Organisation Background

Export Development Fund (EDF) is a development finance institution (DFI) mandated to promote the growth as well as diversification of the country’s exports. EDF’s mission is to support the Malawi economy through provision of foreign trade solutions to facilitate export diversification, international competitiveness and inclusive growth. EDF also plays a leading role in job creation by investing in ambitious projects and initiatives, with the aim of enhancing the competitiveness of Malawi’s exports.

EDF’s young and dynamic team is motivated towards the collective goal of transforming Malawi’s exporting sector for accelerated economic development.

1. Job Purpose

The Deal Origination and Investment Specialist is responsible for originating, developing, assessing structuring and progressing investment and financing opportunities for EDF in line with its strategic mandate, risk appetite, credit and investment policies and approved annual targets.

The position combines business relationship management, development, financial and credit analysis, transaction structuring, investment appraisal, risk identification and mitigation, and end-to-end transaction coordination from initial origination through approval, documentation and disbursement.

2. Key Accountabilities

Deal Origination & Pipeline Development

• Proactively identify, source and cultivate new business opportunities in EDF’s priority sectors and markets.
• Develop and maintain a sufficiently deep and diversified pipeline of bankable transactions aligned to EDF’s strategic priorities.
• Undertake market intelligence, sector scanning, client mapping and targeted business development activities to identify prospective transactions.
• Convert prospects into qualified opportunities through structured engagement, preliminary screening and assessment of financing needs.
• Maintain accurate pipeline records, including transaction size, stage, probability of conversion, expected approval and disbursement dates, foreign exchange requirements, developmental impact, key risks and identified blockers.

Client Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain productive relationships with existing and prospective clients, sponsors, investors, commercial banks, DFIs, government agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
• Act as a principal point of contact for assigned transactions and provide timely, professional and solution-oriented engagement throughout the transaction lifecycles
• Understand client’s business models, financial needs, strategic objectives, operating constraints and funding requirements.
• Manage client expectations regarding EDF’s products, processes, timelines, conditions and governance requirements.

Financial Analysis & Credit Assessment

• Undertake detailed analysis of historical and projected financial statements, cash flows, working capital and debt-servicing capacity.
• Assess profitability, liquidity, leverage, efficiency, solvency, cash conversion and other relevant financial indicators.
• Evaluate the quality and sustainability of operating cash flows and identify key drivers of financial performance.
• Conduct sensitivity and scenario analysis on key assumptions, including revenue, prices, volumes, costs, exchange rates, interest rates and project implementation timelines.
• Evaluate the quality, enforceability and realizability of proposed collateral and other credit enhancements.

Transaction Structuring & Investment Appraisal

• Develop financing structures that are appropriate to the client’s cash-flow profile, project economics, risk characteristics and EDF’s mandate.
• Recommend appropriate facility type, tenor, repayment profile, pricing, security, covenants, conditions precedent and other risk mitigants.
• Consider appropriate risk-sharing and mobilisation structures including co-financing, syndication, guarantees, blended finance and other partnerships where relevant.
• Assess the commercial viability, developmental impact and sustainability of proposed projects and Investments.

Credit / Investment Paper Preparation

• Prepare high-quality, comprehensive and decision-useful credit and investment papers for management and Board consideration.
• Minimise omissions, rework and delays by applying rigorous quality assurance before submission.
• Respond promptly and accurately to credit, risk, legal, technical and investment committee queries.

Transaction Execution & Conversion

• Coordinate with Credit, Legal, and Finance functions to facilitate timely transaction execution.
• Monitor conditions precedent and ensure that all required documentation, security perfection, insurance and other requirements are satisfactorily completed before disbursement.
• Escalate transaction blockers early and propose practical solutions to prevent avoidable delays.
• Maintain regular post-approval engagement with clients until full utilisation or completion of the transaction.

Portfolio, Monitoring & Relationship Support

• Maintain appropriate knowledge of assigned clients after disbursement and monitor material developments affecting transaction performance.
• Identify emerging risks, covenant concerns, project implementation delays, cash-flow pressures and other early warning indicators and escalate them promptly.
• Support portfolio management, restructurings, waivers, amendments and remedial actions where required.
• Maintain accurate and complete transaction files and ensure compliance with internal record-keeping requirements.

Developmental Impact, ESG & Additionality

• Assess and document the developmental rationale and expected impact of transactions, including employment, exports, import substitution, and value addition.
• Integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into transaction origination and appraisal in accordance with EDF requirements.
• Assess EDF’s additionality and ensure that financing addresses identifiable market or development gaps rather than simply replacing commercially available funding.
• Support measurement and reporting of agreed developmental outcomes.

Team Leadership & Knowledge Transfer

• Directly supervise Origination Officers and provide coaching, technical guidance and quality assurance on their assigned work.
• Allocate work, set priorities, monitor progress and ensure that assigned officers meet agreed quality, productivity and turnaround expectations.
• Review and strengthen the financial analysis, risk assessment and credit-paper preparation capabilities of direct reports.
• Promote disciplined use of transaction checklists, appraisal templates, pipeline tools and other approved processes.
• Build a culture of accountability, client responsiveness, collaboration, continuous learning and professional integrity.

Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Check that all origination and transaction activities comply with financial regulations, policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate audit trails and ensure that material deviations from approved terms are appropriately escalated and authorised.

