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About Us

Agriculture is the key to unlocking a better future for billions of people. But while rural families sustain the world, they struggle to sustain themselves. At the same time, they face increasingly urgent challenges, from volatile crop prices to extreme weather.

Root Capital is an impact investor that provides financing and business training to agricultural enterprises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Since 1999, we have loaned over $2B to more than 800 businesses that are too big for microloans but too small for commercial lenders, and have trained more than twice as many businesses. As these businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact for local communities, raising incomes, creating jobs, expanding opportunities for women and young people, preserving nature, and building rural prosperity.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital has more than 180 employees operating in more than a dozen countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, and has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

Position Overview

The Interim Head of Root Ventures will help launch Root Capital’s new climate finance facility, Root Ventures. Root Ventures will provide venture debt financing to businesses building climate resilient agricultural communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, with a goal to deploy over $100 million in climate finance for over 1 million farmers. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer , the Interim Head will lead Root Venture’s initial investment strategy, developing new lending products, creating foundational operational processes and guidelines, and building an initial portfolio of loans. Work will focus on climate ventures and financial service providers serving smallholder farmers in East Africa. The role will collaborate with stakeholders across Root Capital, including senior leaders like the Vice President, Investment & Credit Risk and Root Capital board members, and with external partners.

This new role will shape the direction of Root Ventures in its launch year. The successful candidate will bring deep experience in designing and deploying blended finance mechanisms to advance impact objectives in emerging markets, including experience across debt and equity instruments. The successful candidate will be a builder who enjoys working with others to create solutions to systemic challenges. The fixed-term position may transition into a permanent role depending on fundraising outcomes and candidate performance.

The role is focused on fundraising readiness, lending readiness, and pilot transaction execution, with responsibilities expected to evolve as Root Ventures moves from concept validation to first deals and eventual scale.

Duties & Responsibilities

Purpose: Lead Root Ventures’ launch phase (50%)

• Lead Root Ventures’ investment strategy, including refining target segments, designing new loan products, , and defining the pipeline development strategy, ensuring alignment with Root Ventures’ impact and financial goals.
• Support development of Root Ventures’ risk-return framework (e.g., credit risk appetite, portfolio limits, capital adequacy requirements, and credit governance) under the guidance of Root Capital’s Vice President, Head of Investment & Credit Risk and Chief Financial Officer.
• Develop initial processes and guidelines to guide Root Ventures operations (e.g., loan origination and screening criteria; approach to due diligence, underwriting, and monitoring), working closely with Root Capital’s Vice President, Head of Investment & Credit Risk; General Counsel; and other functional leads.
• Lead Root Ventures’ first transactions, including screening, due diligence, financial analysis, structuring, and investment memo preparation for review and approval through the applicable governance process, as well as monitoring of approved loans.

Engagement: Collaborate with external and internal stakeholders to build Root Ventures’ lending and fundraising pipeline (30%)

• Collaborate with Root Capital’s Partnerships team to translate Root Ventures’ investment thesis, risk-return profile, and start-up strategy into funder-facing materials and conversations.
• Build relationships with capacity builders, incubators, accelerators, and venture equity funds serving climate ventures and financial service providers to refine loan product design and identify lending pipeline.
• Collaborate with Root Capital colleagues across Operations, Credit Administration, Legal, Treasury and other teams to co-create the internal infrastructure needed to approve, close, service, monitor, and learn from initial transactions.

Delivery: Execute initial loans and delivery learning to inform scaling (20%)

• Deliver investment memos to the investment committee in line with Root Ventures’ impact objectives and investment mandate, approved risk framework, and governance requirements.
• Capture lessons from initial transactions and work with functional owners to identify improvements to Root Ventures’ investment strategy and operations to prepare for scaling.
• Ensure Root Ventures launch activities adhere to applicable Root Capital policies, quality standards, and governance requirements, escalating gaps, exceptions, or material risks through the appropriate channels.

Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 15 years of professional experience in agricultural finance in Africa, Asia, or Latin America; or master’s degree in a related field with at least seven years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience designing and/or deploying blended finance solutions in emerging markets, especially experience translating product design, borrower realities, and market context into practical investment tools and processes (e.g., investment policies, underwriting guidelines, investment committee materials, portfolio monitoring frameworks).
• Demonstrated ability to conduct or lead due diligence, financial analysis, transaction structuring, and preparation of investment memos for debt, venture debt, or hybrid instruments in emerging markets.
• Strong credit judgment and ability to balance mission, impact, risk, and financial sustainability.
• Knowledge of the financing landscape for early-stage climate ventures and/or agricultural microfinance in Africa and/or Latin America, including professional networks within Root Ventures’ initial target markets (Kenya, Uganda, Ghana).
• Experience in climate finance, preferably with a focus on climate adaptation and resilience within agricultural contexts; experience with gender lens investing is strongly preferred.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with a track record of creating new interventions or entities. Self-starter with ability to flexibly manage and prioritize multiple competing tasks; excellent organization and project management skills.
• Working proficiency (ability to read and write internal communications; ability to converse with colleagues) in English is a firm requirement; working proficiency in Spanish is preferred.
• Deep belief in and dedication to the mission of Root Capital, with a passion for promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development and rural resilience in low- and middle-income countries.
• Enthusiasm for thriving in diverse, multicultural settings, with a strong preference for experience in global and multi-location work environments. Skilled in effectively working and communicating within remote teams. Experience working within a matrix management structure preferred.
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with the ability to build a respectful and inclusive work environment. Committed to practicing and supporting wellbeing and a work-home life balance.
• Authorized to work in a country with a Root Capital office, preferably in Kenya or the United States.
• Flexible work schedule with the ability to align at least 2–3 working hours daily with Central Time (CT) to ensure seamless communication and collaboration across teams.
• Flexibility to travel nationally and internationally, including visits to farming communities in remote areas. Estimated at approximately 1-2 weeks of work time or as required.

Applications

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply using the form below as soon as possible, making sure to include a resume and cover letter that describes your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position. Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.

Root Capital provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that upholds our leadership principles of: empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.