Senior Policy Executive

British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) 

The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the voice of private capital in the UK.  We are the industry body and public policy advocate for the private equity and venture capital industry in the UK. We have been acting on behalf of this community for almost 40 years, enabling it to uphold its vision and achieve its goals, as it has moved from a niche part of the investment community to being a mainstream part of the wider economy. We actively represent this diverse community of long-term investors enabling them to speak with one clear and consistent voice to wider society, including the Government, media and MPs. 

The BVCA engages with and supports the private capital community, connecting institutional investors, fund managers, portfolio companies, advisers and service providers. Our membership comprises more than 600 firms, including over 250 private equity and venture capital businesses, over 100 institutional investors and more than 200 professional services firms. Our role is to be the unrivalled forum where the industry gathers to network, learn and address a wide range of issues; of equal importance, we represent the industry to key stakeholders in government, Parliament, the media and elsewhere through the advocacy delivered by our policy and external affairs departments. 

Our members are active long-term investors who engage with their portfolio companies so that they grow and achieve their long-term ambitions – beyond the returns to investors (which typically out-perform the public markets), this also creates value for the country, economically and socially. Over 2.2 million jobs in the UK are backed by private equity and venture capital – many of these are the jobs of the future in high-growth sectors like biotech, software and clean energy, but equally important are those in more established parts of the economy where private capital galvanises the competitiveness and productivity of the companies they invest in. For the UK as a whole, the industry helps to attract investment and talent from around the world to the UK. 

 
The role 

This is a newly created role that will give a keen policy professional the opportunity to develop knowledge and experience of the private capital industry, working closely with industry professionals and supporting a team of expert policy leads across tax, regulatory, sustainability and legal policy applicable to private capital investment. The private capital industry is an exciting and innovative space and at the crux of discussions on competitiveness, sustainable investment and growth. Working to support our membership and ensure the voice of private capital is represented in a rapidly changing landscape, the role will offer you the opportunity to build on and enhance your skills in the following areas: 

• Generating policy options and ideas, articulating them as suggestions for changes and facilitating assessment of their pros and cons.
• Experiencing insight into how policy is made, how decisions are made and what evidence and analysis is useful for businesses and their representatives to provide to policymakers.
• Developing strong research skills which you use to keep abreast of the latest thinking from both policy makers and bodies who influence them (e.g. think tanks, other trade bodies, institutions).  
• Enhancing teamwork and collaboration skills, recognising that the process of developing and assessing policy options needs to draw on views from a range of people e.g. colleagues and members’ perspectives. 

• Shaping key policy areas of importance to the private capital (venture capital and private equity) industry during a pivotal time.
• Engaging with a range of stakeholders – working closely with industry experts, businesses impacted by policy change, and with government and regulators.
• The opportunity to engage closely with the investors and businesses who are helping to drive growth and productivity in the UK, understand them better and represent their views when engaging with officials/policymakers. 

You will have the opportunity to be involved in and build your experience across a wide range of policy areas affecting the industry, which will likely include: 

• Tax policy (e.g. carried interest taxation, tax incentives for early stage investment, EU tax files, UK partnership taxation etc.). 
• Enterprise and growth policy (including considering possible tax, regulatory or legal reforms that could boost access to capital and business growth, analysing impacts of potential changes on the venture capital and private equity industry). 
• Innovation and Technology policy (including analysing industry trends and development of policy frameworks relevant to private capital, assessing legal and regulatory barriers and developing potential policy proposals and impacts).  
• Legal policy relating to investment (e.g. UK M&A frameworks, pensions issues, national security screening, limited partnership law etc.). 

What you can offer us: 

You will have demonstrable experience in the following areas: 

• You will have at least a degree level qualification and a minimum of 3 years work experience working in research, analysis, policy-making, or another relevant background.  
• Expertise on taxation policy would be particularly valuable, but we would also value experience in working on access to finance or growth, or indeed other areas of investment or financial services policy.  
• Ability to bring people together to review and discuss ideas and help reach a shared view is essential. 
• Willingness to contribute ideas and views in discussion with others on a range of relevant and high profile topics e.g. diversity and inclusion.  
• You will be able to analyse both quantitative and qualitative information to consider impacts and options for change and your strong IT skills will support you in achieving this.
• You will have innovative thinking skills – you will be comfortable with scoping different ideas and generating your own suggestions for potential policy or regulatory change.
• You will have strong communication skills: ability to summarise issues clearly, and deliver what might sometimes be complex information to different types of people, with different interests and expertise.  
• You will be comfortable working at pace at times and being able to be flexible in your approach – there may be times where you work on different topics to support others in the BVCA for example when collaborating on our weekly member newsletter, or supporting our External Affairs team on communicating our policy position externally. 

Why come work for the BVCA? 

• Be part of the leading trade body for the private capital industry in the UK, supporting the growth of the industry and deepening the understanding of external stakeholders to the benefit of the industry.
• Experience a friendly, engaged, and passionate work environment (with regular social activities) with a supportive culture.
• A competitive salary, reflecting the technical requirements and seniority of the role, and a performance-related discretionary bonus.
• Enjoy important benefits: 25 days holiday in addition to Bank Holidays; a 10% non-contributory pension; non-contractual day off for your birthday.
• Life and medical benefits: life assurance (4 times salary); private medical Insurance for you*; health cash plan*; critical Illness and income protection insurance*; employee Assistance Programme – includes Mental Health support, Virtual GP, Nutrition advice and Financial wellbeing.
• Other benefits: interest free season ticket loan; corporate discounts; reimbursement of up to 2 professional institutes; generous support for professional and personal development.

The BVCA supports an environment that is based on merit and inclusiveness, where all employees can develop their full potential, irrespective of their race, gender, marital status, age, disability, religious belief, political opinion or sexual orientation.