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fund manager, accelerate prosperity astana

Title: Fund Manager, Accelerate Prosperity Astana

Location: Astana (preferred). The Fund Manager can also be based in Dushanbe, Bishkek or Tashkent with regular travels around the region.

Reporting Line: AP Executive Director (Global), Chairperson AP Astana Company Board

1. BACKGROUND

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is a global initiative which offers blended financial solutions and pre/post financing technical assistance to help entrepreneurs start new businesses and grow early-stage businesses. AP envisions an inclusive and prosperous society that is powered by entrepreneurs. Its mission is to inspire rising entrepreneurs in emerging regions to grow new markets, create sustainable employment and strengthen communities. It pursues its mission by providing pre and post financing technical assistance and tailored financing and investments to select startups, small and growing businesses, that enables them to start or grow their business ventures while contributing towards important development challenges in the target countries. Since its inception in 2017, it has expanded its activities and operations to Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Afghanistan and recently to Syria and Uzbekistan where it has started working through local partners.

AP is currently in a process of setting up “AP Astana” under Astana International Finance Centre (AIFC) in Kazakhstan, a startup investment fund being created in partnership with FCDO under the Green Inclusive Growth Fund (GIG) programme. AP Astana will operate as a regional investment facility that extends tailored financing instruments up to USD500k per business to select startups, small and growing businesses from Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. It will operate as a specialised investment entity with a lean structure, a strong post‑investment value‑creation mandate, and rigorous governance and reporting standards required by AP’s governance and aligned with AIFC regulations.

2. OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

The position will serve as the Fund Manager cum the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AP Astana who is responsible for the full life‑cycle management of AP Astana’s investment activities, operations and meeting all donor and statutory compliance requirements.

The role is ultimately accountable for:

  • Executing the business plan of AP Astana per the intended financial model and market feasibility of the intended company.
  • Achieving the KPIs defined by governance and committed to the funding partner(s).
  • Investment performance per the core assumptions in the financial model, targets curated in the intended investment portfolio construct and the results framework, and benchmarks defined in the intended investment strategy.
  • Effective deployment and recovery of funds, as well as yielding successful exits.
  • Develop effective partnerships with the co-investors, pipeline generators and other ecosystem players.
  • Strong governance, compliance, and statutory reporting.
  • Strategic positioning of AP Astana within the regional investment ecosystem as one of the leading ecosystem players and the central hub for pre-seed and seed stage financing/ investing <$500k in technology based and/or enabled startups, small and growing businesses in Central Asia.

3. SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Fund Leadership & Strategy (CEO Function)
The Fund Manager shall:

  • Provide overall leadership and strategic direction to AP Astana.
  • Establish AP Astana as a credible AIFC‑based regional investment platform primarily for pre-seed and seed stage startups, small and growing businesses in Central Asia that are promoting technology based or enabled solutions and contribute towards key developmental challenges in their respective countries or the region.
  • Translate AP’s global investment thesis into a regionally executable strategy which is also aligned with the key priorities of the funding partner(s).
  • Represent AP Astana with regulators, investors, partners, donors, and ecosystem stakeholders.
  • Build and manage a lean, high‑performing investment and pipeline development team (direct and/ or outsourced).

B. Investment Management & Portfolio Oversight (Portfolio Management)
The Fund Manager along with the investment team is also responsible for:
Investment Origination & Execution

  • Deal sourcing across target countries through AP pipelines and strategic partners.
  • Screening, due diligence, valuation, and structuring of investments.
  • Defending the investments in the investment committee(s).
  • Ensuring investments are within:
  1. Approved ticket sizes (up to USD 500k).
  2. Sector focus (technology‑based and enabled ventures).
  3. Geographic mandate.
  4. Parameters defined by the investment policy, environmental and social risk management frameworks, and results framework mutually agreed with the funding partner(s).

Disbursements & Capital Deployment

  • Overseeing investment drawdowns and disbursements.
  • Ensuring milestone‑linked capital deployment where applicable.
  • Maintaining deployment discipline in line with the fund strategy pursued by AP Astana.

Portfolio Management & Recoveries

  • Active oversight of portfolio company performance.
  • Monitoring financial, operational, and impact KPIs.
  • Managing:
  1. Follow‑on investments.
  2. Recoveries, repayments, and exits.
  3. Restructuring and refinancing where required.

