VENTURE INVESTMENT MANAGER

OUR WORK IN VENTURE

We invest in venture because we see the social impact potential in technology. We believe tech-enabled companies can deliver transformative impact in the right context and with the right intent behind them. We firmly believe impact can be a competitive advantage if done really well, and can drive both financial and impact returns for investors.

Investment into impact-targeting startups in the UK has tripled in the last four years, and we are increasingly seeing exciting examples of startups driving meaningful change in areas like health, education, and financial inclusion. Some examples from our portfolio include:

·         Open Bionics is on a mission to ‘turn disabilities into superpowers’, through 3D-printed bionic arms for limb different children and adults.

·         Wagestream is improving the financial health of people in work, by giving them more power over their pay with a set of tools to track, access, save and manage their wages in real-time.

·         TogetherAll is a safe, online community where people support each other anonymously to improve mental health and wellbeing.

To deliver on technology’s impact potential, we believe we need to help build an ecosystem that can nurture and scale innovative ways of tackling social problems. To do that, we invest with high calibre fund managers in two ways: we work with top tier established venture firms to accelerate and shape the venture system’s ongoing shift towards impact, and we work with impact-dedicated venture funds to scale high impact business models.

We augment these investments with work on impact strategies, approaches, and tools for venture funds and for startups themselves. We also seek to engage and influence the wider venture ecosystem by building networks of investors, fund managers, and entrepreneurs – and by amplifying impact venture through our communications and advocacy work.

Our work in venture is one of Big Society Capital’s major areas of focus over the next 5 years, building on an existing portfolio of more than a dozen venture funds to drive systemic change. This role will be an integral part of a small and fast-moving team working to deliver that change.

THIS ROLE

We are seeking to appoint an exceptional candidate as an Investment Manager with an initial focus on our venture capital investments. This role will help us deliver transformative social change through investments in impact venture funds that support mission-driven startups.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with impact drive looking for their first job in venture or with a few years of venture experience.

This role will involve engaging with fund managers and startups, drawing out learning from our portfolio, and helping shape our future investment activities. You will learn about the venture ecosystem and the ways venture investment can deliver impact – ultimately helping Big Society Capital further our purpose to improve people’s lives in the UK.

REPORTING TO- A Senior Member of the Investment Team

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

The Investment Manager will work with colleagues across the organisation to help

deliver our investment objectives. The job holder(s) will:

Support the sourcing and development of new investment opportunities in venture, including:

• Sourcing and screening many of the c.100 proposals from venture capital funds with an impact lens that we engage with annually;

• Helping identify social issues where impact venture investment can help scale innovative solutions – including through analysis of tech-enabled impact business models;

• Helping develop creative and novel solutions to these identified social issues including building collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholders;

• Building networks and relationships throughout the venture capital ecosystem.

Lead prospective venture investments through our investment process, including:

• Using and helping to improve our venture investment toolkit, drawing on learning from ten years of investing activity and market best practice for venture fund investments;

• Project and relationship management;

• Undertake detailed investment analysis, including of the market, the prospective venture fund manager, their portfolio startups, and the financial, social impact and systems change cases;

• Support the structuring of prospective investments;

• Prepare and present investment recommendations to our Investment Committee;

• Help negotiate legal documents and close transactions.

Manage a number of our existing portfolio investments, including:

• Analysing data from our portfolio of venture fund investments and startups in their portfolios to draw out learning on the areas where venture funding can be most impactful;

• Working with impact venture fund managers to evaluate and manage their financial and impact performance;

• Help the long-term business development of impact venture funds through ongoing support activities – including on approaches to targeting impact business models in venture;

• Help to build a world class social impact investment team and approach at Big Society Capital;

• Support our engagement work with investors and with startups to build and sustain a successful social investment market.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Experience (essential)

• A passion and demonstrable commitment to improving lives in the UK

• Experience of detailed analysis

• Work experience that faces the financial, social or public sector

• Proven relationship building and influencing skills

• Interest in venture investing and/or tech-enabled models for delivering social impact

Experience (desirable)

• Proven project management skills

• Experience of venture as an investor, fund manager, or startup operator (ideal but not required for the role – this can be your first job in venture)

• Experience conducting financial analysis and using financial data

• Experience of analysing or helping to scale business models, particularly those with a technology element

Skills, abilities and attributes

• Structured thinker - able to deal with complexity and uncertainty

• Innovative, creative and strategic approach to problem solving

• Solves problems with multiple stakeholders in an open and empathetic way

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

• Self-starter - able to work under own initiative and source new opportunities

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

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Hunger for continued learning and development, including developing others

DEADLINE - MIDDAY, MONDAY 11 October 2021

SALARY AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

• This is a full-time permanent role – open to flexible working or job-share options

• Salary - £47,000 - £55,000 (full time equivalent) per annum, depending on experience