Bridges Outcomes Partnerships Social Investment Associate

Bridges Outcomes Partnerships is looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals who are intellectually curious and understand the value of how collaborative design, flexible delivery and clear accountability can contribute to achieving a positive social impact.

Bridges Outcomes Partnerships (BOP) is a mission driven not for profit social enterprise. We help radically change human services and environmental initiatives to improve outcomes for people, the planet, and value for society.  We enable personalised and strength-based delivery through collaborative design, flexible delivery, and clear accountability for improving people’s lives (as outlined in our learning document, People-Powered Partnerships). To date, we have supported over 58,000 people in the UK, whilst catalysing £160m+ of outcomes and, according to BSC’s Outcomes For All report, delivering over £1bn of value to society. We work both in the UK and high-income countries as well as in low- and middle-income countries. The role of Bridges Outcomes Partnerships spans project development (working with outcome funders and others to design and launch the service), project, delivery, and performance management (coordinating the delivery phase and liaising with the various stakeholders) and project finance (pooling the funding to fund the project until it starts to receive outcomes payments). Our own funding comes from a group of pioneering social investors, including The Office for Civil Society, Big Society Capital, Pilotlight, Trust for London, British International Investment (BII), US International Development Corporation (DFC), UBS Optimus Foundation, who, like us, are motivated by improving lives and changing the system for the better.  BOP is a wholly-owned not-for-profit subsidiary of Bridges Fund Management, a specialist sustainable and impact investment manager. In the coming year we are focused on growing our direct and systemic impact in low- and middle-income countries and we are excited to get your help on this journey!  

We are looking for someone exceptional to join our team as we build new projects and partnerships.

We would love to hear from you if you are:

·        Curious, analytical and great at problem-solving

·        Exceptional at building strong working relationships with team members and across a range of stakeholders

·        A flexible and adaptable team player with a can-do attitude

·        Able to undertake a variety of activities with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy

About the opportunity

As an Associate you will help us drive outcomes partnership activities in low- and middle-income countries. You will work with the team to develop new projects and manage the existing portfolio.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll do:

>   Develop opportunities for new outcomes partnerships by identifying and engaging with social and environmental challenges, and seeking out impactful delivery models which address these challenges.

>   Solve problems from first principles: Lead on impact and financial analysis, build detailed models, draft investment papers, manage project development processes and carry out assessment of delivery partners.

>    Work with delivery partners on a day-to-day basis to help create best possible impact in sustainable ways, identifying issues and opportunities, initiating projects, and developing delivery changes and innovations.

Key attributes we are looking for:

>     A genuine passion to drive social change: We want to consistently and dramatically change the status quo. This requires someone with attention to detail and intellectual rigour who will demonstrate the ability to lead on impact and value creation.

>     Ability to deliver more: We believe it is possible to create better outcomes than the current system is achieving, and we aim to demonstrate this in practice. This requires tenacity, resourcefulness, and relentless optimism.

>     Ability to think differently: We will not succeed by copying existing models or structures. Our projects and investments require the team to think through each problem from first principles and find the most effective and efficient new solution in each case. This requires logic, analytical rigour, and a willingness to question assumptions. It also requires the desire to work in a dynamic environment, along with the ability to be solutions-focused and work in a small team.

>     Ability to build and maintain trust: We aim for the edge of what we believe is possible, from ourselves and our partners. This can only be achieved through mutual trust. Everything we do must be open to scrutiny and full transparency. This requires excellent interpersonal skills and absolute integrity.

Suitable candidates will have:

Essential

>     2+ years of experience working in management consulting, social investment, international development sector delivery or similar

> Degree level education or equivalent experience

>     Exceptional interpersonal skills, adept at working with multiple stakeholders

>     Excellent financial and modelling skills, with proven experience supporting the development of comprehensive business/financial plans

> Ability to work dynamically, while managing several priorities and projects at once, and being comfortable working in a fluid role that requires a range of skills

> Ability and willingness to travel and spend time with delivery on site

> Ability and willingness to work flexibly, requiring work outside the set 9-5 days

Desirable

>     High level of financial literacy through a financial qualification (CFA or similar) or relevant experience at another social investor, bank or consultancy.

>     Good command of a second language, both written and spoken and experience working in low- and middle-income countries is desirable.

> Experience of working with international development agencies or other organisations to develop social change in low- and middle-income countries desirable

>     Experience working on projects tackling developmental challenges preferably in areas like education, health, and employment desirable

>     Experience of the social sector, impact investment and a desire to drive profit with purpose desirable

Benefits

What we will offer you

• You will be joining an incredibly dedicated, vibrant, dynamic and talented team of people who are deeply passionate about services which improve people’s lives and public sector reform. 
• The health and wellbeing of our employees is important to us. We offer an Employee Assistance Programme alongside other well-being initiatives to promote a healthier working environment.
• We are a flexible employer and we will support you to ensure that you achieve a balance that works for you
• You will get 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
• Group income and life insurance
• Private medical insurance
• 5% contribution to pension

Hiring process

Next steps

You’ll answer some questions that are related to the day-to-day job. Your answers will go through our sift process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers. The application process closes on the 15th December however we will review applications on a rolling basis

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you to the next step, which will be first and second round interviews with some of our colleagues. Once we have concluded the process we would like the successful candidate to start as soon as possible following their appointment.

Expected duration of this application process: 4-9 weeks. It's like that interviews will take place in early January 2025.

We are an equal opportunities employer

We are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.