Who we are:

The British Embassy in Paris is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. The Office for Investment (OfI) is a joint unit between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Department for Business and Trade.

The OfI is now looking to appoint an Investment Partner – European Capital Lead, to be based in the British Embassy, Paris.

Overview of the Office for Investment:

Increasing private investment, foreign and domestic, is crucial to the UK’s economic growth and the future prosperity of its citizens. Leveraging private investment is also fundamental to the Government’s plan to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 and establish international leadership as a science and technology driven economy. 
The OfI is at the core of the Government’s efforts to achieve these aims. The OfI was spun out of Downing Street in January 2021 and is now a joint unit between No10 and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).   
The OfI is an exciting, creative and dynamic place to work among a motivated and driven team with both commercial and public sector backgrounds. The Office works very closely with Ministers, Special Advisers, and their private offices (in DBT and other departments)
The team is small and operates a flexible and flat structure which means that staff across all grades have the opportunity to work directly alongside the senior leadership and have direct exposure to Ministers and senior business executives.
The OfI’s mission is to improve the UK’s chances of landing large and impactful internationally contestable investment projects; increase the allocation of capital investment into the UK from the world’s most prolific and exciting financial investors; and give the world’s most important investors the best possible experience of investing in the UK.
To date the OfI has concentrated on building its presence across the UK, but is now looking to expand internationally, through the creation of a first overseas position focused on European capital investors. This is an important strategic step to deliver on the Government’s commitment to taking a more proactive and targeted approach to cultivate relationships with international investors, following the publication of Lord Harrington’s Review of FDI.

The role entails:

The OfI’s mission is to improve the UK’s chances of landing large and impactful internationally contestable investment projects; increase the allocation of capital investment into the UK from the world’s most prolific and exciting financial investors; and give the world’s most important investors the best possible experience of investing in the UK.
To date the OfI has concentrated on building its presence across the UK, but is now looking to expand internationally, through the creation of a first overseas position focused on European capital investors. This is an important strategic step to deliver on the Government’s commitment to taking a more proactive and targeted approach to cultivate relationships with international investors, following the publication of Lord Harrington’s Review of FDI.

In the context of increasingly fierce global competition to attract highly mobile capital, this role will position the OfI closer to C-suite level contacts at the most strategically important European pools of capital. The role-holder will provide a bridge between the OfI and DBT’s embassy-based investment teams in Europe, and will also be expected to contribute actively to corporate initiatives across the European network. 

The job holder will achieve:

1.    Project Origination and Delivery:

You will proactively source new investment leads, targeting internationally sought-after European pools of capital with the potential to make transformative, cutting-edge investments to address the UK’s highest-priority challenges. You will also deliver a bespoke service to facilitate these transactions. This will involve:
a.    developing and executing a strategic engagement plan to target the top capital investors and provide effective, concrete follow-up after introductory meetings; 
b.  working with the most active and innovative European capital investors, including pension funds, insurance companies, private equity firms, and infrastructure funds, to facilitate new inward investment transactions in the UK;
c.   leading cross-Government project teams to identify levers to attract capital, influence policy, and deliver creative solutions to unblock barriers to investment.

2.    Investor Relations:

You will nurture and manage collaborative, trusted relationships with senior decision-makers in Europe’s leading capital investment firms. You will identify, support, and help to crystallise their investment ambitions and, where appropriate, provide strategic advice on existing portfolios. 

3.    Investment Promotion:

Promote the UK as a leading investment destination, communicating the latest policy developments and pitching investment opportunities. In particular, this will involve working with OfI colleagues and across DBT to develop a list of compelling and concrete opportunities that can be marketed to European capital investors. 

4.    Advising Ministers and No.10:

Provide high-quality proposals and recommendations on investment opportunities and risks to the Minister for Investment, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, and PM’s Chief Business Advisor, as well as Secretaries of State for other departments.
You will be expected to form close working relationships with senior members of the OfI as well as across DBT’s European network.

Willingness to challenge and be a critical ally is a key part of this role.

Our ideal candidate will have: 

• Proficiency in written and spoken English  (C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
• Relationship building: a proven ability to build strong relationships with businesses and investors at a senior level, and to convene and mobilise external stakeholders.
• Client-facing experience: credibility when dealing with institutional investors at C-suite level.
• Complex project delivery: track record of working collaboratively on cross-cutting investment transactions while managing multiple stakeholders and communicating effectively to set the direction of projects.
• Commercial acumen: experience working on international investment transactions with institutional funds and an understanding of investment analysis and decision-making processes.
• Knowledge of government: a strong understanding of policy-making processes and how HMG operates, and a grasp of international and UK politics.
• Leadership: an inclusive, inspiring, confident and empowering leader, with highly developed written and oral communication skills.