Job Title: Real Estate Investment Specialist (fixed-term)

Contract: Full-time. 12 month, fixed-term contract. Suitable for a secondment.

Location: London, EC4A (currently remote working)

Accountable to: Head of Origination

Job Category/Salary Band: £62,500 - £72,500 (depending on experience)

Overall Purpose of the Role:

This is a hire for an experienced investment professional to help make and manage real estate impact investment product(s) seeking to address the shortfall in investment into affordable housing in the UK. This is a unique role, ideal for someone seeking to gain experience in impact investing, having already forged a career in the real estate investment sector.

The Real Estate Investment Specialist will take responsibility for deal execution, from idea origination and due diligence through to legal documentation and closing, as well as portfolio monitoring and management. Given the early stage of many investment proposals, the Real Estate Investment Specialist will often be required to take a more collaborative approach to building proposals as well as assessing them. The Real Estate Investment Specialist will also engage with a wide range of institutional investors, who are demonstrating growing interest in impact investing. 

We have big ambitions to see the impact property market grow and evolve to over £5bn in size by 2025, helping to address the structural undersupply of safe, secure and affordable homes for people and communities, and where BSC’s capital helps facilitate the delivery of over 10,000 homes for 15,000 people.  The Real Estate Investment Specialist will be instrumental in helping us achieve these goals.

Statement of Responsibility:

Lead the development of new impact investment opportunities in property, one of the market systems that BSC is aiming to influence:

• Apply experience, networks and knowledge to increase engagement with asset owners and institutional investors interested in social impact property investment;

• Advise on the design and launch of a property fund of funds for current and future property investments, which could attract institutional capital;

• Identify social issues created or exacerbated by the inadequate supply of affordable housing where social investment in property can help support a solution;

• Develop creative and innovate solutions to these identified social issues including building strong collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

Manage prospective investments through the investment process

• Engage real estate investment managers with track record and interest in creating new impact investment products, with a particular focus on affordable housing;

• Supervise and undertake detailed property investment analysis, including of the market, the prospective investee, and the financial, social and environmental impact and systems change cases; 

• Structure prospective investments;

• Prepare and present investment recommendations to our Investment Committee, and take a lead on investment decision making;

• Lead negotiation of legal documents and close transactions.

Supervise the management of our existing impact property portfolio investments

• Evaluate and manage financial and social performances of our existing investments;

• Develop tools and systems that enable BSC to more effectively review current property investment portfolio performance while engaging priority partners, involving senior leadership and investment colleagues as required for success and leveraging knowledge and relationships effectively across the organisation

• Take a lead on helping to build a world class social impact investment team and approach at Big Society Capital, including supervising Investment Managers and other members of the team.

Person Profile

Essential Experience

• A passion and demonstrable commitment to creating positive social impact through investment and improving lives across the UK      

• A strong background in real estate investment and analysis in either the private, social or public sector (e.g. Private or equity, strategy consulting, venture capital or investment banking)

• A demonstrable understanding of institutional investor landscape and requirements, particularly in relation to real assets

• Proven relationship building and influencing skills, and a track record of establishing collaborative partnerships and networks

• Experience of detailed analysis and decision making, with either strong investment or fund management experience

Desirable Experience

• Impact investment background, with a focus on property (residential real estate preferred)

• Deal execution skills including comfort negotiating legal documents

• Fundraising experience, in particular from institutional investors such as pension funds

• Proven project management skills

• Experience of operating at, working alongside and presenting recommendations to either an executive or board within organisations

• Experience of working across the public, private and social sectors

Skills, abilities and attributes

o   Structured thinker – able to deal with complexity and uncertainty

o   Innovative and creative approach to problem solving with multiple stakeholders

o   Can solve problems with multiple stakeholders in an open and empathetic way

o   Self-starter – able to work under own initiative

o   Relationship management – excellent interpersonal skills and able to build relationships at all levels

o   Collegial team player - Flexible and willing to work with and contribute to a team

o   Excellent written and oral communication skills

o   Hunger for continued learning and development, including developing others

Salary and Terms of Employment

All applicants must have an existing Right to Work in the UK

Salary of £62,500 - £72,500 (depending on experience)

Big Society Capital is committed to being a diverse organisation that is truly representative of the communities we serve. We are an equal opportunities employer with an inclusive environment where all employees can contribute to their fullest potential

Applications

Please apply by Wednesday 14th April 2021

Interviews will be held in late-April 2021

All Big Society Capital staff are currently working from home. We will be as flexible as possible in light of any COVID-19 priorities and challenges which you may be facing.