Organization: Acumen Fund
Posted: January 27 2010
Location: Hyderabad, IN

India Summer Associate Position (4 positions)

Acumen Fund is a global non-profit venture fund. We seek to prove that small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen, can build thriving enterprises that serve vast numbers of the poor. Our investments focus on delivering affordable, critical goods and services - like health, water, housing and energy - through innovative, market-oriented approaches in South Asia and Africa. www.acumenfund.org

Position Description

Acumen Fund India will hire four Summer Associates (one for each of the portfolio's mentioned below) to help analyze new markets within our portfolios, develop tools for benchmarking new pipeline, perform due diligence, document market research and enable knowledge sharing. These associates will be able to use their business skills in researching and analyzing organizations and will get practical insights into a new approach in social investing. The business analysis will focus primarily in four portfolio areas:

Health - invests in technologies and services that present an opportunity to profoundly alter market dynamics in the healthcare landscape of the developing world.
Water & Sanitation - invests in financially sustainable and scalable enterprises that make safe and sufficient water and sanitation accessible to the poor.
Energy - invests in financially sustainable and scalable enterprises that make clean, efficient energy accessible and affordable to the poor.
Agriculture - invests in enterprises focused on inputs for smallholder farmers, as well as explore the breakthrough potential in the post-harvest space.

Acumen Fund also provides hands-on management support to enterprises in its portfolios, and summer associates are also asked to assist with specific projects addressing management challenges of portfolio companies. Some deliverables in the past have included financial models, competitor analyses, marketing strategies, and an exploration of export opportunities.

Job Significance: The summer associate will be critical to further developing the portfolio of investments that Acumen Fund will consider funding, and to supporting our existing investments.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

Candidate for MBA or similar graduate-level degree
Experience in financial analysis and modeling, particularly in venture capital or private equity
Management consulting experience
Commitment to Acumen Fund's mission
Academic training or work experience focused on health, water, housing, or energy
Ability to take initiative with research and analysis
India or international work experience; Capacity to work with a team in different countries/cultures
Capability to present investment ideas in memoranda to senior management and advisors
Excellent written and communication skills to assist in communication activities

Duration: 11 weeks

Acumen Fund India will not accept applications for less than an 11 week period.

Supervisor: Varun Sahni, India Director

Varun Sahni has focused on building, managing and investing in businesses for low income communities for the past twelve years. As India Director, Varun is responsible for all India related investments, operations and business development activities. Additionally, as part of the portfolio management team, Varun is jointly responsible for the global portfoio of Acumen Fund. Prior to joining Acumen Fund, he worked with both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations focusing on enterprise creation across India. He has also been involved as an angel investor in a number of companies in the Hospitality Services, Education, and Food and Beverage sectors across India. He received an MA from Columbia University in Political Economy.

It should be noted that:

All travel and accommodation costs will need to be borne by applicants.
Acumen Fund India will assist the applicants with supporting documentation (employment agreement) for the visa application.
Acumen Fund India will cover costs for domestic work related travel.

Compensation

Rs.16,000/month. (Students: Find out if you are eligible for a supplemental grant from your school's internship fund.)

To Apply:

Deadline to apply is February 15, 2010.

Please send your cover letter and resume to summerinternsindia@acumenfund.org. In your cover letter, highlight aspects of your experience that are relevant for this job, including volunteer service, and explain why you are interested in working with Acumen Fund. Please send the cover letter and resume as separate attachments, labeled as follows: AFIndia-Portfolio-[your last name]-Cover.doc and AFIndia-Portfolio-[your last name]-Resume.doc.