Chief Investment Officer jobs in Canada

Our Client is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada. Among their mandates our client actively invests in and supports emerging Canadian technology firms in a wide variety of sectors.

Scope of Position

Our client is seeking a professional Senior Investment Manager to be a lead contributor to its Investments Team, with an emphasis on venture capital investing experience. The appropriate individual will have 7 or more years work experience in venture capital and will have extensive skills in originating, executing, managing and exiting investments. The individual will also need to be a mentor to others in the organization, and will work with other business units to help achieve our client’s overall business objectives within the context of the Investments program.

The position is located in Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal.

Functional Tasks

• Managing the valuation process, using the various standard valuation techniques that are commonly used in the industry
• Lead deal teams in all elements of transaction delivery from due diligence to negotiation and closing of documentation
• Personal experience/familiarity with Canadian VC networks to originate transactions, manage portfolio companies and identify relevant trends and opportunities
• Act as a senior advisor to deal teams on any or all aspects of transactions
• Be a key resource (and mentor, as appropriate) to all the individuals on the Investments Team
• Ability to analyze the needs of the client, and understand our client’s capabilities, to determine the best financial tool to meet each particular need
• Liaise with senior management of existing or proposed investments
• Have a background with deep modeling skills. Need to be able to review the work of others, and oversee the development of complex cash flow models
• Work in collaboration with business development and other teams to perform due diligence, obtain necessary approvals and achieve objectives
• Demonstrated ability to understand and interpret highly complex terms
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate with very senior parties (VC partners, and CEOs)
• Ability to assume Observer (and/or Board seats) on Boards of Directors for portfolio companies
• Contribute to various reporting requirements for the Investments Program
• Have insights into technology and industry trends and emerging market opportunities – as appropriate, shares findings with Investments team, and management of portfolio companies
• Need a solid understanding of: Board Director and Board Committee functions, Director and Shareholder rights and liabilities, rights as a lender, derivatives, fund investing, insolvency and bankruptcy laws, valuation techniques and mergers, acquisitions and public capital markets.
• May be requested to be a guest speaker or panel member at certain industry events
• Contribute to the evaluation and development of the Investments Program’s strategic plan

Key Performance Deliverables

In light of the identified responsibilities, the following arespecific deliverablesthat the position is designed to achieve.

• Specific measures of performance will be discussed and agreed upon with the successful candidate.

Competency Profile

The following competencies listed below define the role ofSenior Investment Manager, Investments

Role Expertise
Demonstrates critical technical or professional knowledge/skills related to the role. Has thorough knowledge of relevant products, services and methods. Expands technical knowledge/skills and keeps up-to-date in own area of expertise.

Boundary-Spanning
Incorporates information about the organization’s structure and protocol into decisions. Attentive to the internal politics and alert to shifting interpersonal dynamics. Establishes the necessary support networks and cross-functional relationships through rapport building. Recognizes, maintains and effectively balances the interests and needs of one’s own group with those of the broader organization.

Team Skills
Helps to create a sense of team spirit and harmonious relations through cooperation and support. Balances personal goals with those of the team. Fosters collaboration among team members.

Industry & Market Awareness
Seeks to anticipate and respond to industry and market changes/challenges by understanding key characteristics, issues and the factors driving them. Aware of competitor’s products, services and position.

Commercial Acumen
Applies appropriate commercial and financial principles. Understands situations in terms of costs, profits, added-value and return on investment. Appreciates the commercial impact of own work on the organization’s total expenses and revenues.

Information Seeking
Consults widely for business or technical advice, probes for facts and obtains information from a wide variety of sources. Differentiates the critical from the irrelevant or trivial.

Strategic Approach
Develops a strategic plan to realize the vision. Revises strategy in light of changing circumstances. Takes a long-term view of organizational success. Works to clarify long term organizational goals. Able to stand back from immediate problems in order to focus on more far reaching ideas.

Planning & Objective Setting
Systematic in approach to work. Produces action plans in which objectives are defined and steps for achieving them are clearly specified. Plans by breaking down large task into subtasks. Develops plans that anticipate obstacles. Is realistic about time-scales and builds in appropriate checkpoints, milestones and controls in order to ensure that desired results are realized.

Preferred Experience / Education

The following indicates specific industry, academic and functional experience/qualifications that are important to the successful achievement of the identified responsibilities and performance deliverables.

• 7 or more years work experience in venture capital, including origination, execution, management and exit of investments
• Demonstrated experience in having made sound investments in Venture Capital
• Demonstrated experience in Tech Investment assessment
• Demonstrated deal sourcing and personal Venture Capital networks (Canadian, US and International)
• Solid Venture Capital financing and structuring expertise
• Excellent financial analysis, credit and modeling skills
• Ability to travel
• Clear understanding of complex contracts and potential legal implications of clauses
• Effective negotiation and presentation skills (external and/or internal)
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
• Broad multiple sector knowledge
• Solid knowledge of international business practices and international trade
• Demonstrated ability to operate collaboratively in a high performing culture
• Operating & Board experience
• Bilingualism (English and French) is an asset
• Engineering or Science undergraduate degree is an asset

Competitive base salary and variable plan tied to the qualifications of the successful candidate.