Junior Associate

Would you like to work with growing, dynamic social enterprises and charities, providing impact first investment and using your business skills to help them grow and deliver social impact across the UK?

Sumerian Foundation, an independent UK registered charity, is an impact-first investor – we have a ‘venture philanthropy’ approach to supporting charities and social enterprises achieve lasting impact at scale.  Sumerian Foundation currently manages a UK Social Inequality facility, through which we provide appropriate funding tailored to the needs of each organisation, skills support, impact management, and mentoring.

Sumerian Partners acts as an advisor to support other foundations enhance the effective deployment of philanthropic capital, as well as supporting both charities and social enterprises as they transition to scale.  Sumerian Partners has also developed a Learning Platform to help other trusts and foundations as they seek to shift away from more traditional approaches.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the role is to support Sumerian Foundation manage, scale-up and promote the UK Social Inequality Facility and ensure it meets its strategic impact and financial KPIs.  As required, the role will also support other activities related to the mission of Sumerian Foundation and will support the provision of advisory services by Sumerian Partners.  The role is full-time with flexibility to work from home, and we will consider part-time.

Principle Accountabilities

UK Social Inequality Facility

Working closely with others in Sumerian, contribute to the effective management of this Facility and ensuring all tasks are conducted in line with processes and systems in the Sumerian Foundation Operations Manual including:

Pipeline development

Performing Due Diligence

Advising on structuring most appropriate financial instrument and terms

Preparing Internal investment memos

Impact Management

Portfolio Management

Skills support and mentoring

Reporting and performance oversight against impact and financial KPIs

As nominated by the investment committee, the Junior Associate will play a supporting role in all operational aspects of screening and supporting charities and social enterprises, and will be responsible for organizing/recording weekly investment committee meetings.

Advisory Services

Working with others in Sumerian, contribute to the provision of advisory services as required.

Expertise and qualifications required

Essential:           

First degree

Right to work in the UK

Experience in a role involving financial skills/analysis

Desirable:         

Qualified or part qualified accountancy (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or similar

Operational business experience – ideally in a start-up/growing business or charity

Knowledge and networks related to UK social enterprise market

Experience in sustainable development and/or generation of social impact

Competences required

• Motivated and enthusiastic self-starter
• Confident and assertive – yet also humble and willing to learn
• Enjoys working in small teams
• Proven ability to lead others and develop talent
• Ability to mentor others and develop trusted open relationships
• Results orientated and with an entrepreneurial flair 
• Outstanding analytical skills, detail-oriented, proactive and self-motivated
• Strong financial acumen and ability to work in Excel
• Excellent project management skills
• Ability to take decisions at both the strategic level as well as the project level
• Ability to produce well designed professional looking Powerpoint presentations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Reporting

To the Senior Associate.

Travel

It is expected there will be travel throughout the UK and potentially short assignments overseas. 

Salary

Dependent on experience, in the range £30,000 to £38,000.

We are committed to fairness, diversity, equity and inclusion; we believe in the power of diversity and aim to recruit and nurture diverse talent.