Investment Manager (Life Science), and Investment Associate (Life Science)

Join us in helping to build and fund some of the most exciting life science technology companies of tomorrow

Sitting at the heart of Europe’s most successful technology cluster, Cambridge Enterprise is the commercialisation arm of the University of Cambridge. We support academic staff and students, and turn technology, expertise and innovation into a valuable and sustainable portfolio of companies, investments, licences and consultancies.

The Team:
The Seed Funds team manages a highly successful £14M early-stage technology fund and actively supports the development of technology start-ups from the University.  Companies in our portfolio have gone on to raise over £1.9Bn in follow on funding and our funds have achieved a return multiple of 2.5x. 

Cambridge Enterprise is now looking to expand its Seed Fund Life Sciences team at both Associate and Manager level. Both roles offer a unique opportunity to work with one of the leading technology funds in Cambridge, whose previous life sciences investments include Quethera, BlueGnome, Horizon Discovery and Z Factor. These roles stand out from many other investment roles due to the high-quality deal flow, the remarkable founders we work with, and our clear focus on the societal impact of the companies we invest in.

Manager role:
Our Investment Managers build relationships with academics and students across the life sciences, working with them to identify and build spin out opportunities, then taking these companies forward as they seek investment. The role also includes acting as non-executive director for some portfolio companies, assisting the companies to attract commercial management and to gain follow-on investment.

Our ideal candidate has an entrepreneurial attitude with a background in life sciences, preferably evidenced by a Ph.D. and experience in either an investment or technology commercialisation role. Understanding of the life science sector, knowledge of early-stage seed funding and previous work within an entrepreneurial academic environment would be advantageous. A full job profile is here.

They are dynamic, enthusiastic and make things happen. They will be well-organised, financially literate, an excellent team worker, networker and communicator, with a real desire to become involved in a wide range of tasks. An ability to prioritise and progress a number of projects simultaneously while maintaining an active customer interface is key.

Associate role:
Supporting and learning from Seed Fund Investment Managers, our Associates work both with academics wishing to build new opportunities (to provide advice, mentoring, connections and investment), and with companies already within Seed Funds’ current portfolio.  They complete transactional paperwork and straightforward legal agreements, carry out due diligence checks, and participate in outreach activities as well as and analysing data with the objective of strengthening existing relationships with external stakeholders.  A full job profile is here.

The successful applicant will have an entrepreneurial attitude and a clear interest in commercialising technology.  A background in life sciences is essential, possibly evidenced by a Ph.D., with the ability to quickly grasp new concepts and therefore understand new technologies.  Alternatively experience within a life sciences commercial/ start-up environment would be useful. Continuous development is key to the role. You will have on-the-job mentoring by experienced colleagues, the opportunity to be involved in a wide breadth of investment activities.  

Our ideal candidate will be solutions-focused and customer-minded, with strong interpersonal and communication skills.  They will be well-organised, financially literate, and a collaborative team member, with a real desire to become involved in a wide range of tasks. An ability to prioritise and progress a number of projects simultaneously is key.  

Benefits:
Working for a subsidiary of the University of Cambridge, you will be offered a competitive salary with performance related pay, generous holiday, a University pension and flexible hybrid working.

Location:
Our office base is at the Hauser Forum, West Cambridge Site. However, due to our flexible and remote working ethos, we are also open to applications from outside of the Cambridge area.

Interview process:
Closing date for both positions is Sunday 20 June 2021.

We will hold a two-stage interview process for each role.

For the Associate role, the first interview will be held Tuesday 29 June 2021, and the second on Monday 5 July 2021.

For the Manager role, the first interview will be held Thursday 1 July 2021, and the second on Tuesday 6 July 2021.