Investment Associate

ROLE PURPOSE

The Investment Associate will support the origination, execution and ongoing monitoring of investments in companies located predominantly across the East Midlands. The Mercia MEIF II Fund is an early-stage investment fund that typically invests up to £5,000,000 in businesses operating across Health and Life Sciences, Software and AI, Consumer, and Deep Technology. The role-holder will build strong relationships and a deep professional network across the region to identify high-quality investment opportunities aligned with the fund's strategy. The Investment Associate will also support the end-to-end investment process, including market research, commercial and financial due diligence, investment analysis, transaction execution and the monitoring of portfolio companies.

LOCATION: East Midlands (Nottinghamshire / Leicestershire / Buckinghamshire (Milton Keynes)) with frequent travel across the East Midlands Region

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conducts market and sector research to identify attractive investment opportunities, presents evidence-based findings and makes well-supported recommendations.
• Builds and maintains a strong regional network of advisers, founders, investors, universities and other ecosystem partners, becoming an active and credible member of the East Midlands start-up and scale-up community.
• Develops a strong understanding of the UK venture capital landscape, including the role of private capital in supporting business growth and generating investment returns.
• Supports the assessment of prospective investments through financial analysis, modelling, valuation work and scenario analysis, with appropriate guidance.
• Supports commercial, financial and operational due diligence, identifying key value drivers, risks, mitigations and areas requiring further investigation.
• Contributes to the preparation of clear, concise and well-evidenced investment papers and supporting materials for Investment Committee consideration.
• Monitors the operational and financial performance of portfolio companies against agreed plans, milestones and budgets.
• Applies strong analytical judgement to understand performance variances, emerging risks and opportunities, and communicates findings clearly to the investment team.
• Undertakes sector, valuation and M&A research to inform exit planning, value-creation initiatives and portfolio decision-making.
• Maintains accurate, complete and up-to-date records within the Group CRM and other relevant systems.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Strong analytical and commercial skills, with the ability to assess business models, markets, financial performance and investment risks.
• A strong record of academic achievement; a relevant degree or equivalent professional experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience of working with, advising or assessing businesses in deep technology, hardware or life sciences is desirable.
• Experience of financial analysis, financial modelling and valuation is required.
• Knowledge of venture capital, private equity, corporate finance or M&A markets is desirable.
• Experience of supporting the preparation of investment papers and, with appropriate support, presenting well-researched proposals to an Investment Committee is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to build effective relationships with founders, advisers and colleagues.
• Strong interpersonal skills, sound judgement and a collaborative approach to working within a high-performing team.
• Experience of working in a regulated environment, with an understanding of the importance and potential consequences of non-compliance with legislative, statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Advanced Excel skills are essential, together with a good working knowledge of other Microsoft Office applications.
• Alignment with Mercia's core values: Growth Focused, Responsive, Knowledgeable and Trusted.
• A full driving licence and willingness to travel regularly to Mercia offices, portfolio companies and other stakeholder locations.
• The right to work in the UK.

CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

• Energy & Enthusiasm: Brings their best effort to work each day, approaches colleagues and opportunities positively, and contributes energy to the wider team.
• Teamwork & Support: Collaborates openly, shares knowledge, challenges ideas constructively and supports agreed team decisions
• Ambition & Growth: Sets high standards, looks for ways to improve and embraces stretching assignments as opportunities to learn and develop