Application Guide

How to Apply for Impact Manager - Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Acumen East Or West Africa

at Acumen

🏢 About Acumen

Acumen stands out by investing patient capital in early-stage clean energy companies serving low-income communities across Africa and Asia, focusing on sustainable impact over quick returns. Working here means joining a mission-driven organization that combines venture capital rigor with deep social purpose, directly improving lives through energy access while building resilient businesses.

About This Role

This Impact Manager role is central to measuring and maximizing Acumen's social impact in East or West Africa by designing and implementing MEL frameworks tailored to clean energy investments. You'll bridge donor reporting requirements with private sector impact measurement approaches, ensuring data-driven decisions that enhance both program effectiveness and investment outcomes.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve reviewing data from clean energy portfolio companies in Kenya, adapting MEL tools for an upcoming investor report, and facilitating a virtual workshop with West African partners on impact measurement best practices. You'll balance deep analytical work with collaborative sessions, ensuring MEL insights directly inform both investment decisions and program improvements.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Acumen Is Looking For

  • Has 8+ years experience with at least 3 years specifically designing/delivering programs for African social entrepreneurs in sectors like clean energy, agriculture, or financial inclusion
  • Demonstrates hands-on experience adapting MEL frameworks for private sector or impact investing contexts, not just traditional NGO approaches
  • Proven ability to co-create mentoring programs and learning content with third-party partners across multiple African countries
  • Combines strong analytical skills with practical facilitation experience to build MEL capacity among investment teams and portfolio companies

📝 Tips for Applying to Acumen

1

Quantify your experience with African social entrepreneurs - specify countries, sectors (especially clean energy), and concrete outcomes of your MEL work

2

Highlight any experience bridging donor reporting (like DFID or USAID) with private sector impact measurement frameworks (like IRIS+ or impact-weighted accounts)

3

Showcase specific examples of co-creating programs with third-party delivery partners in Africa, emphasizing your coordination and adaptation skills

4

Demonstrate how you've used MEL data to influence investment or program decisions, not just for reporting compliance

5

Tailor your application to Acumen's dual identity as both impact-focused and investment-savvy - avoid language that's purely academic or purely financial

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience designing MEL frameworks for African clean energy or social entrepreneurship programs', 'Examples of adapting traditional MEL approaches to private sector financing contexts', "How you've built capacity and facilitated learning among diverse stakeholders (investors, entrepreneurs, partners)", "Your understanding of Acumen's patient capital model and how MEL supports both impact and financial sustainability"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Acumen's specific clean energy portfolio companies in East Africa (like d.light, M-KOPA, or others) and their impact metrics
  • → Acumen's 'Patient Capital' approach and how it differs from traditional venture capital or philanthropy
  • → The specific donors and partners Acumen works with in Africa (e.g., IKEA Foundation, DFID, USAID)
  • → Recent Acumen publications or reports on impact measurement in the energy access sector

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would design an MEL framework for a clean energy startup serving rural Kenyan communities
2 How have you previously balanced donor reporting requirements with practical impact measurement for entrepreneurs?
3 Describe a time you had to adapt MEL approaches when working with private sector partners versus traditional NGOs
4 What metrics would you prioritize for measuring both social impact and business health in Acumen's portfolio companies?
5 How would you build MEL capacity among investment officers who may have strong financial skills but limited impact measurement experience?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Presenting MEL experience that's purely academic or theoretical without practical application in African contexts
  • Focusing only on traditional NGO monitoring approaches without showing understanding of private sector impact measurement
  • Failing to demonstrate specific experience with African social entrepreneurs - this is a non-negotiable requirement

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Acumen!

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