Title: Investor specialist
Band: Innovate UK Band 3 (UKRI Ts & Cs)**
Salary: From £47,000 gross per annum*
Reports to: Senior investment specialist
Location: Field based
Contract: Permanent
**This post also includes up to 10% Performance Related Pay per annum
*Subject to UKRI Pay & Reward Policy
Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.
Context:
Innovate UK’s product offer extends across business support, grant funding and innovation finance, including innovation loans and investor partnerships. The last of these is targeted at businesses undertaking innovation activity at the same time as raising investment capital from selected investor partners. Investor partnerships enable investors to act at an earlier stage or in technology areas which are new to them, bringing forward and expanding the use of private sector investment in the markets of the future. To date, over £140m in grants for R&D projects have been committed to over 300 businesses, who have raised over £400m in aligned investment from our investor partners and who have gone on to raise over £900m in further follow-on investment.
Job Purpose:
To deliver the investor partnership programme. To promote the value of engaging with investors across Innovate UK and the innovation eco-system. To promote the value of Innovate UK and the innovation eco-system to investors.
You will be part of a team with responsibility for driving the adoption and delivery of the investor partnerships model to meet the objectives of Innovate UK described in our Plan for Action. You will have
responsibility for delivering existing and developing new investor partnership activities through partnerships with a pool of investors and delivery of funding competitions to provide grant
funding aligned with investment led by our investor partners.
The role includes responsibility for working with relevant Innovate UK Future Economy, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Operations and Finance teams to ensure that programmes meet our objective of supporting SME growth at scale.
This position will require time spent in London and Swindon, as well as travel across the whole of the UK representing Innovate UK at events and visiting investors and businesses.
Person Specification:
(S) – Assessed at shortlisting
(I) – Assessed at interview
(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview
Qualifications:
The candidate will have specialist knowledge and relevant experience in early stage investment for innovative, technology-led businesses. This may have been gained in a public or private sector investment, banking or alternative finance environment or in a leadership role in an innovative business that has successfully raised investment. (S&I)
A good degree or professional qualification in a relevant discipline. (S)
Experience:
Essential –
Experience, expertise and understanding of:
The motivations and strategies of public, private and social impact investors(I)
Leading and influencing strategic relationships with a range of internal and external partners, particularly in the investment community (I)
Strategy development and programme delivery, including working with external delivery partners (S&I)
The support available for innovative businesses and how this can be useful at different stages of business growth (I)
Managing programmes of work effectively over long periods, and delivery against tight deadlines (S&I)
Skills:
Confidence to engage effectively and build relationships quickly with a broad range of stakeholders, especially investment professionals (I)
Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to deliver clearly, concisely and persuasively (S&I)
Capability to build a public profile (I)
Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact, discretion and experience of liaising and leading diverse groups of stakeholders (I)
A strong understanding of the innovation process and its relationship to research, government and investors as well as businesses (S&I)
The ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations (I)
Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to quickly understand new and complex issues, long-term trends and to propose solutions (S&I)
Ability to think and act strategically (S&I)
A self-motivated and proactive ability to work within agreed parameters and deliver to tight timescales in a highly pressured environment, using self-organisation skills and prioritization (S)
Proven team working and project management skills (S)
Capable of delivering in a field working environment (S&I)
Competencies:
All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as:
Thinking and Problem Solving – Stakeholder management – Communication skills – Influencing – Self-awareness/self-management – Strategic awareness – Working with others– Project management
Travel Requirements:
Field-based: There will a requirement to travel, mostly national, and there is some flexibility in this. Innovate UK staff make extensive use of telepresence tools for meetings to minimise unnecessary travel.
Employee Benefits:
We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.
Flexible Working:
We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.