British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution, owned by the UK Government. We invest with the aim of solving the biggest global development challenges by investing patient, flexible capital to support private sector growth and innovation.
We have over 70 years of experience successfully supporting the sustainable, long-term growth of businesses in Africa and Asia, and have recently expanded to invest in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean.
We invest to achieve impact and a financial return which is then reinvested for more impact. Over the past five years, we have committed almost £7 billion of new investments, with our net assets growing in value to approximately £7.5 billion. We are now invested in 1,200 businesses which directly employ over 900,000 workers and support many more. Over the next five years, we plan to grow further, and aim to commit around £9 billion of new investments over the period.
Our new five-year strategy responds to the opportunities and challenges facing developing and emerging economies. To ensure our capital is used in the best way possible to meet these opportunities and challenges, it sets out three clear strategic objectives – to invest in productive, sustainable and inclusive development. These objectives mean an increased focus on climate finance, including investing in green infrastructure; on financing digital transformation; and on driving inclusive outcomes, including through gender and diversity finance.
As part of our new strategy, we have changed our name to British International Investment (from 4 April 2022), to more accurately reflect our central role in the UK Government’s international financing offer.
In the last few years, we have expanded our presence in Africa and Asia by opening new offices in Bangladesh, Egypt, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Ghana; with additional locations opening soon.
We take an entrepreneurial approach to investment. We think innovatively about ways to deploy our capital, attract, and mobilise other investors, and drive transformational impact.
Deliver impact. We are a growing team of over 500 and place immense value on diversity within our organisation.
Read more about us and the new strategy at bii.co.uk
The Role and Purpose
BII’s Development Impact Management team is market-leading and provides technical leadership to assess, manage and evaluate the impact of our investments. BII’s objective is to push the boundaries in impact management within a world-class impact framework designed to deliver our Productive, Sustainable and Inclusive impact objectives. We take an active approach to impact management, utilising a framework based on the Impact Management Project’s consensus and the Operating Principles for Impact Management.
Our impact professionals work side-by-side with our investment teams to actively manage the impact of every investment we make. This approach is designed to create deals teams with the professional capability and expertise to reflect our mandate to improve people’s lives, protect the planet and make a financial return.
BII’s Development Impact Management team is made up of 22 people and operates a matrix structure of Leads organised by sector and regions (e.g Financial Services, Infrastructure & Climate, South Asia), embedded impact professionals who are sector specific and generalist impact professionals who work across products, sectors and regions.
Assignments will be based on experience and interests as well as on the needs of the DI-I team and may involve task-specific activities as well as broad team engagement.
Responsibilities may include inter alia:
The role is responsible for delivering effective and high-quality impact management consistent with BII’s Impact Framework, including:
analysing specific development impact themes and market issues to inform sector-specific impact approaches
working with DI-I team members to carry out specific transaction and portfolio analysis assignments to inform transaction design, assessment and portfolio management
helping with impact data compilation, validation, and analysis
helping to design specific development impact studies and evaluations that will build on the research to date
The Candidate
Background
Studying towards an advanced degree (MBA, MPhil, MSc, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, preferably in economics/econometrics, development finance or development studies.
Work experience in a relevant field, preferably within investment, management consultancy or development industry.
Work experience in developing countries, preferably in Africa and South Asia.
Our cultural values
We look for team members who aspire, as we do, to work at our best and to be:
Impact-led, commercially rigorous
Tenacious in the face of challenges
Collaborative and caring
British International Investment is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background.
Application Process
Please provide a cover letter with your application, and tell us why you would like to join the Summer Internship at BII, and why you have chosen to apply for this business area / team
Please apply for one internship only
Position opened: 24th October 2022
Position closes: 9th December 2022
Salary: £58, 135 (pro-rated over 8 or 10 weeks)
Please note BII will pay for flights to London for those studying internationally
We are the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, backed by the UK Government. With over 70 years’ experience, we are a trusted investment partner to businesses in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. We invest to create more productive, sustainable and inclusive economies, enabling people to build better lives for themselves and their communities. We currently partner with over 1,200 businesses, working with our investees to help them succeed and grow impactful businesses.
