Head of Investor Relationships

Role Purpose

This is a pivotal role in Big Society Capital’s mission to grow the amount of capital invested in social impact and widen the opportunity set for investors interested in genuine impact. You will lead on relationships with a wide range of institutional investors at the most senior level, be responsible for developing future investment products and services that drive system change, raising capital for these strategies and overseeing investor relationships for our existing main-market listed social impact trust.

You will be entrepreneurial and innovative in understanding investors’ needs for the new ideas and products that will shape the future of social impact investing in the UK. You will be responsible for growing awareness and engagement across investor types from institutional investors like local government pension schemes and foundations to asset managers and banks as well as family offices and their advisers. Your goal is to help identify and unlock significant pools of capital that have the potential to improve lives.

The three key objectives for the role are;

• To identify new channels and build on existing channels of investors into social impact.
• Lead on identifying investor needs and working with colleagues to develop new social impact products and services which meet them.
• Lead and support team members to raise capital and build impact commitment among investors.

Big Society Capital is at the leading edge of the impact investing movement globally and has a track record of innovation which has led to a ten-fold growth in the social impact investment market over the last decade to more than £9 billion. We are now at an exciting inflexion point in scaling the market and this role will require someone passionate about unlocking the next decade of impact growth.

You will be a credible strategic partner for some of the UK’s leading investment organisations as they look to invest in social impact. You will think creatively about developing new opportunities for social impact investment and sell these into a diverse range of investors. While leading a small team, you will also work closely with members of the investment group, core team and engagement colleagues to help develop BSC’s offering for investors, serve as a trusted ‘public face’ of BSC strategies, and grow the wider market for social impact investment through your relationship building, visibility and effective communication and marketing skills.

Key Responsibilities

Grow Investor commitment to Impact

• Expand the amount of capital invested into impact through building awareness, motivation and understanding among investors and developing products and services that meet their needs, and raising capital to support these strategies.
• Develop BSC’s strategy to influence the investment behaviour of investor groups as well as individual institutions, taking a system wide approach to change.
• Represent BSC at financial sector and investor events building our network and communicating investment opportunities.
• Participate in PR, webinars, etc and appropriately use social media and content marketing to build the investor pool and promote BSC strategies.

Investor Relationship Management

• Establish new relationships with institutional investors and their advisers who wish to make impact investments.
• Operate at the most senior level to engage decision makers and build on and strengthen existing strategic investor relationships.
• Oversee client/investor relationships in the Schroders BSC Social Impact Investment Trust plc alongside the Schroders sales team and drive future fundraising to ensure its continued growth.

Investor Product Development

• Lead on product and service development in partnership with both investors and colleagues internally.
• Ensure all Big Society Capital offerings are investor-centric and balancing “user led” design with BSC’s mission.

Providing Investor Insight

• Understand institutions and investors’ business and priorities and identify opportunities to align their interests with social impact investment.
• Identify barriers and work with BSC and partner organisations such as our fund managers to facilitate investors access to social investment opportunities.

Team leadership

• Responsible for leading, supporting and building a team of five colleagues.
• Lead on ensuring systems and processes are in place to support excellent investor relations.
• Ensure a culture and commitment to learning and professional development.

Skills and Experience

Skills, Abilities and Attributes

• Strong understanding of and motivation for social impact.
• Shares Big Society Capital’s vision and values
• Proven people leadership ability and a commitment to continued learning and development for colleagues.
• The ability to understand and position the social impact investment product set alongside mainstream financial investment opportunities.
• Ability to understand both the perspective and financing needs of potential investees and how this relates to investors’ motivations and constraints.
• Strong project management skills – highly organised, can work under pressure, with strong problem-solving skills.
• Team player with a supportive approach and desire to be part of a close-knit team.
• Experienced decision maker – tactical in terms of projects, and ability to recommend strategic decisions at leadership level.
• Able to balance strategy with the ability to focus on detailed tactical challenges.
• Strong proven interest in social impact investment and passionate about building a more responsible investment market.
• A good understanding of institutional investors their internal structures and decision making processes.
• Excellent presentation skills – able to transform complex messages into clear communications.

Essential Experience:

• Excellent client relationship management skills and evidence of network building.
• Experience and evidence of fundraising for private markets or multi-asset strategies.
• Experience of product development in financial markets.
• Knowledge of and fluency about financial services and capital markets broadly.
• Excellence in oral and written communication and an engaging style.
• Comfortable presenting to stakeholders and public speaking.

Desirable Experience:

• Professional sales and marketing experience with institutional investors.
• UK social sector employment or voluntary experience .
• Experience leading and managing a high-performing team.

Embody Big Society Capital core values

• Purposeful – We are passionate and energetic in our work to bring about our long-term vision of a thriving social investment market that enables positive social impact.
• Pioneering Spirit – We give our team the autonomy and flexibility to be entrepreneurial and creative. We have the courage to push boundaries and a restless drive for change.
• Openness – We listen, learn, experiment and collaborate. And we are adaptive and flexible in responding to what we learn.
• Rigorous – We take a rigorous approach in all we do. We expect the highest standards and continually strive for excellence.
• Respectful – We are genuine in both our approach and aspiration. We value each member of our team and our partners for what they bring.