Investment Manager
Investment Manager – West Midlands
Background on the company.
Big Issue- part of that same group.
Founded 20 years ago. Initiative is get rid of poverty.
Lend money to social enterprise organisations.
-can’t be Ltd company
-must be non-for-profit
West Midlands has been under performing region for the sector.
-Someone from an ethnic minority background
-A lot of untapped potential
-Very happy to take on grant funding
-Must have a some level of financial certification
-Assess their social impact
-How many people do you help. How vunerable are they
-Is it a nice to have/life changing
-
-Outreach/network with borrowers. This is how we get a loan/repay it
Ideal candidate
-Network/able to network
-Also able to write loan assessments (2nd requirement)
-Must be a business developer
-London based until recently, a few people in the Northeast
-Doing a similar deal with West Midlands combined authority
-finding pockets of
X3 in London
X2 northeast
X1 in Belgium
Back office person in the Midlands
-don’t have offices in the Midlands.
-Combined authority offices 16 Summer Ln, Birmingham B19 3SD
About the role:
This is an exciting opportunity to join as our regional representative in the West Midlands. The Investment Manager will work closely with the investment team as well as with colleagues of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to build pipeline and execute transactions in the region. This role is co-funded with the WMCA and represents an innovative partnership for the benefit of the social sector in the region.
Big Issue Invest offers a range of affordable, flexible investment products to social organisations, including secured, unsecured and blended finance. The Investment Manager will engage with potential investees, sector intermediaries and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to raise BII’s profile in the region and facilitate investments.
This role is based remotely in the West Midlands region but is strongly supported by the nationwide investment team of BII. The ideal candidate will be passionate about bringing investment into the region, build on an existing network in the social sector of the West Midlands and have experience in either grantmaking or lending.
Reports to: Salary:
Head of Lending £50,000 -£55,000 per annum
Term:
Full Time – Permanent
About Big Issue Invest
Big Issue Invest (BII) is the social investment arm of The Big Issue. BII helps prevent poverty and creates opportunities for communities by providing finance, from unsecured loans to equity investment, to sustainable social enterprises, charities and other impact organisations. Big Issue Invest provides a variety of financial products for social impact organisations from £50,000 patient debt up to £2.5 million debt and equity financing options. Funding for these activities is provided by a mixture of standard borrowing, grant income, corporate engagement and Limited Partnership Funds.
About the role
Key Responsibilities:
• Investment Origination & Management:
Work closely with the BII Investment Team and the Combined Authority to proactively source, connect to and assess new investment opportunities that meet our criteria for investment. Lead the end-to-end due diligence process on some or all of the transactions sourced, ensuring an effective evaluation of the organisation’s profile, financial viability and social impact. Mindfully represent potential borrowers when pitching to investment committees through passion and credibility.
• Collaboration with Partners:
Work closely with WMCA, who are co-funding the role, other co-investors, accelerators, networks, etc, to build and maintain a pipeline of impact driven investment opportunities and support the strategic development of the portfolio. Attending events across the region, networking, delivering presentations, and building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Financial & Risk Analysis:
Conduct financial and business analysis to assess investment opportunities and monitor portfolio health. Support the risk assessment process, considering both social impact and financial factors, and advise the Investment Team on key risks and opportunities.
• Investment Strategy & Reporting:
Support the development and refinement of the Team’s investment strategy. Prepare investment memos, presentations, and reports for the Investment Advisory Committee, and support senior management with fund reporting and performance tracking.
• Collaboration & Learning:
A key skill for this role is the ability to foster a collaborative environment by actively working with team members across various functions, including impact, marketing/comms, legals, MI, and portfolio management. This involves embracing a learning mindset, where you remain open to new ideas, feedback, and approaches, and encourage others to do the same. By welcoming a diversity of thought and perspective, you will contribute to building innovative solutions to the social impact investment sector.
• Social Impact Leadership:
Act as a key advocate for addressing systemic barriers in the social investment market, ensuring that equity and inclusion remain at the forefront of investment activities. Share expertise and insights with stakeholders and actively promote the Fund’s mission and values.
About the person:
Core Skills and Experience that are essential to the role:
- Understanding of the issues that Big Issue Invest exists to address and the social investment market, including different investment approaches.
- Experience developing business pro-actively through networking, events and engagement with stakeholders in the region.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with other sector intermediaries make useful connections to support social organisations.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including reports and presentations.
- Analytical and numerate, with intermediate/advanced knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint.
- Understanding of debt investments and SME/corporate credit analysis.
- Ability to engage constructively with a range of internal and external stakeholders, adapting style and approach to fit the audience.
- Ability to collaborate with others, including remotely, and work independently as appropriate.
- Experience organising and facilitating stakeholder meetings, workshops and events.
- Experience documenting and following up on important actions and decisions from meetings.
- Experience preparing presentation materials for a range of audiences.
- Experience ensuring project and reporting deadlines are met
General Duties of Everyone who is part of The Big Issue:
- Being committed to the social objectives of The Big Issue
- Open to new experiences, lean in to challenges and embrace change
- Being an ambassador for The Big Issue externally, and maintaining the professional reputation of your team internally
- Maintaining awareness of all other aspects of The Big Issue’s work and assessing their implications for your team/role
- Adhering to and implementing The Big Issue’s Equal Opportunities and other policies
- Ensuring Health & Safety standards are met
- Taking your part of our shared responsibility for maintaining a safe working environment with a good standard of efficiency
- Undertaking any other ad hoc duties as and when required by your manager
You can read more about our work and impact goals
If you find this opportunity a potential exciting next step in your career and you wish to apply for this role, please apply via the advert on our
[update link]
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role please contact us at talent@bigissue.com.