Impact Finance Manager – Ethiopia
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Employment Type: Full-Time Staff Position
Reports to: Country Representative Ethiopia
About Aqua for All
Aqua for All is an international foundation established in the Netherlands in 2002. Headquartered in The Hague, the organisation works to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation for low-income communities in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. It collaborates with enterprises, financial institutions, and investment funds to develop and scale sustainable water and sanitation solutions.
Aqua for All began its operations in Ethiopia in 2021, initially through pilot programmes focused on water and sanitation enterprise development and incubation and has since expanded its engagement through larger-scale national programmes and partnerships.
The foundation implements projects across multiple countries, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, including countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, working closely with governments, NGOs, and private sector partners to scale sustainable water and sanitation solutions.
Overall, its role is to help strengthen ecosystems that make safe water and sanitation more accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
Our vision is Universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation services that are inclusive, affordable and sustainable.
Our mission is to mobilise private capital and strengthen enterprises to transform the water and sanitation sector in low- and middle-income countries.
We pursue this mission through a dual approach:
- Access to Finance: Unlocking and mobilising commercial and impact capital by partnering with financial institutions, investors, governments, and development partners to develop innovative financing solutions for water and sanitation.
- Market Development: Strengthening water and sanitation enterprises through technical assistance, capacity building, business development support, and ecosystem strengthening to improve their ability to access finance, scale operations, and deliver sustainable services.
By combining market development with innovative finance, Aqua for All helps build resilient water and sanitation markets that attract investment, strengthen local enterprises, and accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
Position Summary
The Impact Finance Manager will support Aqua for All’s access-to-finance and private capital mobilisation agenda in Ethiopia and other countries in the region as necessary. The position will be responsible for originating, structuring, managing, and scaling innovative financing partnerships that unlock investment for water and sanitation enterprises, households, financial institutions, and utilities. The role combines investment facilitation, financial sector engagement, supporting market development, partnership management, and strategic programme delivery.
The Impact Finance Manager will be part of the Fund Investment and Structuring team (FIS) headquartered in the Netherlands. The Impact Finance Manager Ethiopia will report to the country lead in Ethiopia.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage the implementation and expansion of Aqua for All’s water and sanitation finance portfolio in Ethiopia and in the region.
- Identify, originate, and develop partnerships with banks, impact investors, development finance institutions, and donors.
- Support the design, structuring, negotiation, and implementation of blended finance instruments, including revolving credit facilities, guarantees, technical assistance facilities, matching grants, and results-based financing mechanisms.
- Manage relationships with partner financial institutions and oversee performance against outreach, portfolio quality, leverage, and impact targets.
- Conduct financial, operational, commercial, and impact assessments of prospective partners and transactions.
- Support development of water and sanitation lending products for households, SMEs, schools, health facilities, and utilities.
- Build and maintain a strong pipeline of investment-ready water and sanitation enterprises and facilitate access to finance opportunities.
- Prepare concept notes, investment proposals, business cases, partnership agreements, and donor reports.
- Prepare commercial, operational, financial, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and impact due diligence.
- Assess business models, management teams, market opportunities, and financial performance.
- Develop financial models and investment recommendations.
- Identify key investment risks and mitigation measures.
- Contribute to fundraising, resource mobilisation, and development of new programmes and partnerships.
- Represent Aqua for All in national platforms, sector working groups, conferences, and stakeholder engagements.
- Identify and source investment opportunities across SMEs, utilities, climate-resilient water businesses, and service providers.
- Generate evidence, lessons learned, and market intelligence to support policy dialogue and sector-wide scale-up of the water and sanitation sector.
- Work closely with technical assistance providers and consultants supporting financial institutions and enterprises.
- Monitor portfolio performance, capital mobilisation, outreach, and impact indicators.
Qualifications and Experience
- A Master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in finance, Economics, Banking and Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Investment Management, Development Economics, Financial Management, or a related field.
- Minimum of 6–8 years of relevant professional experience for candidates holding a master’s degree, or 8–12 years for candidates holding a bachelor’s degree, in banking, SME finance, corporate finance, development finance, impact investing, financial sector development, blended finance, investment management, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience working with financial institutions, investors, or enterprise finance programmes.
- Strong understanding of credit analysis, portfolio management, financial modelling, and investment appraisal.
- Experience in structuring financing facilities, credit lines, guarantee mechanisms, or other financial instruments is highly desirable.
- Experience preparing business cases, investment memoranda, concept notes, financing proposals, and board or investment committee papers.
- Knowledge of water and sanitation sector, climate finance, infrastructure finance or market systems development is an advantage.
- Strong professional network within Ethiopia’s banking, investment, or development finance sectors.
Core Competencies
- Strategic partnership development
- Financial analysis and deal structuring
- Private capital mobilisation
- Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
- Negotiation and influencing skills
- Programme and portfolio management
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Entrepreneurial and solutions-oriented mindset
Travel Requirements
The role requires regular travel within Ethiopia and occasional international travel.
How to Apply
Interested applicants who meet the above requirements should submit their application letter and CV by clearly stating the position that you are applying for through hr@aquaforall.org
Experience level senior (6-12)
Posted date: 07/07/2026
Deadline: 24/07/2026
Salary: based on the organisation scale
Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Note: Aqua for All is an equal opportunity employer and hence candidates from all backgrounds: religion, ethnic group, qualified women and people living with disabilities, etc are all encouraged to apply.
Early applications are encouraged, as reviews will be conducted on a rolling basis and interviews will be scheduled once suitable candidates are identified.