About AVCA:

AVCA - The African Private Capital Association is the pan-African industry body that promotes private capital investment across Africa. AVCA acts as a trusted source of data, insight, and intelligence, connecting, equipping, and educating investors, fund managers, and stakeholders while showcasing the impact of private capital on the continent.

About the Role:

AVCA is embracing a bold new direction to navigate a rapidly changing investment landscape, reasserting its relevance and reimagining its role as a strategic catalyst for Africa’s private capital ecosystem. By 2030, our vision is clear: Advancing Africa’s private capital future through deeper connections, smarter solutions, and lasting impact.

As Research Manager, you will be at the heart of this transformation. You will lead efforts to:

• Create common activity, impact and performance metrics that enable benchmarking across the continent.
• Position AVCA as the go-to platform for global LPs, DFIs, and corporates (via reports and intelligence series).
• Develop real-time, data-rich solutions that support GP enablement and LP decision-making.
• Scale delivery channels for AVCA’s intellectual assets.
• Champion innovation and technology adoption, leveraging integrated systems and AI-enabled tools to accelerate research and enhance user experience.
• Develop partnerships with national VCAs and service providers to amplify impact and localise research outputs for regional relevance.

The successful candidate’s mandate will be to lead with intentionality and impact, strengthening the research team’s capabilities, elevating the depth and quality of outputs, and embedding an entrepreneurial mindset that transforms insights into industry value and commercial opportunities. This is a role for a strategic thinker and builder who can combine industry expertise, creativity, and commercial acumen to shape AVCA’s research future.

Key Responsibilities:

Research Leadership & Insight Creation 

• Own the end‑to‑end research cycle (scoping, methodology, analysis, peer review, publication) across flagship reports, thematic briefs, dashboards, and data products.
• Elevate research depth and quality, enhancing methodological standards; ensuring rigorous data management, cleaning, and validation; championing reproducibility and documentation. 

Strategy, Partnerships & Commercial Impact

• Build sponsorships, consultancy pipelines and monetisation strategies for research outputs in collaboration with the Head of Research.
• Strengthen partnerships with industry stakeholders and research institutions to expand reach, quality, and impact.

Technology, Data & AI‑Enabled Research

• Lead the integration of systems for data collection, validation, storage, and analytics.
• Implement automation and AI tools to streamline research workflows, including literature review, data classification, summarisation, and generating actionable insights for members.
• Ensure robust governance frameworks and quality assurance processes to maintain accuracy, compliance, and reliability.

External Engagement & Storytelling

• Present findings to members, brief media and deliver interviews when needed.
• Craft compelling narratives and visuals for diverse audiences (LPs, GPs, Media, Regulator)

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Manage and mentor Research Analysts and Associates, developing research, data, and storytelling capabilities.

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Economics, Finance, Statistics or related field.
• 6-8+ years of market/industry research experience with full lifecycle responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of the private capital industry.
• Proven project and people management track record.
• Outstanding communication and storytelling, demonstrating publication writing, partner briefings and executive presentation.
• Strong technical research and data management skills.
• Experience with dashboards and automation.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel/Word/PowerPoint and statistical/data tools.
• Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
• Fluency in English.

Desirable Qualifications

• Deep interest in the development of Africa’s private investment sector.
• Fluency in French.

Remuneration:

A competitive salary, commensurate with experience, together with a generous benefits package.

Application Process:

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role and notice period to admin@avca.africa by close of business on Friday, 17th March 2026.

Email Subject: Application - Research Manager

Please note emails that fail to follow the above format will be ignored. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.