Investor Relations & Fund Raise Associate

Role overview

Decentral Energy Services develops, owns and operates renewable-energy assets across South Africa, with a primary focus on commercial and industrial solar PV and battery-energy storage systems. The business provides clean, reliable decentralised power solutions that help companies reduce energy costs, improve resilience and meet sustainability objectives, and currently has more than R1 billion in assets under management.

ACG Growth Partners™ is recruiting an experienced Investor Relations & Fund Raise Associate on behalf of Decentral Energy. The appointment will support and lead investor-facing activity across Decentral’s retail Section 12B capital-raise cycle, acting as a key representative of the fund to independent financial advisers, wealth managers, tax practitioners, high-net-worth investors and distribution partners.

The role combines investor relations, fund raising, investor onboarding, distribution support, pipeline management and fund-raise operations. The successful candidate will manage investor queries, coordinate onboarding and ensure every investor interaction reflects the level of professionalism expected within the investment market.

Key responsibilities

Investor relations

• Serve as a primary point of contact for IFAs, wealth managers, tax practitioners and direct high-net-worth investors.
• Respond to queries relating to fund structure, Section 12B mechanics, tax treatment and investment returns.
• Manage investor onboarding from initial engagement through FICA, subscription documentation, SARS confirmations and post-investment correspondence.
• Communicate fund updates, deployment milestones and material developments.
• Maintain accurate, professional and timely investor communication.

Distribution support

• Support IFA and intermediary outreach.
• Prepare tailored pitch materials and investor presentations.
• Schedule meetings and manage post-presentation follow-up.
• Attend investor events, roadshows and adviser briefings.
• Contribute to or lead group presentations where required.
• Build strong working relationships with distribution partners.

Pipeline and administration

• Maintain an accurate CRM and investor pipeline tracker.
• Track intermediary engagement, investor commitments and subscription status.
• Coordinate fund-administration documentation and compliance workflows.
• Prepare weekly pipeline reports and status updates.
• Ensure no investor enquiry, callback or commitment is missed.

Investor materials and communications

• Prepare investor-facing materials including fund summaries, FAQs, one-pagers and presentation decks.
• Maintain accurate and current fund documentation.
• Ensure consistency across investor communication channels.
• Assist with quarterly updates and ad hoc investor communications.

Fund-raise operations

• Identify and escalate investor risks, delays or concerns.
• Manage workload independently under deadline pressure.
• Support the operational execution of the capital-raising process.

Direct-to-market investor acquisition

• Lead the development of a direct investor-acquisition channel and reduce reliance on third-party intermediaries over time.
• Manage the investor journey from first enquiry through FICA, subscription and funding.
• Track performance of the direct channel separately from intermediary channels.
• Provide management with visibility into investor acquisition, channel performance and unit economics.

Operational infrastructure

• Build and manage the CRM, pipeline trackers and document workflows required to support investor onboarding.
• Standardise onboarding processes across direct and intermediary channels.
• Ensure FICA, subscription documentation and SARS-confirmation processes are properly documented and consistently applied.

Minimum requirements

• Three to seven years’ experience within financial services.
• Experience within one or more of asset management, wealth management, private equity, investment banking or specialist investment funds.
• Direct investor or client-facing experience.
• A tertiary qualification in finance, investments, accounting or a related field — minimum BCom or equivalent.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex investment concepts clearly.
• Strong PowerPoint and Excel capability.
• Experience managing high volumes of investor or client correspondence accurately.

Preferred qualifications

• Strong knowledge of investment products and fund structures.
• Experience with tax-efficient investment vehicles, including Section 12B or Section 12J exposure.
• Experience with en commandite partnerships and SPV structures.
• Infrastructure or renewable-energy fund experience.
• CFA, CFP® or a postgraduate finance qualification.
• Existing relationships within the South African IFA, wealth-management or tax-advisory market.

Skills and competencies

• Confident presenting to sophisticated investors and adviser audiences.
• Operational discipline across fund documentation, compliance workflows and investor pipelines.
• Accurate CRM and pipeline management under volume.
• Commercial understanding of channel performance and unit economics.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines and work independently where required.

Personal attributes

The ideal candidate works effectively within a team, communicates proactively and professionally, demonstrates strong attention to detail, presents confidently, takes ownership and accountability, works independently where required, manages competing deadlines effectively and wants to contribute to a growing organisation.

Who this suits

This opportunity suits a commercially minded investment professional who enjoys combining investor relations, capital raising, investment administration, relationship management, distribution, investor onboarding, financial-services operations and renewable-energy investment exposure — and who is comfortable engaging with sophisticated investors while maintaining the operational discipline the fund requires.

Why this opportunity

• A growing renewable-energy investment business with more than R1 billion in assets under management.
• Direct exposure to sophisticated investors and advisers.
• Participation in a growing renewable-energy investment market.
• Exposure to Section 12B investment structures.
• Responsibility across both investor relations and fund-raise operations.
• The opportunity to help build a direct-to-market investor acquisition channel.
• Close involvement in the continued scaling of the business.

Candidate information required

Please submit an updated CV together with current remuneration, expected remuneration, notice period, highest qualification, relevant investment or fund experience, investor-facing experience and — where applicable — Section 12B or structured-investment exposure.