Associate, South Asia, Strategic Investment Fund

About Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest nonprofit organization focused on fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Operating from its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman under the direction of Bill Gates and the governing board. The organization was established with the fundamental premise that all people, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. The foundation operates across two primary geographic focuses.

In developing countries, it works with partners to create impactful solutions that enable people to take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, the organization is committed to ensuring that everyone, particularly those with the fewest resources, has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. The foundation maintains a strong commitment to workplace diversity and inclusion, believing that its employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations it aims to serve.

The Strategic Investment Fund, established in 2009, has become a leader in the impact investing industry with a mandate to use equity, debt, and guarantee investment tools to further the foundation's philanthropic goals. Operating from a $2.5 billion fund, the Strategic Investment Fund has successfully completed more than 110 investments across multiple strategic priority areas including global health, global development, gender equality, and US education.

Investments are structured as program-related investments as defined by the US Internal Revenue Code, allowing the foundation to deploy capital while maintaining its charitable mission.

Representative investments demonstrate the fund's diverse portfolio, including a $11 million Series A investment in bKash Ltd., the largest mobile payments platform in Bangladesh; a $55 million Series B investment in BioNTech SE, a biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies and mRNA vaccines; volume guarantees exceeding $300 million to pharmaceutical companies for affordable HIV drug supply; a €10 million Series C investment in Aphea.

Bio for agricultural biotechnology; a $5 million Series B investment in Pula, an insurtech company providing risk protection to farmers across Africa; and a $300 million loan to support COVID-19 vaccine scale-up for low and middle-income countries.

About this Role

The Strategic Investment Fund is seeking an Associate focused on South Asia to grow the investment portfolio by driving thesis formation, deal origination, investment execution, and investment management activities. This full-time position is based at the foundation's office in London, with relocation not provided. The postholder will report to the Director, Program Related Investments and will have the opportunity to work across other geographies in addition to the primary South Asia focus.

The Associate will work closely with foundation program strategy teams to understand their impact objectives and partner with technical colleagues to form investment theses. Through active outreach and relationship-building within the entrepreneurial and investment communities, the Associate will source potential investments in South Asia. The role requires joining deal teams that include program technical experts, legal, and investment colleagues to execute new investments.

This includes performing initial evaluations, participating in shaping conversations with companies, determining investment structuring, leading the due diligence process and financial modeling, and negotiating definitive legal documentation. The Associate will present investments to the foundation's Investment Committee and participate in all aspects of portfolio management, potentially including as an observer of the board of directors.

Key responsibilities involve facilitating interactions between portfolio companies and foundation program teams, proactively identifying and mitigating key strategic, financial, and legal opportunities or issues, and ensuring that the Investment Committee and leadership are informed on impact and financial performance across the portfolio. The successful candidate must ensure high-quality interactions and provide clear and consistent communications with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with foundation program strategy teams to understand their impact objectives
• Partner with technical colleagues to form investment theses and source potential investments in South Asia through active outreach and relationship-building within entrepreneurial and investment communities
• Perform initial evaluation of investment opportunities
• Participate in shaping conversations with companies regarding potential investments
• Determine investment structuring and terms
• Lead the due diligence process and conduct financial modeling
• Negotiate definitive legal documentation
• Present investments to the foundation's Investment Committee
• Participate in all aspects of portfolio management
• Act potentially as an observer of portfolio company boards of directors
• Facilitate interactions between portfolio companies and foundation program teams
• Proactively identify and mitigate key strategic, financial, and legal opportunities and issues
• Ensure the Investment Committee and leadership are informed on impact and financial performance across the portfolio
• Ensure high-quality interactions and provide clear and consistent communications with internal and external stakeholders

Requirements

• Experience as an Analyst, Associate, or Principal from a venture capital, growth equity, leveraged buy-out fund, investment bank, or strategy consulting firm
• Meaningful experience in identifying and/or assessing investment opportunities
• Demonstrated ability in conducting commercial and financial due diligence
• Experience supporting transaction execution
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with founders, management teams, and C-level executives
• Strong interest in principal investing
• Intellectual curiosity and sound commercial judgment
• Genuine commitment to the foundation's mission of advancing innovative and scalable approaches to social impact
• Comfort in a wide range of cultural, geographic, and operational situations
• Culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people
• Deep commitment to development issues
• High standards of personal integrity
• Ability to travel up to 25% internationally
• Must be able to legally work in the United Kingdom without visa sponsorship

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical coverage with no premiums
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Generous paid time off
• Paid family leave
• Foundation-paid retirement contribution
• Regional holidays
• Opportunities to engage in several employee communities
• Inclusive and supportive workplace environment committed to employee professional and personal growth
• Commitment to creating an environment for employees to thrive both personally and professionally

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