support SMEs to organise, digitalise and optimise their operations, finances, and ultimately impact.


ABOUT THE POSITION: 

Impact Business Consultant (based in Nairobi)

To meet the increasing demand for our advisory services, we are growing our consultancy team. The job of Impact Business Consultant at Advance Consulting is quite diverse. You will acquire projects through client engagement and proposal writing. The assignments you will undertake include capital raising for SMEs, transaction support and investment advisory to impact investors, as well as the provision of investment readiness support and business development services to help SMEs grow and deliver more impact through strategy development, business plan development, financial planning, market assessments, technical feasibility studies, matchmaking, and management trainings. You can also expect to work on both long-term projects and short-term assignments for a diverse range of international clients, such as companies, public and civil society organisations and governmental bodies. Examples of assignments you might work on include:

  • Project design and proposal development for development projects in the agrifood, renewable energy or circular economy sectors.
  • Investment readiness support to SMEs on the African continent, including advising on fundraising strategy, developing fundable propositions, and preparing investor-facing documents, such as business plan, financial model, pitch deck, teaser, etc.
  • Impact finance raising for private sector development projects.
  • Carrying out market research, feasibility studies, and value chain analyses.
  • Capacity building, delivery of training, and facilitation of workshops.

Your work will also include:

  • Acquiring new clients and assignments
  • Building and managing relationships with partners and clients.


YOUR PROFILE: 

As we strive to deliver excellence to our clients, we are on the lookout for outstanding candidates. You may be the perfect match if you share our passion for private sector development in AgriFood, Renewable Energy, and Circular Economy, and bring the following:

  • University degree in finance, business administration, agribusiness management, supply chain management, development economics, or other relevant disciplines;
  • At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Africa;
  • Legally permitted to work in Kenya at the time of application. Note that this position does not include relocation or work permit support;
  • Solid understanding of accounting and financial statement analysis, accompanied by strong Excel skills;
  • Experience with private sector development, preferably in at least one of our three core sectors: agriculture, circular economy and/or renewable energy;
  • Knowledge and awareness of international donor programmes related to international development;
  • Demonstrated strength in project design and proposal development;
  • Excellent customer relation and stakeholder management skills, experience in consulting with donors and SMEs;
  • Strong analytical, organisational and project management skills;
  • Excellent spoken and written English; fluency in French is a preference;
  • Ability to work well under pressure, meeting occasionally conflicting deadlines;
  • A sense of humour and a positive outlook on life and teamwork.

Candidates with the following skills and experience will have an added advantage:

  • Knowledge and experience in the field of sustainable value chain development;
  • Knowledge and experience in the field of gender, climate and/or M&E;
  •  Financial modelling skills;
  • Demonstrated experience in preparing, analysing, structuring, and/or executing transactions in equity, debt, or across financial products for SMEs.

We aim to create a diverse, inclusive, and authentic work environment. So, if you are interested in this position, but your curriculum vitae does not perfectly match every qualification above, we encourage you to still apply.


WHAT WE OFFER: 

At Advance Consulting you will become part of a dynamic and unique international team. We offer you a competitive salary and a variety of additional benefits, such as travel allowance, retirement benefits, travel insurance and an end-of-year bonus for high-performers. We also offer opportunities to learn and develop on the job, and pride ourselves in offering a healthy work-life balance.


HOW TO APPLY:

Are you the top candidate that we are looking for? Please send your CV and motivation letter to ea.hr@advanceconsulting.nl before 25 July 2025. 

Advance Consulting is an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage candidates of all genders, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, physical abilities, and backgrounds to apply. Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply for this position.