Business Advisor

Virgin StartUp

England

Hybrid

GBP 38,000 - 44,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited leave

Learning budget

Family support

Pension plan

Flexible volunteering

Job summary

A dynamic business advisory organization in the UK is looking for Business Advisors to assist aspiring founders in their Start Up Loan application journey. The role involves assessing business viability, supporting entrepreneurs, and evaluating applications. Candidates should possess strong business acumen and analytical skills, with a salary range of £38,000 - £44,000 plus benefits. This is a contract position, allowing for flexible working arrangements and personal development.

Qualifications

Direct experience in assessing Business Plans and Cash Flow Forecasts.
Solid business acumen and understanding of commercial businesses.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify solutions.

Responsibilities

Conduct initial assessments of business ideas and provide action plans.
Review and assist applicants to develop their Business Plans.
Evaluate applications and present to the Loan Panel for decisions.

Skills

Business acumen

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Coaching and mentoring

IT skills (Microsoft Office, especially Excel)

Job description

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This range is provided by Virgin StartUp. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience – talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Are you self-motivated, have a passion for business and want to help aspiring founders bring their business dreams to life?

As we look to support even more founders at greater scale, we’re searching for x3 Business Advisors on fixed‑term contracts, to support founders through every step of the Start Up Loan application journey.

Our Virgin Family

Join the Virgin Group – a diverse collective driving change, enhancing customer experience, and having a blast. We're daring, disrupting industries from finance to space, united as part of the Virgin Family.

Virgin Management, the heart of Virgin, nurtures the brand globally. Our diverse, 180‑strong team in London and New York, supports every facet of the Virgin family, including Virgin Unite, our entrepreneurial foundation, and Virgin StartUp, empowering UK entrepreneurs. Working in synergy with various Virgin entities globally, our interests are as diverse as travel, health, music, media, finance, and space. Our unique work culture and commitments to purpose & sustainability unite us.

Virgin StartUp, born out of Virgin’s entrepreneurial spirit in 2013, we’re here to fuel the fire of the next generation of disruptors. As a not‑for‑profit, our mission is to propel start‑ups to success. We offer advice, funding, mentorship, and training, creating a supportive community for every step of a founders journey. At Virgin StartUp, we transform business dreams into a reality.

We’re a huge brand, but not a huge team, which means we take a hands‑on approach while thinking strategically. Everyone rolls up their sleeves to get things done, making it an exciting and collaborative place to work.

Responsibilities

Conduct initial assessments of the viability of business ideas, determining what support is needed, agreeing action plans, and providing feedback and support to founders.
Review Business Plans and assist applicants to further develop their underlying proposition and ensure Cash Flow Forecasts are accurate and financially sound.
Evaluate applications, providing written assessments to support decisions to approve or decline, and present to our in‑house Loan Panel for final decisions to be made.
Ensure that the support provided conforms to the Start Up Loans Company’s Minimum Standards and Lending Standards and any additional policies set out by Virgin Start Up.
Manage caseload effectively to ensure the right founders are supported through their start‑up journey in a reasonable time frame and are kept motivated to proceed. On occasion, some founders will not be right for funding, and a crucial element of the role is identifying these founders and ensuring any decisions are communicated promptly and in a supportive manner.
Strong organisation and time management skills, managing own working week to ensure effective support of caseload of founders.
Keep our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform updated with interactions and documentation received.
Maintain all quality procedures relating to client files and records, in line with our requirements.

Requirements

Direct experience in assessing Business Plans and Cash Flow Forecasts.
Solid business acumen.
An understanding of commercial businesses gained through either previous employment or experience of running your own business.
Previous experience within a Start Up Loans Company is desirable but not essential.
Reasonable knowledge of key aspects of business that affect the success of start‑ups.
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to assimilate complex information, identify and prioritise key issues and assist an applicant to identify practical solutions.
Well-developed or keen to learn coaching, mentoring and motivational skills.
Solid IT skills, proficient in Microsoft Office, especially in MS Excel.
Ability to multi‑task and manage a high volume of applicants.
Accustomed to delivering excellent results against targets and meeting deadlines.

Role details

Role type: Contract (12–15 months)

Location: Your home space + our London HQ (approx. once per month)

Salary: £38,000 – £44,000 plus bonus – We'll offer a salary that matches your skills, always aiming for room to grow.

Working hours: Full time – We embrace flexible working. Let us know what hours empower you to be at your best both professionally and personally, we’ll try to find a perfect match for you and us.

Benefits: Unlimited leave for your globe‑trotting dreams, a “Screw it, let’s do it pot” to enjoy being you, a learning budget, top‑not health care, family support that goes the extra mile, a pension plan, electric vehicles, flexible volunteering and more.

Closing date: 09 January 2026

Some of the attributes that define a Virgin person just can’t be quantified in words. We pride ourselves on welcoming people from all walks of life, with all sorts of skill sets. Most recently, we successfully campaigned to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill on LinkedIn. We truly value passion for Purpose and Sustainability, welcoming creative thinkers and innovators. Any uniqueness is a strength and will be considered an asset to our workforce. If there is something you would like us to consider, to tailor the hiring process to the way you work best, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Ready to turn your career into the ultimate adventure? Virgin’s got the map, the compass, and the crew. Your great adventure awaits!

Seniority level