MBA Associate 2025 - Innovation Lab

MBA Associate 2025 
CrossBoundary Advisory 

About the Firm
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 developed a specialized expertise in unleashing investment across all sectors in these markets. CrossBoundary Advisory has advised on over US$12bn+ worth of transactions across 80+ countries globally, serving our clients from 27 offices spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Our advisory clients include governments, development finance institutions, private equity firms, Fortune 100 companies, and research institutions. 

Our investment platforms, CrossBoundary Energy, CrossBoundary Energy Access, and CrossBoundary Educational Infrastructure, directly finance projects to bring cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable electricity, as well as education infrastructure, to developing countries. Anchoring the Group’s work in the renewable energy sector, CrossBoundary Energy is currently active in more than 10 African countries and has a portfolio of over US$100 million of renewable energy projects for commercial and industrial clients across the continent. CrossBoundary Energy Access uses blended finance and an innovative project financing structure to unlock capital for mini-grids with a mission to bring electricity for the first time to more than 170,000 people.  

Job Description 

CrossBoundary is recruiting MBA Associates to join our Advisory teams globally. As a member of one of our teams, you will actively help unlock capital in underserved markets by working with a broad range of investors, donors, and companies seeking capital to facilitate investment in the regions where we work. As an MBA Associate, you will identify and evaluate investment opportunities, conduct macroeconomic market assessments, and provide transaction support. Experience in developing countries is preferred. 

As an MBA Associate for the Innovation Lab, you will support with the development of the Lab’s assessment of the mini-grid business model as it stands to date, earmarked for publication at end 2025. The analysis will summarize the findings of the Lab to date, the future of mini-grids, and the path to scale. 

MBA Associate positions begin in early June and continue until early August, with some flexibility. This is a 12-week commitment. 

Who We Are 

The CrossBoundary team is a unique group made up of people who 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 a number of qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action. 

Who You Are 

• 4+ years in top tier banking, consulting, private equity, or similar 
• Current MA or MBA candidate 
• Self-starter who is passionate about creating lasting change in underserved markets 
• Excellent analytical ability and discipline; ability to think clearly, structure problems logically, and then design and implement solutions that focus on the core issues 
• Ability to build strong relationships with partners and colleagues in challenging environments 
• Exceptional presentation skills and ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences 
• Demonstrated leadership skills; preferably in fast-moving and entrepreneurial environments 
• Proficient in basic accounting, financial modelling, financial forecasting, and budget development 
• Deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities businesses face in frontier markets, as well as the macro-economic trends that impact them 
• Past exposure to Development Finance Institutions and/or development agencies is particularly relevant 
• Willing to take on new types of work, even without prior experience or direct supervision 
• Enthusiastic about working, traveling, and living in a challenging environment 
• Comfortable with ambiguity; able to operate effectively in a changing context 
• Humble 
• Direct experience working in location is a plus 
• Language proficiency in location is a plus 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Conducting mini-grid business model assessment by: 
  • Evaluating technical and economic data from mini-grid sites (including smart-meter, inverter, generator, capex and opex data) across various prototypes 
  • Estimating the cumulative impact of these prototypes on the overall minigrid business model 
• Supporting in the development of the Lab’s 2025 capstone publication: 
  • Developing storylines and pages to present the analysis conducted 
  • Identifying and synthesizing key trends in the sector  
  • Predicting future trends and outlining the path to mini-grid scale 

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, we want to hear from you!

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 [email protected]. 

Location:
Nairobi, Kenya

• Please only submit one application. In your application, you will have the opportunity to indicate your top 2nd and 3rd region or team preferences.  
• Applicants who are shortlisted for interviews will be notified by January 13th, 2025.