3. Preferred Qualifications, Skills, Experience and Attributes are as follows:

• Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Banking, Business Administration, or related field from a recognized and accredited institution.
• Those with a related bachelor’s degree and with a minimum of over 5 years relevant experience may be considered.
• Negotiating and consensus building capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Good analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Good planning, organizing skills and team player.
• Ability to comprehensively analyze financial statements.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to build and analyze financial models.
• Good knowledge and understanding of Credit principles, financing of infrastructure projects and general banking practices and procedures.
• Excellent credit risk analysis and transaction structuring skills.
• Familiarity with types of agreements/contracts typically used in project finance, including relevant legislative framework for Development Finance Institutions.

• Proactively identify, source and cultivate new business opportunities in EDF’s priority sectors and markets.
• Develop and maintain a sufficiently deep and diversified pipeline of bankable transactions aligned to EDF’s strategic priorities.
• Undertake market intelligence, sector scanning, client mapping and targeted business development activities to identify prospective transactions.
• Convert prospects into qualified opportunities through structured engagement, preliminary screening and assessment of financing needs.
• Maintain accurate pipeline records, including transaction size, stage, probability of conversion, expected approval and disbursement dates, foreign exchange requirements, developmental impact, key risks and identified blockers.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with existing and prospective clients, sponsors, investors, commercial banks, DFIs, government agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
• Act as a principal point of contact for assigned transactions and provide timely, professional and solution-oriented engagement throughout the transaction lifecycles
• Understand client’s business models, financial needs, strategic objectives, operating constraints and funding requirements.
• Manage client expectations regarding EDF’s products, processes, timelines, conditions and governance requirements.
• Undertake detailed analysis of historical and projected financial statements, cash flows, working capital and debt-servicing capacity.
• Assess profitability, liquidity, leverage, efficiency, solvency, cash conversion and other relevant financial indicators.
• Evaluate the quality and sustainability of operating cash flows and identify key drivers of financial performance.
• Conduct sensitivity and scenario analysis on key assumptions, including revenue, prices, volumes, costs, exchange rates, interest rates and project implementation timelines.
• Evaluate the quality, enforceability and realizability of proposed collateral and other credit enhancements.
• Develop financing structures that are appropriate to the client’s cash-flow profile, project economics, risk characteristics and EDF’s mandate.
• Recommend appropriate facility type, tenor, repayment profile, pricing, security, covenants, conditions precedent and other risk mitigants.
• Consider appropriate risk-sharing and mobilisation structures including co-financing, syndication, guarantees, blended finance and other partnerships where relevant.
• Assess the commercial viability, developmental impact and sustainability of proposed projects and Investments.
• Prepare high-quality, comprehensive and decision-useful credit and investment papers for management and Board consideration.
• Minimise omissions, rework and delays by applying rigorous quality assurance before submission.
• Respond promptly and accurately to credit, risk, legal, technical and investment committee queries.
• Coordinate with Credit, Legal, and Finance functions to facilitate timely transaction execution.
• Monitor conditions precedent and ensure that all required documentation, security perfection, insurance and other requirements are satisfactorily completed before disbursement.
• Escalate transaction blockers early and propose practical solutions to prevent avoidable delays.
• Maintain regular post-approval engagement with clients until full utilisation or completion of the transaction.
• Maintain appropriate knowledge of assigned clients after disbursement and monitor material developments affecting transaction performance.
• Identify emerging risks, covenant concerns, project implementation delays, cash-flow pressures and other early warning indicators and escalate them promptly.
• Support portfolio management, restructurings, waivers, amendments and remedial actions where required.
• Maintain accurate and complete transaction files and ensure compliance with internal record-keeping requirements.
• Assess and document the developmental rationale and expected impact of transactions, including employment, exports, import substitution, and value addition.
• Integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into transaction origination and appraisal in accordance with EDF requirements.
• Assess EDF’s additionality and ensure that financing addresses identifiable market or development gaps rather than simply replacing commercially available funding.
• Support measurement and reporting of agreed developmental outcomes.
• Directly supervise Origination Officers and provide coaching, technical guidance and quality assurance on their assigned work.
• Allocate work, set priorities, monitor progress and ensure that assigned officers meet agreed quality, productivity and turnaround expectations.
• Review and strengthen the financial analysis, risk assessment and credit-paper preparation capabilities of direct reports.
• Promote disciplined use of transaction checklists, appraisal templates, pipeline tools and other approved processes.
• Build a culture of accountability, client responsiveness, collaboration, continuous learning and professional integrity.
• Check that all origination and transaction activities comply with financial regulations, policies and procedures.
• Maintain accurate audit trails and ensure that material deviations from approved terms are appropriately escalated and authorised.

• Negotiating and consensus building capabilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Good analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Good planning, organizing skills and team player
• Ability to comprehensively analyze financial statements
• Strong attention to detail and ability to build and analyze financial models
• Good knowledge and understanding of Credit principles, financing of infrastructure projects and general banking practices and procedures
• Excellent credit risk analysis and transaction structuring skills
• Familiarity with types of agreements/contracts typically used in project finance, including relevant legislative framework for Development Finance Institutions

• Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Banking, Business Administration, or related field from a recognized and accredited institution.
• Those with a related bachelor’s degree and with a minimum of over 5 years relevant experience may be considered.