Analyst, Transaction Advisory Services

ShoreBank International Ltd (SBI) is an international consulting firm that provides capacity building and transaction advisory services to all types of financial institutions in emerging economies.  SBI is dedicated to expanding access to capital, information and services for small & growing businesses, entrepreneurs and households, to create an inclusive global financial system. 

SBI has worked in more than 75 countries helping commercial banks, microfinance entities and other institutions reach individuals and entrepreneurs who are too small or too poor to obtain access to quality financial services.   Since 1988, SBI has overseen disbursement of more than $676 million in some 84,000 micro, small business and real estate loans to households and entrepreneurs. SBI currently has over 100 staff and consultants working in some 20 countries, with offices in Mexico, Brazil, Romania, Pakistan, London and Washington, DC.

SBI is growing its Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) practice, which was founded in 2008.  As well as fund structuring and capital raising, TAS provides corporate finance and M&A advisory and transaction-related services such as loan fund servicing, third party due diligence and investor relations.  In providing these services, the TAS team frequently works with colleagues in SBI’s other consulting practices, and in our offices worldwide.

TAS clients include funds (especially first-time funds), small business and microfinance banks, and companies seeking to provide products and services (such as energy, housing, water, education and health) to the “base of the pyramid.”  Investors include sector-specialist funds, development finance institutions, high net worth individuals, family offices, foundations and other institutions such as pension funds.

TAS is seeking two junior professionals to join its growing core team, which currently number is 5.  One will be based in London and one in Washington DC.

Job description:

The candidate will serve as a member of the TAS core team.  Specifically, s/he will support senior transaction professionals and contribute to a range of transaction and advisory mandates.  S/he will also contribute to the business development efforts of the TAS team and identify and support cross selling opportunities which arise from SBI’s global capacity-building business – a key competitive advantage for SBI.  The candidate will report to Ian Callaghan, Head of the TAS practice, or to a designated Transaction Lead.

It is expected that the Analyst will spend approximately half of his or her time on billable project/transaction mandates and the other half on business development efforts in the first year, with progression to higher percentages of billable work in the following years.  More detailed goals will be developed during the first 3 months of employment.  Analysts will generally be expected to work on several transactions (whether mandated or in development) at any given time.  The ideal candidate will be able to balance competing demands with keen attention to detail and minimal supervision.

The career track within the TAS team progresses from Analyst to Associate, with greater professional experience and responsibility for transaction management and client relationships reflected in different grades (Junior, Mid, Senior) at the Associate level.

Specific Responsibilities: 

• Transaction Execution

• Transaction-related support will include responsibility for, or assistance with, the following:

• Organization and minute-taking for team meetings
• Market and investor research and deal identification
• Tracking and reporting of contacts with and feedback from investors
• Preparation of transaction materials such as budgets, marketing and investor documentation
• Carrying out of due diligence, data room maintenance, roadshow arrangements etc
• Developing fund/business plans and building financial models
• Involvement in term sheet and document negotiation  and managing external parties such as legal counsel
• Special projects to be defined and assigned by reporting manager

• Business Development

• Participation in SBI calls including weekly TAS and company-wide  pipeline calls, and tracking and monitoring of pipeline developments; in due course Analysts may be asked to moderate such calls
• Identification of business opportunities through maintenance of relations with SBI’s consultants
• Contribution to the team’s efforts with respect to product innovation and transaction design
• Research, drafting, editing and formatting of transaction proposals, including development of budgets in competitive bidding situations as well as unsolicited sales proposals

• Development of Tools for the Transaction Advisory Practice

• Origination and maintenance of materials, processes and tools that will contribute to the growth of the practice by improving its efficiency, knowledge management and marketing efforts. These may include marketing materials describing the practice, past performance reports on recent assignments, template financial models, etc
• Maintenance of the Salesforce contact database and similar tools
• Work with colleagues across SBI to broaden the knowledge of TAS products and services, and assist with the creation of a “TAS-literate” cadre of consultants within the firm’s regional offices

• Work with Other Practices

• The Analyst may be required from time to time to work with other SBI practices (Small Business Finance, Microfinance, Housing Finance, Alternative Delivery Channels), including on a temporary secondment basis

Qualifications:

• Essential:

• Undergraduate degree
• An appetite for the sometimes fast-moving and multi-tasking environment of a transaction team, including the willingness to put in potentially long hours around deadlines
• Ability to deliver consistently high levels of accuracy, efficiency and follow-through
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills;
• Team orientation and motivation
• Strong initiative and ability to work independently
• High level of attention to detail and organization
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access);
• Reasonable quantitative skills
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and proactively ask questions as needed
• Ability to take full ownership of assigned projects and drive them forward without constant oversight
• Basic knowledge of capital markets and development finance issues
• Demonstrated interest in inclusive finance and/or related investment areas such as “base of the pyramid” products and services
• Experience working in a developing country or in an international development context

• Willingness to travel internationally on short-term assignments

• Preferred:

• Some financial transaction experience
• Financial modeling skills
• Ability to work in at least one non-English language of our overseas practice areas (e.g. French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic)

Note on Working Environment:

It should be noted that, although 2-3 SBI staff are usually located in London and the current office co-located with a similar business having several staff on-site, the nature of SBI’s business means that SBI colleagues will often be travelling or working remotely.  It is therefore vital that candidates are comfortable working independently and/or under “virtual” supervision.

To apply, please send resume, cover letter and writing sample to Lara Pawlak, Recruiting Manager, at .