Associate Engagement Director – Inclusive Finance at Busara Center

Job Description

Here’s how you’ll contribute:

Strategic Interventions: Analyze value chains and market systems to identify opportunities for interventions that drive catalytic change, working in collaboration with philanthropic and private sector partners
Stakeholder Engagement: Independently and effectively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders—including private sector actors, philanthropic organizations, impact investors, and policymakers—to ensure successful project delivery and drive new business development.
Sustainable Business Models: Anticipate and provide crucial information to help develop sustainable business models for private sector actors aiming to serve low-income populations.
Product Optimization: Identify and refine core product features to align with principles of responsible and inclusive finance, ensuring they remain commercially viable and create impact at scale.
About You

Your mission is clear: to create positive change in the Global South. You’ve led teams of 5 to 10 people, thriving in diverse, multicultural environments, and you’re a mentor who shapes the next generation of leaders
You don’t just manage relationships—you build lasting alliances, especially within the inclusive finance sector. Your career is rooted in international development, with hands-on experience in social impact or development ecosystems. If you’ve been in client-delivery roles like management consulting or internal innovation teams, even better
You’ve led transformative programs, sparked change in inclusive finance-focused organizations, and you’re relentless in your pursuit of research-driven solutions. You thrive in a collaborative, dynamic environment surrounded by diverse, talented minds
Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities
The Associate Engagement Director will work closely with Busara leaders and directly with researchers, clients and partners to perform a range of responsibilities including, but not limited to:
Delivery Responsibilities

Structure, design, and deliver our current and new external and internal engagements to client’s satisfaction.
Lead the pricing of current and future offerings and engagements from the portfolio
Manage and coordinate a portfolio of projects across multiple client bases. Structure successful project onboarding and offboarding exercises to support knowledge management between projects
Serve as the primary relationship manager for clients and partners. Understand and preempt needs of stakeholders through proactive communication and troubleshooting
Develop and ensure Busara’s standards for quality of project management and delivery are followed across our work, with respect to creativity, rigor, relevance, detail, and timeliness
Strategically assemble the portfolio’s structure and teams on projects that maximize the probability of success. Liaise with relevant divisions to understand any support requirements
Portfolio Growth Responsibilities

Support the development of a portfolio of projects that contributes to quarterly and annual business development targets for the division
Engage in proactive and reactive business development by leading contracting for our reactive engagements and by designing proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks for new partnership opportunities and knowledge sharing. Present at conferences, networking events, or client meetings
Develop lasting relationships with clients and partners to build long-term partnerships. This includes serving as the primary points of contact on large, multi-year projects, and networking throughout the field at conferences and client meetings
Lead the portfolio with a focus on portfolio building, researcher network building, efficiency and quality of implementation. Be the voice for the portfolio internally and externally.
Work closely with the Engagement Director to define and drive the priority focus areas and strategy of the portfolio by setting, planning and executing on strategic and sustainable projects, annual targets, and ensuring clear vertical harmony on priorities for the organization

Organizational Responsibilities

Manage, motivate and coach Associates, Analysts, and Project team members and lead development of team building events. Facilitate the development of team members’ skills and expertise through identification and execution of capacity building initiatives
Serve as Direct Managers to a team of associates and/or research specialists
Work closely with other associate EDs and EDs to identify opportunities for collaboration and development across teams. Liaise with finance, operations and people teams for any inter-divisional processes
Manage communications to ensure clear internal knowledge management and harmonization across the portfolio
Contribute to the design, execution, and dissemination of Busara internal research projects and initiatives
Perform any other duty as may be assigned by the VP, Engagement Director or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills, And Experience

Have led at least a moderate-sized team (5 to 10) of people, especially with multicultural and multinational backgrounds, and can mentor mid-level staff and young professionals
Know how to build and manage relationships with external partners and funders of diverse backgrounds and interests, especially within the sector focus of their portfolio
Have direct experience working in one or more of the substantive areas of international development (e.g., sustainability, financial services, healthcare, gender equity, agriculture), either within development itself or in the business or non-profit sector
Ideally, have previous experience in a client-delivery role (e.g. management consulting, internal innovation team, etc.)
Have the knowledge that comes from a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Economics, Business Management, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or related fields
Have the hard-won lessons and self-awareness that usually come from at least 6 years of work experience