Researcher (Blended Finance)

• At least 3 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

Bachelor's or Master's in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Social Science, Sustainable Development or other relevant fields.

• At least 3 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): NGO

• Age At least 24 years

• At least 3 years of experience in research, analysis or advisory work in development finance, impact investing, banking or the SME finance sector.

• Demonstrated experience leading qualitative research from design to final report, including developing interview guides, conducting key informant interviews and synthesising findings.

• A strong understanding of financial instruments and structures such as concessional debt, guarantees, first-loss capital, equity and results-based finance. You should be able to explain how these combine in blended finance structures.

• Familiarity with Bangladesh’s financial sector and regulatory environment, including the roles of Bangladesh Bank, commercial banks, NBFIs, investors and development partners.

• A track record of published or client-facing analytical reports, policy papers or research publications.

• Capacity to facilitate and communicate with different stakeholders, both internal and external.

• Intermediate skills in data collection, quantitative and statistical analysis, and clear data visualisation.

• Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively within a team environment.

• Compelling presentation and influencing skills.

JOB CONTEXT

Truvalu is a Netherlands-based impact investment company engaged in developing small, growing businesses through equity investment, business development services (“BDS”), and other relevant business advisory services in several emerging economies in Asia, East Africa, and South America. Truvalu employs a unique `Co-entrepreneurship` model that strives to improve the economic viability of businesses through capital, BDS, strategic coaching, access to finance, access to markets and networks, and access to knowledge and technology. Through a tailor-made set of BDS and investments, enterprises are intended to grow to full business maturity to increase overall social impact.

Truvalu Bangladesh invites applications from professionals with a solid grounding in investment principles to lead and strengthen its research activities. This is a short-term role that calls for strong skills in research, understanding of financial instruments and structures, report writing and editing, and data analysis, along with excellent written and verbal communication in both English and Bangla.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The successful candidate will lead a qualitative study on blended finance in Bangladesh, examining how blended finance structures can operate in the local context, the roles of different capital providers, opportunities and barriers that shape their use, and how it can scale up. This will involve designing the study, conducting key informant interviews with investors, financial institutions, development partners and enterprises, and synthesising the findings into a clear, evidence-based report. Specific responsibilities include:

• Review programme documents and finalise the study scope, research questions and analytical framework with the Research and Knowledge Management team.

• Prepare an inception report with the methodology, stakeholder sampling plan, interview guides for each stakeholder group, and a week-by-week work plan.

• Map the blended finance landscape locally and globally: deals, funds and facilities that combine concessional and commercial capital, with the instruments they use (first-loss tranches, guarantees, concessional debt, technical assistance facilities, impact-linked financing, and results-based incentives) and the sectors they reach.

• Review the regulatory and policy environment that shapes these structures. This covers Bangladesh Bank refinance and green finance schemes, rules on foreign capital and repatriation, fund registration requirements, and currency risk.

• Assess which blended finance structures fit the Bangladeshi context, for which enterprise segments and ticket sizes, and why.

• Review comparable emerging markets to find blended finance models that have reached scale, and assess which features could work in Bangladesh.

• Analyse the roles of the different capital providers, such as catalytic, anchor and commercial. Identify where their incentives align, where they conflict, and what makes a structure workable for each.

• Develop practical pathways for scaling blended finance, setting out what is needed from investors, FIs, development partners and regulators.

• Identify stakeholders relevant to the study and conduct key informant interviews with them.

• Capture each stakeholder's risk appetite, return expectations, decision criteria and the role it is willing to play in a blended structure.

• Keep interview notes, consent records and an evidence log in line with Truvalu’s data protection standards.

• Draft an analytical report which should reach clear conclusions from the perspective of each stakeholder rather than only describing the landscape.

• Support the team in turning the findings into shorter knowledge products, such as a policy brief, an article or a presentation.

The job responsibilities outlined above serve as a general outline for the position. While efforts have been made to encompass key duties, the role may encompass additional responsibilities beyond those explicitly stated to align with the evolving needs of the projects/programmes and the organisation. The organisation reserves the right to adjust, add, or remove responsibilities to meet strategic objectives and adapt to changing circumstances.

JOB LOCATION, MODALITY, AND DURATION

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Contract type: Full-time, short-term
Duration: 3 months

Negotiable (competitive salary package based on competency and experience).