Head of Investments and Commercial Partnerships
Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
- Reporting to: Executive Director - Innovation & Systemic Design
- Location: London or London hybrid with a presence in London 2+ days a week (noting that the post holder will need to attend events etc. in London)
- Hours: Can consider full time and part time roles - for the right candidate there is an opportunity to design the role around the skills and experience of the post holder
- Salary: c.£65k pa
- Duration: Permanent
- Direct reports: 1 x support role, with the potential to grow the team in the future
- The first stage interview for this role will be in the Young Lives vs Cancer Farringdon office on Monday 25th November
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.
About the role
We're looking for an investment manager, ideally with experience in impact investment, who has a thorough understanding of private markets investments. Someone with experience of building a pipeline, working with start-ups, and delivering social and financial returns through financial investment. Someone who will promote Young Lives vs Cancer’s values and strategic approach to new audiences.
There are three core elements to this role. You will:
- Be responsible for the entire investment cycle, from lead generation to investment execution and portfolio management, and delivering this through both a social and financial lens
- Shape Young Lives vs Cancer’s strategic approach to impact investing and commercial collaborations, in partnership with a diverse team of expert advisors on the Young Lives vs Cancer Investment Committee and Advisory Group
- Foster other opportunities for impactful commercial partnerships with early stage ventures
What will I be doing?
You will be responsible for the entire investment cycle, including:
- Building deep relationships with key ecosystem actors, including VCs, angels, entrepreneurs, and accelerators
- Ensuring healthy deal flow of investment opportunities, via both inbound and outbound lead generation strategies
- Screening opportunities to move deals through the funnel, from initial review to final Investment Committee, ensuring that social impact and financial risk are balanced appropriately
- Owning the due diligence process, including carrying out due diligence on potential investment opportunities, market research, market sizing, financial modelling, competitor/comparable analysis and industry deep dives
- Managing the Advisory Group of venture partners, ensuring the correct skills are present in order to support rigorous due diligence
- Managing the deal closing process and then supporting portfolio companies, engaging with them directly and acting as a bridge to Young Lives vs Cancer resources
- Actively monitoring the impact investment portfolio, preparing regular performance updates and developing exit strategies
- Keeping all documentation up to date
You will shape Young Lives vs Cancer’s strategic approach to impact investing, including:
- Evolving Young Lives vs Cancer's investment thesis
- Shaping Young Lives vs Cancer's strategic approach to working with early stage ventures, drawing on insights from a diverse team of expert advisors
- Working with philanthropy colleagues to support cultivation of donor relationships
You will foster other opportunities for impactful commercial partnerships with early stage ventures, including:
- Understanding Young Lives vs Cancer’s assets and operations and identifying impactful opportunities for collaboration
- Developing collaboration proposals that drive value for all parties, and negotiating the terms of collaboration
- You will manage and support a small but growing team. You will also challenge and support colleagues to think and act differently, bringing new perspectives and approaches.
What do I need?
The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:
- Successfully making financial investments, ideally through an impact lens
- Building new relationships across the innovation ecosystem, including with entrepreneurs and co-investors, to create a strong pipeline and to raise the profile of Young Lives vs Cancer in this field
- Building relationships across teams and at all levels in order to achieve goals
- Maintaining high motivation and drive to find the right deals and get them across the line, within an ambiguous and uncertain context
- Delivering confident and credible communications to a range of audiences
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Creative and entrepreneurial thinking
- Maintaining and developing financial models, portfolio governance and controls, and impact investing methodologies
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Wellbeing days: four days a year to do what works for you – from catching up on training to going for a walk
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website: https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/careers/our-benefits/
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVs can be uploaded, but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history sections of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
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