Senior VC Associate @ Merck in Cambridge, MA

VC Stack; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

VC Stack in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Senior Associate to support the growth of the M Ventures portfolio. The role involves managing deal flow, conducting due diligence, and engaging with potential investment targets.

The ideal candidate will have an MSc degree and at least 5 years of experience in relevant industries, along with a strong network in venture capital. This hybrid position requires onsite presence 3 days a week.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant industry experience (VC, investment banking, consulting).
• Understanding of semiconductor technologies and value chains.
• Experience with diverse and international teams.

Responsibilities

• Support growth of the M Ventures portfolio.
• Manage incoming deal flow and coordinate due diligence.
• Perform valuation of potential equity investments.

Skills

Network of VC investors

Understanding of VC transactions

Strong analytical skills

Excellent English (Written, Oral, Negotiations)

Education

MSc or PhD in a scientific discipline

Job description

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That’s why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

M Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Our mandate is to invest in innovative technologies and products with the potential to significantly impact our company’s core business areas. M Ventures is comprised of a Biotechnology Team that covers investments in healthcare and life science, and a Technology Team that focuses on investments in Electronics and Frontier Tech & Sustainability.

Your Role

As a Senior Associate, you will:

• support the growth of the M Ventures portfolio and focus on investments in Electronics and Frontier Tech & Sustainability.
• manage incoming deal flow and respond to potential investee companies to manage expectations.
• generate and evaluate deal flow and provide recommendations to the Technology Team.
• manage timely follow-up with potential investment targets, organize the evaluation process, including due diligence meetings and expert reviews.
• perform technical and financial due diligence and coordinate with internal and external experts that support the diligence process.
• perform the valuation of deals via benchmarks and business cases.
• support the negotiation and execution of equity investments and other transactions executed by senior members of the team.
• establish a prioritized portfolio of key contacts to potential investment targets, to investors and to scientists/academics.
• drive projects to decisions by aligning key internal and external stakeholders via transparent communication.

Who You Are

Minimum Requirements

• MSc degree in a scientific discipline or work experience with a significant understanding of semiconductor technologies and value chains.
• Minimum of 5 years of working experience in relevant industries with a preference for VC or alternatively investment banking or consulting OR…
• PhD degree in a scientific discipline or work experience with a significant understanding of semiconductor technologies and value chains.
• Minimum of 2 years of working experience in relevant industries with a preference for VC or alternatively investment banking or consulting.

You Should Also Have

• A pre-existing network of VC investors (institutional and corporate) and key contacts that contribute to deal flow.
• A notable understanding of VC transactions, capitalization tables, legal documents, and preparing investment memorandums.
• Strong analytical skills, ability to drive the generation of business case/plan and provide technical/ scientific inputs.
• Experience working with a diverse and international team.
• Your level of English is excellent (Written, Oral, Negotiations).

Preferred

• Operational experience in a start-up
• MBA with a finance focus

Location

Cambridge, MA; Hybrid role with expectation to be onsite 3 days per week.

Travel

<25%; International and Domestic dependent on project load