Sporting Capital Investment Manager
Location: London
Are you passionate about social impact and the power of sport to support individuals and communities? Are you excited by identifying and supporting dynamic and successful sports clubs, social enterprises and charities making a positive impact?
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Investment Manager to join our team. This role will have primary responsibility for developing a pipeline, making new investments and management of the portfolio for the Sporting Capital Fund, the first impact investment fund focused on community sport in the UK.
We are an employee owned company, similar to the John Lewis Partnership, and after being an employee for 12 months you will have the opportunity to become a co-owner.
Role highlights
· Exciting opportunity to join a growing employee owned social enterprise focused on maximising the positive impact of sport on individuals and communities.
· Chance to learn about social investment and be a key part of its developing application to sports clubs and sport for development charities and social enterprises.
· Would suit an entrepreneurial individual who can fit in to a high performing team with diverse but complementary backgrounds and wants to drive their career forward in an emerging field.
· Flexible working potential; Leeds or London based.
· Potential for progression to director / shareholder.
About Sporting Assets and Sporting Capital
Sporting Assets is an employee owned social enterprise that helps develop sustainable sports enterprises by assisting them to take ownership of facilities, develop new ones, and create or diversify their revenue streams. We offer a wide range of bespoke advisory services to benefit and support sporting communities, sports governing bodies and Local Authorities.
We believe that by creating sustainable sporting facilities in community hands, we protect and embed the impact that engagement in sports creates for the local community. On top of this, these valuable assets can be used to deliver other services, act as a platform to develop other community enterprises, and provide a foundation for connected and sustainable communities. More information and examples of our work can be found at our website; www.sportingassets.co.uk
Sporting Assets have recently launched Sporting Capital, a £3m loan fund for the community sports business sector and the first social investment fund focused on community sport. Sporting Capital enables us to extend Sporting Asset’s vision by financing organisations that make a difference by developing people and communities through sport and helping them to become sustainable.
The £3m Sporting Capital Fund offers loan funding of between £50,000 and £150,000 to eligible projects. The investment is a simple, repayable, unsecured loan. We expect to invest into around 30 projects from now until June 2020. For further information see www.sportingcapital.org.uk
The team at Sporting Assets and Sporting Capital have a passion for sport, the impact it can generate and the role social investment can play in delivering this.
The Role
Working alongside the Sporting Assets team, the Sporting Capital Investment Manager will have primary responsibility for developing the pipeline of opportunities for investment, turning these opportunities into successful investments and management of the portfolio.
Responsibilities include:
· Developing new investment opportunities from a broad range of sources, from building strong sector partnership relationships (in conjunction with the Sporting Assets’ Board of Directors) to targeting individual organisations who can benefit from the investment Sporting Capital offer.
· Assessment (both financial and social) of applications for investment, from initial enquiries, through the application form and supporting documents to detailed due diligence and research.
· Financial modelling – building, interpreting and manipulating financial models to test the financial viability of proposed investments and to develop appropriate investment structures for investees.
· Preparation and presentation of investment proposals to Sporting Capital’s independent investment committee.
· Negotiating terms and conditions with investees and oversight of preparation of legal documentation.
· Overseeing the performance (financial and social) of investments made by the Fund and anticipating and managing challenges. This will include maintaining relationships with investees, site visits and where relevant attending board meetings.
· Reporting to the Fund on the performance of underlying investments.
· Managing the Fund’s Investment Analyst.
The Investment Manager will work alongside Sporting Asset’s advisory team who will be responsible for working with social ventures in sport at an early stage to develop investable projects. Should Sporting Capital be successful, the right candidate will have the opportunity to progress to Investment Director and may join the Board of Sporting Assets.
Skills and Experience
We are looking for an Investment Manager with a combination of excellent financial and commercial skills, the ability to develop partnerships with social ventures and the sports and public sectors, a strong commitment to improving the social impact delivered from sport and a large dose of common sense. The right candidate will demonstrate many of the following skills and experience.
· The ability to work proactively, both independently and together with the Sporting Assets team, to develop a strong pipeline of potential investment opportunities for the Fund, and to develop these opportunities from inception through to investment and ongoing monitoring.
· A good understanding of the key business risks in small organisations and the ability to assess these in light of opportunities for investment in sport organisations to support financial sustainability and to deliver a financial and social return.
· Strong financial and commercial skills, including the ability to undertake rigorous financial due diligence, assess business plans and wider market information, lead the development of financial modelling and other elements of an investment process and make recommendations to the Investment Committee.
· Strong communication and negotiation skills, in particular the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders from local community organisations through to national sector bodies to develop partnerships, opportunities and enable investments.
· Investee relationships skills, such as the ability to play a significant role in managing the Fund portfolio and leading the management of specific investments, including engaging with investee companies.
· An entrepreneurial mind-set; being someone who welcomes the challenge of helping to create and develop a new fund that intends to be at the forefront of a developing social investment market.
· A demonstrable interest in improving the sport for social impact sector, supporting social enterprises and developing the social investment market, particularly at a community scale.
Typically, we expect that the Investment Manager will have had prior business development, commercial, investment or other relevant financial experience and ideally in making similar sized loans to comparable potential investees. However, outstanding candidates with a track record of understanding the key risks and opportunities for small enterprises, who are financially literate, have a wealth of common sense and a healthy degree of scepticism will also be welcomed.
How to apply
Interested candidates should send a CV and covering letter detailing their interest in Sporting Assets and relevant experience to: recruitment@sportingassets.co.uk
Closing date for applications Friday 16 February 2018
1st Round Interviews to be held w/c 26 February 2018
2nd Round Interviews to be held w/c 12 March 2018
All candidates are required to hold the relevant Visas/Work Permits
