Job Specification – Investment Analyst  

Northstar Ventures Limited (‘Northstar’) is seeking to appoint a recent graduate or PhD to our investment team based in the North East of England.  The position is a full-time, permanent contract and will be based at our offices in the North East. 

Northstar is a venture capital firm based in the North East of England investing in early stage innovative, scalable companies and teams based in the North East region. Our portfolio spans advanced manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, clean tech, software and AI.  

Northstar is currently investing from the following funds. 

• The £22.5m North East Spinout Inspire Fund which makes initial investments of up to £750k in ambitious spinouts from the five North East universities (Newcastle, Durham, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside). 

• The £16m Venture Sunderland Fund which invests in ambitious, scalable businesses at all stages based in Sunderland. 

• The EIS Growth Fund which provides scale-up capital to Northstar’s existing portfolio companies. 

More information about Northstar and our portfolio can be found on this site.  

The successful candidate will need to work as an integral part of a small team.  They will need to be self-motivated and will initially assist other team members in the making and management of investments, before investing and managing a portfolio of their own companies.   

Principal duties 

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with a number of prospective and existing investee businesses. 

• Assist other team members in the making of new investments and the management of existing portfolio companies, with a focus on companies operating in the engineering and computer science sectors (though not limited to these sectors).  

• Prepare investment papers for new/follow-on investments including due diligence, financial review and market/commercial analysis. 

• Review and analyse financial and other information for the whole of the portfolio. 

• Building relationships with key stakeholders and an understanding of the North East and national investment landscape. 

Required Skills and Experience  

• STEM degree, preferably in engineering or computer science. A PhD is desirable but not essential  

• An interest in technology, innovation and the commercial potential and application of new ideas. 

• Strong financial analysis and appraisal skills including strong numeracy skills with knowledge and practical experience of interpreting financial information and assessing risk. 

• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to work with a wide range of people including investees, applicants, external stakeholders and partner organisations. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to write reports and give impactful presentations to a range of different audiences. 

• A demonstrable commitment to working collaboratively internally and externally. 

• Excellent IT skills including familiarity with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, online communication tools and AI tools.  

• Self-motivated, well-organised with the ability to adapt and work flexibly. 

• An ability to travel across the North East and occasionally nationally.  

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the duration of their employment without sponsorship from Northstar. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role. 

Diversity 

Northstar welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.  All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where diverse candidates can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well. 

Please submit your CV (maximum 2 pages) and covering letter (maximum 1 page) clearly addressing how you meet the person specification for the role and why you want to work in venture capital at Northstar Ventures to [email protected]