Main Purpose of Job:

Be part of the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) mission to drive more trade and investment between North America and the UK. With a mature, high spending consumer market and an open, liberal economy, world-class talent and a business-friendly regulatory environment, the UK is the leading destination for foreign investment in Europe, and the second highest investment destination in the world.  The UK is also the world’s seventh largest exporter and the second largest services exporter.  

We employ over 150 people across North America, all united by our vision of a future where we champion open and fair global trading that drives growth, creates better jobs and higher wages, and improves living standards in the UK and around the world.  We seek talented team members with the passion and drive to help us in our mission to build a global appetite for British goods and services; drive investment; negotiate trade deals and open up markets; improve international trading standards and fight unfair trading practices (see www.gov.uk/DIT).   

North America is the largest source of investible capital in the world and is home to the majority of the world’s leading investment firms. DBT’s mission is to attract high value, high impact capital from major North American investors to help deliver on the UK government’s overarching strategic priorities.  

Based at the British Consulate-General in San Francisco, the Senior Capital Investment Officer (SCIO) will proactively identify, target, prospect, develop, and manage new and existing relationships with some of the world’s major institutional investors, with particular focus on university endowments, insurance companies’ investment arms, and public sector pension funds across the US. With dual reporting lines to the Director of Trade, San Francisco, as well as to the Sector Director for Capital Investment – North America, you will work as part of a team located across North America with responsibility for driving strategic capital investment from the United States and Canada into all regions of the UK, as well as being a valued contributor to the San Francisco-based regional team. 

Roles and Responsibilities:

As Senior Capital Investment Officer, you will: 

• Provide a comprehensive account management service to an assigned portfolio of key investors. Support the Sector Director in setting strategic priorities, identifying new market opportunities and delivering the Capital Investment sector plan for North America.
• Successfully build and manage a pipeline of knowledge-driven investment opportunities and projects, with primary focus on scaling the venture capital ecosystem in the UK via limited partner capital distributions to UK fund managers from US institutional investors. 
• Proactively target investors with strategies and portfolios aligned with UK government priorities, as well as the propensity to increase their asset allocation and exposure to the UK.
• Support and build positive relationships at multiple levels and touch points with major US-based institutional investors, coordinating closely with UK-based colleagues at DBT headquarters in London.
• Develop and implement high impact, targeted marketing programs and events in conjunction with stakeholder partners to build our brand awareness, promote key messaging relating to capital investment, the UK economy and its competitiveness.
• Keep pace with market trends both in the capital investment sector, as well as key focus industry verticals, with particular focus on renewable energy, infrastructure, life sciences, deep technology and real estate; understand and communicate UK government strategy in relevant sectors.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high-impact programming, including developing and hosting roundtables, seminars and trade missions, preparing briefing materials and contributing to Ministerial and other VIP visit programmes.
• Utilise existing CRM tools to capture investor engagement and manage investment project progression.
• Support cross-team projects to advance UK economic and trade policy goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Demonstrated professional experience/skills in a multinational business, negotiation or project management role, ideally with a major corporation or investment firm.
• Thorough knowledge of the capital investment sector, major companies and trends in the US and preferably in the UK.
• An excellent network of industry contacts in the capital investment sector in US or the ability to develop such a network, with the credibly to interact at a senior level.
• Excellent stakeholder management abilities.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and networking skills.
• Excellent management and collaboration skills with the ability to deliver results.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to multitask and complete work while traveling.
• Must be able to attend events outside of office hours and undertake travel in the US and internationally up to 10% of your time.
• Under US State Department requirements, the UK Government in the US may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Permanent Residents, A and NATO visa holders with EAD cards, and L2 visa holders with an up-to-date I-94 form.