Portfolio Manager – Job Description
About Green Angel Ventures
Green Angel Ventures is the reference early stage investor for UK climate innovation. We specialise in the fight against climate change. We invest through our EIS Climate Funds, on behalf of our co-investment partners, and through our syndicate (Green Angel Syndicate). Together with our skilled in-house team, these funding sources also provide the knowledge and experience to add substantial value to emerging climate start-ups.
Green Angel Syndicate is one of the largest angel syndicates in the UK. We identify, invest in, and help the growth of companies which have specialist technology or processes which can help limit or reduce the world’s carbon emissions. In the 6 years we’ve been investing, GAS has recruited more than 350 members, and invested in over 40 portfolio companies.
Green Angel Ventures is a team of 20 people, and this is an exciting time for us. As well as increasing the number and size of investments into companies fighting climate change, our Climate Change Fund is raising and deploying more money than ever, and we have been awarded substantial government funds to invest, allowing us to make a bigger impact, faster. In July 2023, we won both of our industry’s two top annual awards, reflecting our strong market position and impact. In 2024 we expect to start deploying a very large climate venture fund.
The role
Because our portfolio continues to grow strongly, we are creating this new role primarily to:
- help our portfolio companies grow faster and make more impact
- support our portfolio companies in their operating markets (e.g. to be more aware of relevant industry opportunities such as grants, awards, and trade shows)
- improve communication between portfolio companies, our team, and our members
There will also be an element of improving reporting and engagement for our members, our team and co-investors.
The role’s remit is post-investment only. The successful candidate will be involved with all companies in our broad portfolio, throughout their lifecycle until exit. You must be able to analyse and understand business situations, but also to propose decisions, make recommendations, and work with both our internal team, and the CEOs/founders of our portfolio companies, to get the job done.
This role will report to the CEO.
Tasks in this role will include:
- Working with each of our portfolio companies
- Help them to deliver better impact and growth, working alongside our team, members and co-investors
- Evaluate their cash runway, and explore future funding requirements at Green Angel Ventures and (through our partnerships team) externally
- Make introductions to potential clients, co-investors, partners, to drive growth
- Gather news/market information. Gather and update business information (Impact/other KPIs, P&L and cashflow data, etc)
- Alert them to relevant market information (awards/trade shows, sales or training opportunities, additional funding options, etc)
- Working with the CEO and Steering Group
- Propose and deliver approaches to help improve overall portfolio company performance
- Update and report on status and progress across the portfolio
- Engage with all parts of the business to improve our overall offering(s)
- Working with our wider internal team, our members, and our co-investing partners
- Communicate regularly with each of our “Reps” (our representatives on portfolio company boards) to measure and update performance
- Highlight concerns or opportunities at portfolio companies, which you and/or others can address
- Coordinate and run a new Portfolio Management Committee, whose focus is oversight of our expanding portfolio, and to push for exits.
- Update our marketing team with relevant info to help them promote our portfolio companies’ activities
- Other ad hoc tasks or projects, throughout the business
Location
All Green Angel Ventures team members work from home – we have no office. Most of our team who are based around London meet up for in-person working fortnightly, and we get all staff together twice a year for a couple of days. This role is home-based but may involve some travel to locations in the UK. Many of our industry or member events are London-based, and it may be an advantage if you live within easy travel of London. There may be other occasional travel required, for example to visit portfolio companies.
About you
- You have proven, successful experience in working with or within startup businesses, preferably in a business development or advisory role. You may be a startup founder yourself. You may have worked in an accelerator or incubator organisation in a relevant role.
- You understand the practical reality of the challenges and opportunities faced by entrepreneurs and growth businesses.
- In your application, you will be able to demonstrate your experience in and aptitude for each of the areas in which you’ll be operating, through your education, working experience, and/or voluntary activities.
- You will be determined to use your skills and background to help Green Angel Ventures to fight climate change. You will have knowledge of and interest in sustainability and climate change.
- You are highly numerate, have good writing and communication skills, and are fluent in written English.
- You have exceptional attention to detail.
- You have the confidence to engage with our team and our external partners.
- You can use your initiative to suggest changes, and to make decisions confidently.
- You have good common sense, and can identify when ‘something isn’t right’.
Green Angel Ventures is dedicated to encouraging a supportive and inclusive culture amongst our own workforce, our members, and the workforces of our portfolio companies. It is within our interest to promote diversity and eliminate discrimination in the workforce, as this is good practice and is fundamental to our core values.
Our aim is to ensure that all members, employees and job applicants are given equal opportunities. All employees, members and investors will be respected and valued.
Benefits
- Green Angel Ventures operates in one of the most exciting and dynamic sectors in the modern economy: the intersection of climate change, technological innovation, and fund management.
- This is a permanent contract with a salary range to be discussed at interview.
- We may consider this a part-time role, with some flexibility around working hours/days/weeks, for the right candidate
- We operate an auto-enrolment pension scheme (3% employer contribution on base salary, 5% employee) which you may opt out of.
- We pay a small monthly working-from home allowance, tax free in line with HMRC guidance.
- You’ll get 25 days holiday per year, plus all bank holidays, and your birthday (all pro-rata if part-time). Holiday days increase with length of service, up to 29 days.
- We offer paid ‘journey days’ to staff who travel on holiday by train, coach or boat instead of flying.
- There will be many opportunities for long-term career growth as Green Angel Ventures continues to scale, and expand its operations into areas such as Fund management.
- Your voice counts. We employ smart people, and we listen to their opinions. You’ll play an active part in our organisation, and in our plans for the future.
Application Process
Please send a cover letter (max 1 page) and CV (max 2 pages) to recruitment@greenangelventures.com with “Portfolio Manager – your name” in the subject box.
Within your application cover letter, please specify how you meet the requirements of the role set out above, confirm your available start date, and give an indication of your salary expectations for this role.
We cannot consider applications without a cover letter, and those which do not confirm the points above. As part of our diversity and inclusion commitment we are collecting data on the diversity of applications we receive for this role. Providing this data is not mandatory. If you are willing, please tell us your gender, your ethnicity and whether you live with a disability, as part of your application.
Application deadline: 9am 13th November, 2023. We may close applications early if the right candidate is found.