PE/VC Principal

Purpose of the position

We are hiring a Principal to lead transactions and play a central role in the next phase of the fund's growth.

Our Private Equity & Venture Capital team invests across five verticals: Private Real Estate, Infrastructure, Venture Capital, Mid-Market Private Equity, and Agriculture. We back businesses and assets that deliver strong risk-adjusted returns alongside genuine developmental impact, in line with the mandate our investors trust us with. As the fund scales, we are deepening our senior investment bench and investing in the people who will lead it.

This is a senior, hands-on investment seat for a professional who is ready to run deals end to end and step into real ownership. You will operate in a high-calibre team where individuals carry meaningful responsibility and autonomy, and where the standard of work is benchmarked against the best in the industry, locally and globally. It is a role with breadth across the team's verticals, depth in the deals you lead, and a clear trajectory toward the most senior levels of the fund.

Key responsibilities of the position

The successful candidate will fulfil the following primary functions:

Deal origination and execution

o Generating proprietary deal flow through your own network, sector relationships, intermediaries, and direct origination;

o Developing and testing the investment thesis for each opportunity, and form an early, well-reasoned view on whether to pursue, restructure, or pass;

o Leading transactions across the full lifecycle: due diligence, valuation, financial modelling, structuring, negotiation, and close;

o Leading smaller deals outright and run senior workstreams on larger transactions alongside the team's leadership;

o Leading commercial negotiations on price, terms, governance, and structure, with sound judgement on where to push and where to walk away;

Investment analysis and committee

o Owning the investment case for the deals you lead, from initial screening through to the final committee paper and presentation;

o Bringing analytical rigour to every model and recommendation; and act as a senior check on the quality of the team's analysis;

o Writing clear, persuasive investment papers that present the thesis, the risks, and the recommendation with conviction;

Portfolio value creation and board representation

o Representing the team on the boards of portfolio companies, as lead or in support, and treat the period between investment and exit as where returns are protected and created;

o Partnering with management teams to drive governance discipline, execute value-creation plans, and hold companies accountable to the investment case;

o Monitoring portfolio performance, identify issues early, and lead remedial action and exit planning where needed;

Team leadership and development

o Developing and mentoring Associates and Analysts, raising the capability and standard of the people you work alongside;

o Contributing to building a high-performing, collaborative investment culture;

Network and firm contribution

o Maintaining and expanding a strong professional network that compounds the team's origination and execution capability; and

o Contributing to investment strategy, process, and represent Futuregrowth credibly with investors and in the market.

Knowledge and experience required

Skills, professional qualifications and experience:

Essential

o 7 to 10 or more years of experience in private equity, venture capital, corporate finance, investment banking, or a comparable deal environment.

o A demonstrable track record of leading or co-leading transactions through to close, and experience at the investment committee table.

o Strong financial modelling and valuation skills, including the ability to build and critically review integrated models and apply multiple valuation methodologies.

o The ability to write a clear, rigorous, and persuasive investment case.

o Sound commercial judgement, strong negotiation skills, and the credibility to lead in a room.

Preferred

o A postgraduate qualification (MBA or Masters); CFA Charter or CA(SA) strongly preferred.

o Board experience with portfolio or investee companies.

o Sector depth in one or more of the team's verticals.

Key behaviours and competencies:

o A committed work ethic and high personal standards.

o Entrepreneurial drive and the initiative to build, not just execute.

o The maturity to challenge constructively and to collaborate.

o A genuine alignment with our dual mandate of commercial returns and developmental impact.

o Clear written and verbal communication.

What we offer

o A senior seat with real ownership within an established and growing fund.

o Competitive base remuneration, a performance-based incentive, and a comprehensive benefits package.

o Exposure across five investment verticals and direct board-level involvement with portfolio companies.

o A clear path to grow into the most senior levels of the fund.

o The opportunity to invest in deals that matter, both commercially and for the broader economy.

What success looks like in your first 12 months

o You are leading live transactions and contributing materially to the team's deal flow.

o Your investment papers are setting a high standard within the team.

o You hold board responsibilities and are trusted by portfolio company management.

o You are recognised, internally and externally, as a senior investor in the fund.

Recruitment process

Selected candidates will need to attend a series of competency-based interviews/ activities and a psychometric assessment.