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Investment Team Associate

ABOUT US

Blenheim Chalcot is the UK's leading digital venture builder. We invest more than just funds, we invest our knowledge and experience, our ideas and infrastructure. Our ventures are at the forefront of a multitude of industries being disrupted digitally, including FinTech, EdTech, GovTech, Media, Sport, Charity and more. We are highly entrepreneurial and seek opportunities where digital technologies can disrupt major markets - ventures we have built range from ClearScore to Modulr and Hive Learning to even the Rajasthan Royals IPL cricket team.

All our 20+ portfolio companies have each been conceived and launched by us and now have total sales of over £0.5bn and more than 3,000 employees. Our assets under management stand at greater than £2bn.

As part of our 2023 strategy we are working increasingly closely with our financial and strategic partners including PayPal, FIS, Legal & General, Experian, Google, Worldpay, Barclays, Imperial College and some of the leading international VC and PE companies including General Atlantic, Lead Edge, QED, FTV, Highland and Frog Capital.

THE BC INVESTMENT TEAM

The Investment Team is responsible for defining and executing the investment strategy of Blenheim Chalcot, working across our portfolio to provide our companies with the strategic and financial support they need to thrive. The team is responsible for:

• Portfolio monitoring: assessing our ventures' performance and supporting management teams on key issues across our current portfolio of 20+ companies, with a further 5+ new ventures in incubation stage,
• Investment committees: analysing proposed investments into our portfolio companies, writing papers and presenting investment recommendations to BC's partners,
• Modelling support: working directly with portfolio companies via secondments to support management teams with modelling on key strategic questions and operational issues,
• Quarterly portfolio reporting: writing reviews of our portfolio companies' progress, strategy, financial performance and investment considerations and presenting these to BC's partners,
• Execution: executing fundraises, M&A activities or debt refinances following decisions taken at investment committees, coordinating with BC's other teams including Legal and Tax,
• Governance: managing funds on behalf of BC Founding Partners as well as external HNWI / Family Office investors and providing investment governance,
• Incubation support: supporting the growth of the next generation of our ventures.

THE ROLE

Key responsibilities

The Associate role is a key part of BC's Investment Team. Our team structure is flat and inclusive, with Associates working directly with the Investment Managers and Head of Investments as well as coaching the team's Analysts.

Our Associates work across all the team's responsibilities as described above and lead on workstreams, with support from Managers. The day-to-day work is extremely varied and very good prioritisation and organisation skills are needed to adapt to changing priorities. Specific examples of responsibilities include:

• Attend, and learn to lead, monthly monitoring meetings with portfolio company CEOs / CFOs,
• Review portfolio companies' financial models and forecasts, asking key questions and suggesting improvements,
• Produce Investment Committee papers on prospective investment opportunities across the portfolio. These papers include reviews of a company's progress, strategy, financial performance, market trends and competition, as well as analysis of the investment opportunity,
• Help produce our quarterly portfolio report covering our companies' performance and strategic considerations, refining BC's overall investment strategy,
• Support on fundraises (primary and secondary equity transactions), strategic partnership discussions, and other workstreams (M&A activities, debt raises and refinancings).

ABOUT YOU

The ideal candidate will have significant experience working with company financial information, exceptional attention to detail and the ability to identify trends and anomalies. You should also have a strong interest in startups and be comfortable working in a fast-moving business where you will constantly be learning and growing your skillset.

The ideal candidate

Essential requirements:

• Minimum of 3 years professional experience in an analytical role
• Excellent understanding of company financial information (at the whole company level – should be able to interpret P&L, balance sheet and cashflow forecasts, understand how these relate to non-financial information, and challenge key assumptions)
• Strong Excel skills and structured thinking, with the ability to relay complex ideas clearly and simply
• Highly proactive and willing to take ownership of tasks, with strong organisational ability
• Excellent communication, written and people skills – able to work with a wide range of senior stakeholders

The following would be beneficial but are not essential:

• A completed financial / accounting qualification such as the ACA would be highly beneficial
• Experience in financial modelling and analysis, such as DCF and comparables
• Understanding of key start-up metrics such as recurring revenue, customer acquisition cost and lifetime value
• Experience in an analytical role at a VC / PE firm, or in a Transaction Services / M&A Advisory team at a Big 4 accountancy practice

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• A fast-paced and exciting role in the central team within the UK's largest venture builder
• Ownership and responsibility to make things happen and make a real difference, in a diverse and innovative organisation
• A variety of training courses in soft and technical skills with frequent L&D sessions
• A friendly, start-up environment with fast-moving, entrepreneurial team culture
• Ability to grow long-term within Blenheim Chalcot – with opportunities for secondments into portfolio companies over time
• A fun and open, if a little cricket obsessed, atmosphere
• Discretionary bonus
• 25 days of paid holidays
• Life Assurance – 4 x annual salary. Pension Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme

PROCESS

Instead of a cover letter, we ask that you answer two short questions when you submit your CV, to help us get to know you better:

• Please share a link to an interesting article which you read recently, and 5-6 bullet points on why you chose it,
• Please tell us about a startup which is relevant to our portfolio in some way (this could be any company doing something interesting we should know about: a potential partner, competitor, M&A opportunity – or something totally different), and 5-6 bullet points on why you chose it.

Our recruitment process is then a short telephone call with BC's Talent team, followed by two interviews with the Investment Team. The second interview will be focused around a case study but no advance preparation is required. Candidates who are successful at these stages will be invited to meet the Head of Investments.

Our process is designed to help us identify potential in individuals from a wide range of traditional and non-traditional backgrounds. Individuals seeking employment at Blenheim Chalcot must note we see diversity as a positive that creates a better workplace and delivers better outcomes. We are keen to maximise the diversity of our workforce and actively encourage applications from anyone and everyone.

OUR CULTURE

Our culture is inclusive, modern, friendly, smart and innovative – we seek to employ bright, positive thinking individuals with a can-do attitude. Our people enjoy challenging themselves to be the best at what they do – if that sounds like you, you'll fit right in!