C. Post‑Investment Support & Value Creation
The Fund Manager along with the investment team and partners shall ensure:

  • Effective post‑investment advisory and technical assistance delivery.
  • Integration of fund‑level TA tools, including digital and AI‑enabled advisory and data management systems.
  • Early identification and management of portfolio risks.
  • Strong governance and financial management practices at investee level.
  • Preparation of investees for:
  1. Follow‑on financing
  2. Strategic partnerships
  3. Exits where feasible

D. Partnerships & Capital Leveraging
The role includes:

  • Structuring and managing co‑investment partnerships with impact investors, venture capital funds, development finance institutions and banks.
  • Syndicating deals where appropriate.
  • Leveraging AP investments to crowd‑in additional capital for investees.
  • Building regional and international investor networks.

E. Governance, Compliance & Statutory Obligations
The Fund Manager is fully accountable for:

  • Compliance with AIFC laws, regulations, and licensing requirements
  • Implementation of fund governance frameworks
  • Secretarial support to:
  1. Investment Committee
  2. Board / Oversight bodies (as applicable)
  • Ensuring robust policies for:
  1. Risk management
  2. Conflicts of interest
  3. AML/CFT and sanctions compliance

F. Reporting & Accountability
The Fund Manager shall ensure timely and accurate:

  • Statutory filings and regulatory reporting to AIFC
  • Financial statements and audits
  • Investment performance and portfolio reports
  • Reports to shareholders, donors, and AP group entities
  • Impact and development performance reporting

4. AUTHORITY AND DECISION MAKING

  • Acts as primary executive authority of AP Astana within approved mandate.
  • Investment decisions subject to:
  1. Delegated authority thresholds per the investment policy
  2. Investment Committee approvals
  • Authorized signatory for AP Astana within the limits defined by the AP Astana board.

5. Key Deliverables & Performance Indicators

The Fund Manager will be evaluated against:

  • Capital deployment and portfolio performance
  • Operational effectiveness and cost recovery
  • Quality and discipline of investment decisions, including exits
  • Portfolio survival, growth, and recoveries
  • Effectiveness of post‑investment support
  • Compliance record and audit outcomes
  • Quality and timeliness of reporting
  • Success in capital leveraging and partnerships

6. Required Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

  • Senior‑level experience (10+ years) in venture capital (VC, private equity (PE), or impact investing (II), with significant experience in effectively managing fundamental fund metrics and KPIs.
  • Proven track record (8-10+ years) in managing a diverse portfolio of investments (min. > £15m) especially constituting pre-seed, seed stage investments and the associated analysis/ fund metrics for VC, PE or II.
  • Strong understanding of the market dynamics and opportunities in Central Asia especially early‑stage technology or enabled businesses and merging market investment risks.
  • Senior experience (7-8 years) in fund governance and regulatory compliance, especially demonstrating knowledge of the AIFC rules and requirements, and preferably in reasonable understanding of the regulatory ecosystem around startups in most of the target countries – Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan.
  • Expert in written and spoken English and Russian.

Desirable:

  • International exposure in education and/or work experience in a similar industry
  • Experience with AIFC or similar financial centres
  • Exposure to development sector, its funding streams and modalities
  • Background in development finance or blended finance
  • Strong network of regional and international investors
  • Communication skills in at least one of the local languages in Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan and/or Kazakhstan.

7. Nature of Engagement

  • Full‑time executive position, with the initial probation period of 3 months, extendable subject to performance review.
  • Performance‑linked remuneration and incentives (as per AP policy)

8. Term & Review

  • Initial appointment subject to a defined term
  • Annual performance review linked to fund KPIs
  • Continuation subject to the approval of the AP Executive Director (Global) and the Chair of the AP Astana Board.
  • AP Astana is still under process of incorporation. Therefore, the contract offer to the selected candidate for this position is subject to the completion of the intended incorporation process.

AP offers a competitive remuneration package and conducive working environment. We are an equal opportunity employer – women are encouraged to apply.  

 

Interested candidates should submit their cover letter (one page), CV (two page) with a subject line “Fund Manager” by 30th April, 2026 to the email address: hr@accelerateprosperity.org  

 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for interviews.  

 

Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is committed to safeguarding, which means it promotes respectful relations with and between all staff, associates, beneficiaries and wider communities with whom it works, and takes all reasonable measures to prevent harm, including all forms of sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment (PSEAH), bullying, discrimination, harassment and abuse of power that may arise from contact with its staff, programmes or operations. AP also adheres to child safeguarding principles, as set out by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

 

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s), employment history and any potential history of misconduct. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a full background check. 

 

By sharing their cover letter and resume with AP in response to this job application, applicants consent for AP to keep this information on file for recruitment and human resources management purposes.

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