Investment Associate - Impact Funding

Oxford University Innovation; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 20,000; Part time

Job summary

A UK university innovation organization is seeking a part-time Investment Associate to support mission-driven businesses and manage funding mechanisms. The ideal candidate will have experience in a business or financial environment, with a passion for social entrepreneurship. Responsibilities include working with partners, supporting funding applications, managing portfolios, and traveling to various universities. Salary ranges from £18,000 to £20,000, with benefits like hybrid working and a pension contribution.

Benefits

30 days holiday & 8 bank holidays

Up to 10% rewards scheme

10% pension contribution

Private healthcare

Qualifications

• Experience or passion for mission-led businesses.
• Ability to contribute to building relationships within OUI and external partners.
• Initiative to find solutions to problems.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• High attention to detail in data management.
• Interest in UK early-stage investment market.
• Ability to make considered decisions based on analysis.

Responsibilities

• Work with ImpactU partners to scout potential applicants.
• Support management of FdT Health Impact Loans.
• Assist in onboarding new partner organisations.
• Manage portfolio and support funded companies.
• Travel to various Member Universities as required.

Skills

Relationship building

Self-starter mindset

Strong communication skills

Data management

Interest in early-stage investment

Commercial analysis

Education

Undergraduate degree in a related subject

Job description

Investment Associate – Impact Funding (Part time 0.5 FTE: 20 hours per week)

Investments and New Ventures Team

Fixed Term role (36 months)

Ref: 280

With one foot in academia and the other in industry, Oxford University Innovation’s professionals undertake a wide variety of tasks, from licensing university ideas, consultancy and finding investment for spinout companies to setting up social enterprises and supporting student entrepreneurship. The Investments and New Ventures team (OUI-INV) acts as the growth catalyst for companies emerging from Oxford University through early‑stage investment and support. The main responsibilities of the team include translational funding, supporting new company formation, equity fundraising, fund management and portfolio management

ImpactU is a collective of UK universities, led by Oxford, working collaboratively to support and raise awareness of mission‑driven businesses emerging from our ecosystems. ImpactU provides training and alternative finance to accelerate ventures with a social or environmental mission towards revenue or further investment. ImpactU is passionate about delivering positive impact from innovative solutions focusing on health, wellbeing, society and the environment. Our projects emerge from research, student activities, accelerators, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. This initiative aims to propel interventions and technologies in diverse settings, such as low‑resource or community‑led environments, ensuring ventures mirror the values and methodologies inspired by founders. Our new FdT Health Impact Loans are funded by Financiëre de Tubize (FdT), which is the reference shareholder of UCB, an innovative and global biopharmaceutical business headquartered in Belgium, mainly focusing on neurology and immunology, with research centres in Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States. The funding will provide interest‑free Health Impact Loans of up to £60,000 for ventures developing sustainable, scalable health innovations that deliver measurable impact where it’s needed most.

The Opportunity

We now have a unique opportunity for a dynamic and motivated Investment Associate to join our team. Reporting to the Head of Investments and New Ventures and Social Venture Lead, the successful candidate will demonstrate knowledge and enthusiasm for university innovation. They will possess the right skills to effectively deploy awards that will help companies across ImpactU flourish. The successful candidate will have experience working in a business and/or financial environment as well as a passion for social entrepreneurship. They may have an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject area.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

• Working with ImpactU partners, including the London School of Economics training programme lead, to upskill and scout potential applicants.
• Supporting the management of the FdT Health Impact Loans and any other ImpactU funding mechanisms.
• Activities will include supporting companies applying for funding, attending investor events, and onboarding new partner organisations.
• Assisting in the management of the portfolio, including supporting funded companies with reporting and introduction to investors.
• Travel, where required, including (but not exclusively) to Member Universities of ImpactU, such as the London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, the University of Northampton and York University.

About You

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate proven competence in the following:

• Experience or passion for mission‑led businesses.
• Relationship with others – the ability to contribute to build relationships within OUI, across external partners, and ImpactU members, and an ability to work with diverse entrepreneurs from different industries.
• Self‑starter – the ability to use your initiative to find solutions to problems.
• Communication – a team player with excellent interpersonal skills and strong communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
• Data management – effectively manages data and possesses high levels of attention to detail in all areas of their work.
• Early‑stage investment – an interest in the UK early‑stage investment market.
• Commercial analysis – make considered decisions that demonstrate good analysis of the key issues.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for this role, please download the application form from the OUI website (OUIApplicationForm.docx) and send it together with a copy of your CV and cover letter to Roy Bennett at [e-mail]. Information about our culture and working life at OUI can be found here https://innovation.ox.ac.uk/about/careers/

The salary for this role is commensurate with experience and will range from £18,000 - £20,000 (part time 0.5 FTE £36,000-£40,000 Full time) with extensive benefits including 30 days holiday & 8 bank holidays, up to 10% rewards scheme, 10% pension contribution, private healthcare and hybrid working.

The closing date is midday on Wednesday 10th December 2025.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

Oxford University Innovation is an Equal Opportunities Employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a supportive working, learning and social environment, in which the rights and dignity of all its staff are respected, and where everyone can be themselves and are empowered to reach their full potential. This commitment is linked to and reinforces the OUI values of integrity, collaboration, and empowerment. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures.

Our approach to hybrid and flexible working:

We believe that our employees are our most valuable asset, and we are committed to attracting and retaining the very best talent. We also appreciate that the UK workforce is becoming increasingly diverse and includes a high percentage of parents and individuals with caring responsibilities, as well as those whose interests and aspirations impact on their time.

We recognise the importance of helping our employees balance their work and home lives by offering flexible working arrangements that enable them to balance their work commitments with other priorities. This includes hybrid working and flexible working.