Development Finance & Partnerships Associate

Who We Are:Africa Specialty Risks (ASR) is enabling sustainable economic development by fulfilling unmet insurance needs. Our platform provides local underwriting expertise, an unparalleled distribution network and access to global capacity.Founded in the heart of Africa and with offices across the continent and the Middle East, we provide regional market knowledge, data insights, and technical proficiency for capital partners who are looking to increase their presence in growth markets.We also participate on each and every risk we underwrite with balance sheets in Bermuda, Mauritius and through Syndicate 2454 at Lloyd’s. ASR is committed to accelerating business growth by providing customised service and innovative insurance products to enable development.Role Purpose: The Development Finance & Partnerships Associate will support ASR’s International Policy & Development Partnerships function, based in Nairobi and focused on developing opportunities across Africa.Working at the intersection of development finance, insurance and investment, the role will help identify and progress partnerships with development finance institutions, governments, donors, climate funds and other strategic partners that can generate new insurance and risk financing opportunities for ASR.Nairobi provides a strong platform for this role, given its concentration of regional development institutions, international organisations, financial institutions and climate-focused organisations. The Associate will help deepen ASR’s engagement with this ecosystem while supporting opportunities across the wider African continent.Working closely with ASR’s business development and underwriting teams, the role will support opportunities from initial identification and stakeholder engagement through concept development, structuring and ultimately underwriting execution.This is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience across development finance, specialist insurance, climate resilience and emerging markets within a fast-growing international insurance and reinsurance business.Role Responsibilities: Development Finance & Opportunity OriginationIdentify development finance, climate finance and insurance opportunities across African markets.Monitor programmes and investment priorities of DFIs, MDBs, donors, climate funds and governments.Identify opportunities where insurance and risk financing could unlock investment or increase resilience.Support development of premium financing, blended finance and other partnership-led insurance initiatives.Prepare concept notes, opportunity assessments, briefing papers and business cases.Maintain a structured pipeline of partnership and development finance opportunities.Work with business development and underwriting teams to convert opportunities into executable insurance propositions.Nairobi & Africa Partnership DevelopmentSupport ASR’s relationships with Nairobi-based and regional development institutions, donors, governments and financial institutions.Develop ASR’s network across the East African development finance and investment ecosystem.Support engagement with pan-African and international development finance institutions.Coordinate meetings, roundtables, market visits and stakeholder engagement programmes.Prepare briefing materials, meeting agendas and follow-up actions.Maintain stakeholder maps and engagement plans for priority organisations and markets.Represent ASR at relevant development finance, climate and investment events where appropriate.Market & Investment ResearchAnalyse development priorities and investment pipelines across African markets.Research areas where risk represents a constraint to investment, including infrastructure, energy, agriculture, trade and climate resilience.Assess country-level insurance markets, protection gaps and risk financing needs.Monitor relevant developments across governments, DFIs, MDBs and climate finance institutions.Produce concise internal intelligence for underwriting, business development and senior management.Identify emerging opportunities where ASR can deploy specialist insurance capabilities.Insurance & Risk Financing SolutionsSupport the development of insurance solutions responding to development and investment challenges.Work with underwriting teams across relevant classes, including political risk, credit risk, parametric insurance and specialty lines.Support development of innovative structures including captives, risk pools and blended risk-financing mechanisms.Help align development partner requirements with underwriting and commercial considerations.Compile data, research and analysis to support product development and transaction structuring.Support initiatives using donor or development finance to increase the affordability or availability of insurance.Africa Market DevelopmentSupport delivery of ASR’s wider development partnerships strategy across Africa.Help identify priority markets, sectors and institutional relationships.Support ASR delegations, market visits and strategic engagement across the continent.Coordinate with ASR’s local and regional business development teams to ensure partnership activity supports commercial objectives.Help develop country and regional strategies connecting development priorities with ASR’s underwriting capabilities.Track opportunities arising from government investment programmes and DFI-backed transactions.Strategy, Communications & External EngagementSupport preparation of strategic materials for senior management.Develop presentations, briefing notes and external materials explaining ASR’s role in enabling investment and resilience.Support participation in major African and international development, climate and insurance forums.Assist with roundtables and thought-leadership initiatives involving governments, DFIs and the insurance industry.Support internal coordination between International Policy & Development Partnerships, business development and underwriting teams.Skills & Experience:EssentialStrong academic background in economics, finance, international development, international relations, public policy or a related discipline.Excellent analytical, research and written communication skills.Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams.Confidence engaging with internal and external stakeholders.Strong interest in development finance, insurance, investment and African markets.Commercial awareness and an interest in how private-sector financial solutions can support development objectives.Ability to work independently and proactively in a regional role.DesirableExperience or exposure to development finance, international development, financial services, consulting or insurance.Familiarity with DFIs, MDBs, donors or climate finance institutions.Understanding of blended finance, climate finance or risk financing.Experience working in African markets.Knowledge of the East African development finance and investment ecosystem.International or cross-cultural working experience.Personal AttributesCommercially minded and intellectually curious.Proactive and comfortable identifying new opportunities.Able to build relationships across different organisations and cultures.Able to connect development challenges with practical commercial solutions.Strong attention to detail with an understanding of the wider strategic picture.Comfortable working across business development, underwriting and external partnerships.Entrepreneurial and able to operate effectively in a fast-growing organisation.Development OpportunityDirect exposure to DFIs, governments, donors, investors and financial institutions across Africa.Hands-on experience developing insurance and risk financing solutions.Exposure to multiple specialist underwriting classes.Experience at the intersection of development finance, private investment and insurance.Opportunities to participate in market visits and senior-level stakeholder engagements.A strong platform for progression into development finance, partnerships, business development or underwriting roles within ASR.