Innovations & CVC Specialist (9 Months Fixed Term Contract) - Nairobi, Nairobi County - Britam

Description

Job Purpose
To design and establish a comprehensive framework enabling the Innovation Lab to transition to a high-impact Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) unit. The consultant will operationalize the end-to-end startup journey, including deal sourcing, screening, acceleration, investment approval, portfolio management, and external capital raising, delivering on the innovation and strategic investment agenda.

The role will also ensure that the CVC model is sustainable, fully embedded in group strategy, and capable of driving measurable commercial and innovation returns beyond the contract period.

Key Responsibilities

• CVC Operating Framework and Strategy

Develop and document the end-to-end CVC operating model, including investment thesis, mandates, stage/gate processes, and governance.

Align CVC strategy with group innovation and commercial goals.

Integrate ESG and impact-investment principles into the CVC strategy to align with corporate sustainability priorities.

• Deal Sourcing and Startup Identification

Design and implement proactive startup scouting mechanisms (events, partnerships, databases, inbound deal flows).

Build and maintain a startup pipeline in strategic domains relevant to the group.

Establish relationships with key innovation hubs, accelerators, and industry associations to expand sourcing reach.

• Screening and Due Diligence Process

Establish and run multi-stage evaluation, including initial screens, technical and business due diligence, and deep dives.

Lead preparation of investment memos, including market analysis, impact alignment, financial projections, and risk assessments.

Implement standardized scoring criteria to ensure consistent and objective investment decisions.

• Accelerator/Startup Support

Define and deliver frameworks for venture acceleration—tailored support, mentorship, workshops, and networking.

Co-create founder toolkits and facilitate founder-readiness assessments.

Track and report on venture performance metrics during acceleration.

Embed measurable post-acceleration follow-up plans to sustain growth and integration opportunities with the group.

• Investment Approval and Capital Deployment

Prepare and present cases to the investment committee.

Manage the governance process around funding approval and closing.

Support transaction execution, investment documentation, and post-deal onboarding.

Ensure legal, compliance, and IP protection considerations are fully addressed in all transactions.

• Portfolio Management and Value Creation

Set up monitoring, reporting and support systems for CVC portfolio startups (KPIs on traction, product, finance, people).

Coordinate ongoing value-add: commercial pilots, partnerships, introductions, and operational support.

Identify portfolio needs for follow-on funding or growth capital.

Create structured exit readiness and liquidity event strategies to maximize portfolio returns.

• External Capital Raising

Identify and engage with co-investors, VC funds, DFIs, and innovation financing partners.

Prepare pitch materials, investor documentation, and facilitate due diligence for external funding rounds.

Position the CVC unit as a credible co-investment partner in regional and global VC ecosystems.

• Team Enablement & Knowledge Transfer

Train internal team on CVC operations, investment best practices, and portfolio support.

Deliver process manuals, toolkits, and playbooks for ongoing institutionalization.

Establish clear succession and handover plans to ensure CVC capability continuity post-contract.

• Stakeholder Management & Reporting

Interface with group executives, business unit sponsors and senior management to ensure CVC alignment.

Deliver periodic progress updates, impact reports and lessons learned to key stakeholders.

Create board-level dashboards to visualize CVC performance, portfolio health, and capital deployment status.

Knowledge, Experience And Qualifications Required

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience: 8+ years in venture capital, CVC, startup advisory, or innovation consulting.
• Hands-on operational experience in startup investments, acceleration, and portfolio management.
• Certification: CFA, CAIA, or similar professional credentials desirable.

Primary Location
Kenya-Nairobi-Nairobi

Organization
Britam

Job Type
Contractual

Shift
Day Job

Contract Type
Full-time

Job Posting

Unposting Date

Number of Openings
1