Corporate Finance Senior Associate

• The Corporate Finance Senior Associate will work closely with the CFO to manage corporate finance activities of the Pele Energy Group and its subsidiaries. It will focus on the implementation of transactions, management of corporate treasury and oversight of the group financial model. This role reports to the Group Chief Financial Officer who sets the corporate finance strategy and is responsible for the origination of corporate finance activities, oversight of the treasury function and custodian of the group financial model.

Job Responsibilities

Corporate Finance

• Implementation of the group’s corporate finance strategy
• Implementation of corporate funding transactions:
• Deal conceptualization and market testing
• Deal management and monitoring of key outcomes for group
• Project management
• Service provider management (legal, advisor, DD etc.)
• Manage transaction due diligence
• Manage internal processes to support the financial close
• Commercial review of legals
• Management of financial close

• Engage strategically and tactically with external funders, credit rating agencies, and stakeholders to maintain strong relationships and support the company's funding initiatives
• Manage existing corporate facilities and investors relationships including drawdowns, repayments, distributions, compliance and reporting
• Review tax implications of proposed transactions with input from advisors
• Monitor group valuation and report on changes and key drivers
• Present transactions to Investment Committee

Treasury

• Implementation of group treasury strategy including annual funding plan and treasury management policies
• Ensure that obligations in terms of investment commitments and funding obligations are complied with at a corporate and project level
• Provide outsourced treasury related services to projects under MSA agreements
• Input on treasury implications for deal screening and project review committee
• Maximising corporate investment returns in within the approved risk parameters
• Liquidity management
• Analyse, negotiate, and implement various types of external financing transactions for the group, maximising financial opportunities and optimising funding strategies

Reporting and Risk Management: Modelling

• Ensure a sound system of internal control, investment/ financial performance reporting and risk management within the treasury function
• Manage the Group Financial Operating Model with internal modelling and finance team members (i.e. using the current static model of the group into a dynamic model that is updated with monthly TB’s and operational results from investments taking project level cashflow dynamics (reserving, min cash etc. into account)
• Contribute to Pele standardisation of modelling methodology and financial reporting metrics to pro-actively and efficiently monitor financial performance
• Developing and maintaining a Pele view of macro-economic data and forecasts
• Ad-hoc modelling to support decision making

General and Thought Leadership

• Drive the move towards data driven decision making
• Contribute to a culture that fosters innovation and contributes to continuous improvement
• Promote collaboration and cross-functional engagement throughout the Group
• General stakeholder engagement and maintaining strategic relationships
• Contribute to and align with sustainability and ESG principles and ethical practices as per Pele’s strategic directives

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Qualified CA(SA) / CFA charter holder with 8+ years’ relevant corporate finance experience with in-house IPP experience being considered advantageous
• In depth corporate finance experience running multi-billion rand equity and debt transactions
• Project finance, PPP or infrastructure experience with a background in the renewable energy sector being significantly beneficial
• Exceptional transaction management and project management capability
• Strong technical modelling skills and experience in both corporate and project finance modelling
• Experience with BEE funding finance documents and share funding documents is a plus
• Outstanding business acumen, decisive critical thinking skills and professional confidence
• Proven ability to effectively manage multiple projects with shifting priorities, work independently and operate in a fast-paced, dynamic and matrixed environment
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Able to demonstrate good judgment and evaluate risk while considering the larger picture
• Solution-oriented and effective communicator with the ability to work independently and thrive in a fast-paced, fast-growing, and collaborative environment
• A collaborative attitude to working within large teams and with colleagues at all levels.
• Understanding of commercial and securities law issues as they relate to finance transactions