Policy Executive, Sustainability

UK Private Capital 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 over 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.

UK Private Capital 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, 100 institutional investors and 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 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

As a Policy Executive, Sustainability, you will play a key role in supporting the UK Private Capital's efforts to contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable investment policies and practices. You will work closely with the Sustainability and Diversity Policy Managers, the Head of Sustainability and the wider policy and UK Private Capital team.

You will be responsible for monitoring and tracking regulatory developments and industry trends related to sustainability and diversity, and you will support the team in engaging with government officials, industry stakeholders, and the media to advocate for UK Private Capital's sustainability and diversity goals. Additionally, you will contribute to the creation of policy recommendations and industry guidelines. You will also take responsibility for managing the delivery of the UK Private Capital’s annual Excellence in Sustainability and Impact Awards and provide dedicated secretariat support for the Sustainability Committee and related Taskforces.

Demonstrating one of our core values, you will be given opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the UK Private Capital and will work particularly closely with our External Affairs team on political and wider policy engagement. You will also use your networking skills to engage with our wider membership of venture capital, private equity and private credit firms. You will write briefing notes for senior colleagues and articles for the UK Private Capital’s technical publications, including its weekly newsletter.             

Joining UK Private Capital will offer you a unique opportunity to gain valuable experience and make a significant impact on policy matters at the intersection of finance, sustainability and diversity. You will be part of a dynamic and passionate team, working in a collaborative environment where your ideas and insights will be valued and appreciated.

Responsibilities:

• Working with the Sustainability and Diversity Mangers and Governance team you will provide dedicated secretariat support for the Sustainability Committee and related Taskforces. Including but not limited to being responsible for drafting up relevant agendas, organising and attending meetings, pinpointing focus areas, engaging with Committee members, compiling Committee paperwork, minute-taking and following up on action points, and projects or follow-up activity associated with them.
• Supporting the Head of Sustainability/Managers with wider ESG initiatives and sustainability focus areas beyond the Committee and Taskforces.
• Track and monitor regulatory developments and industry trends related to sustainability and diversity, ensuring the Sustainability Grid is accurately maintained.
• Support the development of sustainability and diversity policy recommendations and industry guidance, contributing to the drafting of consultation responses, briefing papers and industry guidance/reports. Lead and drive forward designated workstreams where appropriate, ensuring high-quality outputs and effective stakeholder engagement.
• Engage with and develop relationships with key stakeholders, for example in government and other trade associations.
• Proactively engage with industry stakeholders to gather insights to feed into UK Private Capital’s strategic policy and commercial discussions.
• Draft briefing notes for senior colleagues and insight pieces/articles for the UK Private Capital’s technical publications, including its weekly newsletter.
• Maintain and regularly update Sustainability-related content on our dedicated website pages, including the Responsible Investment Tool kit, Impact Investing Knowledge Hub, case studies, awards and committee pages (as well as others).
• Contribute to the organisation and coordination of sustainability and diversity events and initiatives. Work with the Events and Marketing teams to support the delivery of the annual Sustainability Conference and other sustainability related event series.
• Manage the delivery of the UK Private Capital’s annual Excellence in Impact and Sustainability Awards.
• Proactively support other UK Private Capital teams on their areas of work, in particular External Affairs and Membership. Work effectively with other teams to ensure the sustainability policy team’s work is understood.
• Contribute to and feed into broader cross cutting policy work, working alongside the External Affairs team where applicable.
• Work with policy team members to ensure CRM is up-to-date and tracking of other policy KPIs (e.g. submissions and committee attendance).

Skills & competencies:

• A degree in a relevant field such as policy, finance, sustainability, or economics.
• Experience or knowledge of sustainable finance and responsible investment practices is strongly preferred.
• Experience of the UK policy making process (beneficial but not a requirement).
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and synthesize complex information quickly.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to demonstrate effective communication with colleagues and proactively discuss working preferences, helping to ensure they can perform at their best while supporting the needs of the team.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with a keen attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with a collaborative, proactive and self-motivated attitude.
• Strong team focus and ability to collaborate effectively and smoothly with junior and senior team members and other UK Private Capital departments.
• Intellectual curiosity, a passion for working in sustainability and an ability to quickly build a thorough understanding of key policy issues affecting the industry.
• Proficiency in the use of MS Office including Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

Why come work for the UK Private Capital?

• Be part of a leading trade body that represents a world-leading UK industry, supporting the growth of the industry and deepening external stakeholders’ understanding of it, to the benefit of the industry and the country as a whole.
• 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; and a non-contractual day off for your birthday.
• Life and medical benefits: life assurance (four 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 two professional institutes; generous support for professional and personal development.
• UK Private Capital 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.