INTERN WORKSITE LOCATION: Portland, OR, Washington, DC, London, or Remote
DATES OF INTERNSHIP: January – April 2020 (Approximately 10 hours/week)
INTERNS SUPERVISOR: Social Venture Fund Partner
Work closely with:
Principal and Senior Managing Director
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE UNITED STATES INTERNSHIP: $500/month stipend
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR UNITED KINGDOM INTERNSHIP: Internships based in the UK earn minimum wage (London Living Wage – currently set at £10.20 GBP per hour), subject to standard deductions.
Mercy Corps responsibilities
For the duration of this internship assignment the intern will receive:
- Workspace within the MC office in Portland, OR
- Access to Mercy Corps online tools
- All other tools, materials and communication requirements for this project to be undertaken
Intern responsibilities
Intern will remain responsible for all costs associated with:
- Travel to and from Mercy Corps offices (if required)
- Maintaining their personal computer which will be used for the internship
- Accommodation, travel and living expenses
- All other costs associated with this internship
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV) is Mercy Corps’ impact investing arm and manages a seed stage impact investment fund designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs overcome barriers to growth by providing capital and targeted post investment support. We believe that connecting our investees to the experts, market intelligence, scaling pathways and partners of Mercy Corps will accelerate their growth and impact.
The Mercy Corps Ventures Analyst Internship involves working with the Mercy Corps Ventures core investment team to perform due diligence analysis of pipeline deals, as well as perform analytics related to current portfolio companies as necessary. In coordination with the Head of Venture Growth, the MCV Intern will define, scope and engage with portfolio ventures to provide technical assistance, strategic or operational advisory, or other focused support.
- Due Diligence: In conjunction with the Partners and Principal, the intern will review and analyze business plans, financial models, and investment proposals. The intern will evaluate investment opportunities in terms of entrepreneur potential, market validation, impact potential, and alignment with Mercy Corps’ priorities and capabilities.
- Deal Structuring and Execution: The intern will assist in preparation of investment memoranda, and other deal documentation and structuring, as applicable.
- Due Diligence Tools and Systems Development: Evolve all due diligence tools, as necessary, based on learnings to ensure an efficient process that highlights the most relevant information at all stages.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Through the internship, the intern will acquire:
- Exposure to the Latam and African entrepreneurial ecosystems, tech sector, investors/venture capital, and government and policy actors;
- Direct and tangible experience and insight into the entire investment lifecycle: investment landscaping, sourcing / screening, analysis, negotiation and closing; and,
- Exposure to innovation in the development sector.
DELIVERABLES:
The Final Deliverables for the intern will be:
- A comparative analysis of agriculture and financial inclusion / fintech pipeline companies
- Financial analysis on a West African ride sharing platform
- Financial analysis and comparative analysis on a East Africa digital wallet
Specific weekly projects are designed based on the fluctuating demands of the investment pipeline. A successful candidate has a broad toolkit, and will be able to dive into a number of simultaneous work streams with constantly varying priority levels. This could include:
- Competitive landscape mapping for a fintech startup in Colombia
- Term sheet review for a shared economic logistics platform in Senegal
- Valuation analysis / comp analysis for a distributed manufacturing startup in Kenya
- Review of MCV pipeline data to uncover patterns and insights
The Intern will join MCV’s Slack Channel and weekly Pipeline / Investment Team calls. The Partner will check in and manage weekly priorities / projects, as they will ebb and flow depending on deal flow and the dynamics of a potential investment round.
The Intern will have a particular focus on MCV’s expanding pipeline in West Africa.
IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:
- MBA or equivalent experience,
- 5 years experience developing businesses either in management consulting, finance, private equity or as part of an enterprise,
- Prior investment experience, particularly in emerging markets (West Africa) and/or within a VC, a big plus,
- Entrepreneurial mindset,
- Experience with development of a business from early stage conceptualization through scale,
- Strong financial modeling, business planning, due diligence, competitive analysis, and valuation skills and experience,
- Experience in process mapping and tools that support efficiency and workflow mapping,
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to get things done,
- Strong strategic thinking skills. Able to navigate complex environments and develop a clear, focused, and ambitious vision,
- Prior demonstrated interest in creating positive social impact,
- Ability to work collaboratively, build trust and facilitate change in organizations, and
- Experience working across a distributed team.
If interested, please apply here.
