Investment Analyst/Associate
CrossBoundary - The Fund for Nature
About CrossBoundary
CrossBoundary Group is a mission-driven investment and advisory firm that unlocks the power of capital for sustainable growth and strong returns in underserved markets. CrossBoundary Advisory provides transaction and investment advisory services having advised on over US$11bn worth of transactions across 75 countries globally, serving our clients from 20+ offices spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Our advisory clients include development finance institutions, private equity firms, Fortune 100 companies, governments, and research institutions. CrossBoundary’s Natural Capital Advisory practice focuses on unlocking private capital for nature-based solutions that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and address biodiversity loss.
Our investment platforms, CrossBoundary Energy, CrossBoundary Access, CrossBoundary Real Estate, and Dhow Ventures, directly finance projects to bring cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable electricity, as well as education infrastructure, to developing countries. The Fund for Nature strategy is focused on high-quality nature-based projects in emerging markets, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Why join us?
CrossBoundary’s people are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the most challenging yet exciting markets in the world. Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share several qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action. The chosen candidate will play an important role in a unique team with the opportunity to create impact on the nature-based solutions landscape in emerging markets.
What you'll do
The Analyst/Associate will be an integral part of our investment team, supporting deal origination, executing rigorous investment analysis, and contributing to portfolio management across our target markets. Reporting directly to the Investment Director, the Analyst/Associate will bring sharp analytical skills and intellectual curiosity to complex, often first-of-kind transactions, and will play a hands-on role in the day-to-day work that drives the fund's investment activity.
This role is suited to an early-career investor who thrives in ambiguity, is energized by working at the frontier of sustainable finance and natural capital, and is eager to build both rigorous analytical foundations and the on-the-ground experience needed to grow into a leadership role in natural capital investing.
Primary Responsibilities:
Deal sourcing & pipeline development: Support the identification and screening of investment opportunities across reforestation, blue carbon, and sustainable agriculture and land use in emerging markets. Conduct initial opportunity assessment, and help maintain a well-organized and up-to-date deal pipeline. Apply the fund's screening framework to evaluate opportunities against financial and impact criteria, and synthesize findings into clear briefing materials for the investment team.
Investment execution & due diligence: Play a central role in investment analysis for corporate and project-level opportunities, including building and stress-testing financial models, reviewing carbon methodologies, and researching legal, regulatory, and country risk considerations. Support the preparation of investment committee materials, contributing rigorous analysis and clear written commentary under the guidance of the Investment Director.
Portfolio management & value creation: Support ongoing monitoring of portfolio investments, tracking performance against KPIs and flagging emerging risks. Assist in preparing portfolio reports and maintaining up-to-date records of investee progress, helping to ensure the team has a clear and current picture of portfolio health.
Strategic partnerships: Support the research and mapping of potential strategic partners, including carbon credit offtakers, co-investors, and technical partners. Assist in preparing materials for partner engagement and help coordinate follow-up across active partnership conversations.
Investor relations (supporting): Contribute to the preparation of investor reports and updates by compiling accurate, well-presented data on deal progress and portfolio performance. Support the broader investor relations function with research, documentation, and coordination as needed.
Who you are
Ideal candidate will have the following skills and qualifications:
Experience:
2–4 years of experience in an investment role, with prior exposure to infrastructure, project finance, or private equity
Experience contributing to investment analysis or due diligence processes, including financial modelling and research in support of investment decisions
Exposure to emerging market contexts and a genuine interest in understanding the political, regulatory, and operational environments involved
Technical Skills:
Solid financial modelling skills, with the ability to build and interrogate project-level cash flow models; familiarity with project finance structures
Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize large amounts of information into clear, well-structured written outputs
Preferred: Familiarity with voluntary carbon markets, including carbon methodology frameworks, MRV, and additionality concepts; candidates with a strong interest in developing this knowledge will also be considered
Communication & Judgment:
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to present analysis clearly and concisely to senior team members and external partners
Demonstrated intellectual curiosity and comfort with ambiguity; able to work independently on discrete tasks while knowing when to escalate or ask for guidance
A genuine commitment to impact, with an interest in understanding how financial and environmental objectives can be pursued together
Preferred: Language skills relevant to target geographies (particularly French, Spanish, and Portuguese) are a strong advantage
Think you have what it takes but not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you’re passionate about what we’re building, apply! We want to hear from you.
Locations
The chosen candidate will join our team in Nairobi or London (with frequent travel).
Equal Opportunity Employer
CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@crossboundary.com.