Director, Teachers' Venture Growth - North America

The Opportunity

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (“Teachers”) is the largest single profession pension plan in Canada. Established as an independent organization in 1990, Teachers’ has built an internationally recognized reputation for innovation and leadership in active investment management. Today, Teachers’ manages more than C$250B in capital on behalf of 340K teachers in the province of Ontario, Canada. Notably, 80% of Teachers’ AUM is managed directly by more than 400 investment professionals operating from offices based in Singapore, Mumbai, London, San Francisco & Toronto.

Teachers’ Venture Growth (TVG) is the investment department within Teachers’ focusing on late-stage venture and growth equity investments into technology companies. Established in 2019, TVG’s grown its global investment portfolio to C$10.0B . TVG’s strategy involves both direct and fund investments and operates with a global team of over 30 professionals.

TVG is hiring a Director for the North American direct investment team, to be based in San Francisco. This individual requires a passion for focusing on late-stage venture and growth equity investments into businesses leveraging technology to create durable companies.   The TVG team is accountable for achieving risk-adjusted returns appropriate to earlier stage exposures; assisting in mitigating disruptions-related Investments risk (from a total fund perspective); and ensuring that OTPP can confidently access new frontiers of technology and opportunity globally.   

Who you’ll work with

You will work collaboratively across the global TVG team and specifically as a leader within TVG’s North America team. The role also requires collaboration in partnership across OTPP departments and investment teams (Equities & INR) as well as with the Total Fund Management and Risk teams, to help drive enhanced sector and investment stage specialization and regional coordination. Active partnership with your OTPP regional and asset class colleagues and external relationship management capabilities are vital to success in the role.

What you'll do

• Lead or support in all aspects of a deal, from origination, screening, and due diligence, to structuring, negotiation, and ultimately active portfolio management.

• Develop investment theses capitalizing on your strengths paired with TVG’s unique platform and capabilities.

• Manage and develop investment talent, inside a strengths based cultural framework

• Lead deal negotiations and execution of agreements and legal documents with relevant counterparties.

• Lead and contribute to the preparation of investment memorandum along all stages of a deal lifecycle.

• Present investment recommendations to the relevant internal committees, as required.

• Remain involved working with management teams, partners and others, as relevant, to deliver on the investment thesis post investment, driving value creation. Includes the opportunity to represent TVG as a Board Director or Board Observer

• Deliver on internal requirements to support the portfolio, for example, semi-annual valuations, portfolio reports, risk modeling, etc.,

• Support talent recruitment, retention, and development. Talent development activities include ensuring TVG team members develop core technical skills and gain exposure to all facets of a transaction.

• Contribute to other OTPP initiatives defined by TVG senior leadership including initiatives crafted to share the insights and relationships of TVG across the broader organization.

• Build effective partnerships with globally with fellow investors, entrepreneurs, VC and growth equity-focused service providers.

• Partner and connect with the global TVG team working collaboratively for the fund’s success.

• Develop and refine long term investment theses, designing strategies to build private company portfolios set to deliver exceptional returns.

• Lead critical diligence and research streams.

• Consider valuation implications related to company, industry and macro environments taking into account TVG’s mandate to pursue minority investments into private technology companies.

• Lead by example, with sourcing, deal execution and portfolio management.

• Provide focused thinking, sound judgment and operate with conviction.

• Develop a good knowledge of the economic/characteristics, conditions and trends of a broad range of industries and of their investment characteristics.

What you'll need

• Bachelor’s degree required, graduate degree (MBA or other) is an asset but not a pre-requisite.

• Proven track record executing deals, supporting portfolio companies, and developing investor talent, across the late-stage venture or growth equity investment landscape is required. Preferably have managed multiple technology investments thru full investment lifecycle: (investment, BOD experience, exit support (M&A/IPO), with exposure to both significant minority growth capital and control transactions.

• Experience in direct investing (late-stage venture, growth equity, or private equity), in either control, co-control and minority ownership investments.

• Experience across multiple technology sectors and both public and private markets is a strong asset.

• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills, including both the ability to perform in-depth analysis as well as to efficiently determine what analysis is needed to answer key questions.

• Balance priorities, work independently with minimal direction, lead projects and thrive in a high-performance team environment.

• Be entrepreneurial, self-motivated, results and growth oriented, while recognizing your role on the team and the importance of collaboration within a strengths based organizational culture.

• Sophisticated financial modeling skills in Excel, paired with communication/presenting skills in PowerPoint and Word.

• The ability to write clear, concise, investment memos.

• Ability to travel frequently, including international.

• Deep passion for working on a team in pursuit of an ambitious goal.

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What we’re offering

• Pay-for-performance environment that offers competitive salary and incentive

• Numerous opportunities for professional growth and development

• Comprehensive employer paid benefits coverage

• A flexible/hybrid work environment combining in office collaboration and remote working

• Competitive time off

• Our Flexible Travel Program gives you the option to work abroad in another region/country for up to a month each year

At Ontario Teachers', diversity is one of our core strengths. We take pride in ensuring that the people we hire and the culture we create, reflect and embrace diversity of thought, background and experience. Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy and our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), we celebrate diversity and foster inclusion through events for colleagues to connect for professional development, networking & mentoring.  We are building an inclusive and equitable workplace where our talent is respected, accepted and empowered to be themselves.  To learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, check out Life at Teachers'.

How to apply

Are you ready to pursue new challenges and take your career to the next level? Apply today! You may be invited to complete a pre-recorded digital interview as part of your application.

Accommodations are available upon request (peopleandculture@otpp.com) for candidates with a disability taking part in the recruitment process and once hired.

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in the country where this role is located.

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