Associate, Thrive Lab

We are banking at another level. Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few
• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1
• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life
• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more...

Position Overview

Thrive Lab is an innovation lab and impact investment vehicle delivered through a co-investment partnership program. Its goal is to build a stronger ecosystem to support the creation of a new pipeline of women-led impact-driven businesses with a particular focus on those that contribute to transformative social change.

We’re looking for a passionate, mission-driven individual, excited about investing in early-stage, woman-led, impact-driven businesses. In collaboration with the Managing Director, the Director of Early-Stage Impact Investments, the Associate, and the group of portfolio coordinators, the ideal candidate will network, research, and perform analysis for prospective and current impact investments leveraging our unique co-investment and partnership model.

In this role, you are expected to combine sharp analytic skills and business sense. You will get the opportunity to lead investment analysis workstreams and support the team strengthening the impact investment ecosystem.

Challenges to be Met

Deal Sourcing

• Work with our co-investment partners to prioritize potential deals and analyze the nominations presented.
• Discuss informally with entrepreneurs, investors and company representatives at occasional investment community or industry events, relaying any relevant information to the rest of the team.
• Conduct an initial evaluation of the intentionality of the founder to create positive social and or environmental impact. Review the business plan, investment materials and manage the initial communication with entrepreneurs. Provide recommendations to pursue or decline a deal.
• Develop and maintain appropriate information resources and subject matter expertise in various industries, markets, and business trends.

Platform Building

• Participate in innovation discussions to create new offerings for women founders.
• Assist in the implementation of a strategy to build the impact investing ecosystem.
• Propose new offerings to support our co-investment partners.
• Assist in the development and management of relationships with key decision makers in the innovation sector including incubators, accelerators, family offices, angel groups and other ecosystem actors to create a pipeline of investments.
• Represent Thrive Lab at conferences and other industry events to build a relevant network of contacts.

Deal Making

• Lead a workstream of due diligence on companies’ market, competition, management, sales, products, cap table, and anything that is relevant to determining potential business value and exit strategies.
• Determine and validate performance metrics, creating valuation models, forecasts and financial pro formas.
• Draft Investment Memos, most often focusing on the Financials and Market sections.
• Support during presentations to the Investment Committee.
• Analyze technical documentation and/or work with technical consultants to evaluate technologies, products, and services.
• Conduct reference calls with competitors, clients, industry experts, and prospect company’s current or past employees.
• Evaluate the potential impact of a company using impact frameworks such as IMP.

Portfolio Management & Support

• Manage internal reporting requirements by acting as a liaison with the back-office to perform semi-annual valuations and other requests.
• Assist in the management of efficient ongoing relationships with executives of investee companies, promptly responding to all inquiries in a courteous and efficient manner, as well as with representatives from the investment, impact and technology communities through active and ongoing marketing efforts.
• Ensure the accuracy and timeliness of data by developing and maintaining appropriate information resources and subject matter expertise in various industries, markets and business trends.
• Assist investees with introductions to potential suppliers, investors, and employees.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate should have an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for social innovation and capital allocation (debt, equity or hybrid forms), and strong knowledge of the impact and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada. With outstanding dynamism, curiosity and motivation, the ideal candidate will be able to operate well in a rapidly changing environment alongside a small but energetic team.

Typical Background

• 4+ years of experience in a role involving structured thinking, financial analysis, and technical expertise. These profiles are likely to come from, but are not limited to:
  • Finance roles: venture capital, private equity, investment bank, accounting firm
  • Operator roles: technology startup, industry-leading corporation, industry specialist
  • Advisory roles: consulting, law, corporate strategy, corporate development
• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Economics, Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). Other degrees are viable, if the professional has strong analytical skills
• A post-graduate degree or equivalent certification, completed or in course, is valuable. Typical post-graduate credentials are likely to be, but are not limited to:
  • Master’s in business administration (MBA)
  • Other STEM Master’s or PhD degree
  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Technical Knowledge

• Good skills in Excel, particularly in building financial models that include sensitivity analysis and scenario modeling, as well as performing data analysis. Any other analytic tools and techniques are an asset
• Good ability to problem-solve using structured thinking and communication techniques
• Good ability to use other MS-suite applications efficiently, mainly Word and PowerPoint
• Ability to intervene pertinently in the context of a presentation to executive audiences
• Ability to write an Investment Memo that is clear, concise, and eloquent
• Operational knowledge of any technical industry is an asset
• Understanding of frameworks to measure and manage impact investments
• Experience working with PitchBook and Capital IQ is an asset
• Bilingualism in French and English is an asset

Behavioral Traits

• Love working with a small values-driven team, able to contribute to our strategy and execution processes
• Supportive, helpful attitude – willingness to proactively identify gaps and jump-in to fill them
• Motivation and ability to do focused, independent work, in the context of a team
• Ability to work collaboratively and build positive relationships with stakeholders
• Continuous learning attitude, with maturity to take feedback constructively
• Openness to share knowledge and advice with less experienced colleagues
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment, where objectives must be met within tight deadlines

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].