About Us

Karandaaz Pakistan is a not-for-profit organization, based out of Islamabad, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017. The entity has been seeded by Enterprise and Asset Growth Programme of UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and our digital finance initiatives are being funded by the Gates Foundation.

Karandaaz is guided by the vision of Investing for Shared Prosperity, and driven by the mission to enhance capabilities of the financial and digital ecosystem through investments, innovations, and strategic partnerships for inclusive, green and sustainable growth.

Karandaaz Capital Provides wholesale structured credit and equity-linked direct growth capital investments in micro, small and mid-size enterprises that have the potential to contribute to sustainable growth and employment generation in Pakistan.

Position Summary

Karandaaz is seeking a Principal Debt in the Corporate Investments & Credit (CIC) stream who will be primarily responsible to support the Chief Investments Officer (CIO) in developing the innovative lending transaction portfolio for KRN. We are looking for an individual motivated to further enrich Pakistan’s leading impact investment fund for MSMEs.

Job Description

Innovative Lending Portfolio Creation & Management

▪ Develop a strategy for the Debt & Innovative Lending function and create a detailed work plan to be executed over the fiscal year.
▪ Establish strategic networks within the industries of commercial banking, investment banking and structured finance to create opportunities for growth.
▪ Lead detailed industry analyses for key target industries.
▪ Originate/Negotiate, evaluate and execute debt transactions (wholesale credit lines, supply chain financing, program lending, securitized products, and digital lending through fintechs) to provide growth capital funding to small and mid-size enterprises with potential for profitable growth and sustainable job creation.
▪ Design new credit/risk sharing programs to channel development finance from international impact capital providers to underserved segments/SMEs.
▪ Liaise with the in-house and external legal counsel to effectively develop transaction structures and documentation.
▪ Liaise with the internal team of tax experts.

Portfolio Monitoring & Reporting

▪ Oversee the SME loan portfolio and, when required, advise senior management on risk aspects of SME credit/risk products being offered by KRN subsidiaries.
▪ Identify, undertake due diligence and assess prospective financial partners’ capability in SME lending.
▪ Liaise with the risk department, provide advice and manage live action plan for maintaining quality of KRN debt portfolio.
▪ Generate impact reports for the debt portfolio in consultation with the Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) team.
▪ Lead the team in preparing high quality documentation for the CIO, Karandaaz Investment Committee (IC) and Board of Directors (BoD).
▪ Any other task necessary to ensure the optimum performance of the CIC department.

Team Leadership

▪ Responsible to lead a team of Associates and Analysts and ensure their professional development through coaching, mentoring, shadowing and empowerment.
▪ Assist the CIO in managing and leading transaction teams across all sub-functions of CIC.

Eligibility

Education & Experience

▪Preferably a Masters level degree in Finance, Business, Economics, Accounting or related discipline from a reputable institution. CFA qualification will give competitive advantage.
▪Atleast 8 years of work experience in structured finance and commercial banking.
▪Experience in originating and executing corporate finance and loan products along with prior exposure to small and mid-size enterprise lending will be given value.
▪Professional exposure to working in Pakistan.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

▪ Understanding of a not-for-profit organization.
▪ Exceptional knowledge of business finance and financial analysis.
▪ Excellent knowledge of impact investing principles and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
▪ Good knowledge of accounting regulations.
▪ Expert level skill in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Google Suite.
▪ Strong command over oral and written English and Urdu.
▪ Strong analytical skills.
▪ Strong problem-solving skills.
▪ Strong networking and interpersonal skills.
▪ Demonstrated teamwork skills.
▪ Sound business judgment to identify issues and present creative and practical solutions.
▪ Ability to manage and complete multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines under pressure.

Culture and Values at Karandaaz

Karandaaz culture is guided by our values of Integrity, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Appreciation and Learning Acumen (IDEAL). These values shape our choices on what we do and the approach that we take towards it, both with colleagues internally and partners externally. We also believe that we are all responsible for creating a great place to work and are constantly looking to hire individuals who bring the same level of passion and commitment to the purpose of the organization.

If you believe in the Karandaaz vision and values and feel excited about the work we are offering, please send us your application for this position.

Karandaaz is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications by all population groups.

Note: We will conduct interviews for this position on a rolling basis as applications are received. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is selected.