Company Description
About Octopus
At Octopus we’re transforming the industries we operate in and improving the lives of millions of people. We’ve built market-leading positions in a number of specialist sectors, including smaller company financing, renewable energy, healthcare and property finance. We employ in excess of 800 people and manage more than £9.1 billion on behalf of more than 50,000 investors. Our products don’t just help real people solve real life problems, they also make a positive impact on the world around us.
The Octopus Group incorporates Octopus Energy, Octopus Renewables, Octopus Real Estate, Octopus Investments, Octopus Ventures and Octopus Labs. Our aim is to have an impact in everything we do, and to make a vital contribution to the UK economy by helping people, companies and institutions generate wealth. And we’re always on the look-out for smart, talented people who share our values.
About Octopus Ventures
Octopus Ventures, part of Octopus Group, is one of the largest VCs in Europe. We invest in the people, the ideas and the industries that will help change the world. Our investment team is built to specialise in the five areas where we see the most potential for growth and innovation: health, fintech, deep tech, consumer and B2B software. Since 2008 we have backed over 130 teams, some of whom have gone on to join forces with the world’s largest businesses including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter.
With £1.7 billion under management and investing over £200 million a year, Octopus Ventures is one of the largest and most active venture investors in Europe. We tend to invest from £1 million for Seed to £10 million for Series B and we can continue to fund the companies we back right through to IPO. We are based in London and New York with a network that spans from San Francisco to China. The companies we back become a part of this network, with access to a formidable resource of experience and expertise.
Job Description
Our Portfolio Talent Team is core to Octopus Ventures’ belief: people are the most important part of building any business. We partner with investors and founders alike, to help their companies by helping them recruit and retain talent. As a Talent expert you will know that to build a great team takes discipline and creativity, and that every company approaches their team and culture slightly differently. In this role, you would work with companies to help them set talent foundations and build teams such that they are able to scale.
B2B Software is 1 of our 5 investment verticals. Current companies include Ometria, Calastone, Digital Shadows, Conversocial, and more. Our companies are based in the UK, but usually expand internationally as well.
In this role you will partner with the B2B Software Portfolio, and will serve as the B2B expert on the Portfolio Talent Team. In addition to implementing core talent foundations, you will help companies develop their plans and strategy for scaling their commercial teams (sales, account management, BD, etc.). You will also help the companies with the hiring plans for their first commercial leaders, and board members, who are critical to the ultimate success of these businesses.
What you are working on can vary from day to day. You can expect to be spending your time with portfolio companies, building resources for a broader group of businesses, and working with the OV Talent Team on different initiatives that will continue to establish OV Talent in market.
Qualifications
Results Expected:
- Work with the B2B Software Portfolio to help all companies recruit / retain their talented teams, particularly commercial teams and leaders
- Establish yourself as the go-to Talent Partner for the B2B Software investment team, working with them to set the strategic plan for supporting the portfolio
- Work with the investment team in the due diligence process, and onboard all new companies
- Build a network with relevant recruitment partners, L+D partners, and advisors that could support the companies
- Identify the commercial leaders and board members of the future, proactively build a network in order to connect them to companies
- Identify and seize on opportunities across the B2B Software portfolio and community for connection, shared learning, and collaboration.
- Work with the Portfolio Talent Team to develop materials, products, and initiatives that will support recruitment and retention across the portfolio
- Respond to any inquiries from OV team or Portfolio company w/in 12 working hours
Core Competencies:
- Deep knowledge of scaling B2B Software teams - you understand the ins and outs of how these organisations scale, what roles to hire for and when, who the best commercial leaders are, and will identify the type of people that could chair these companies.
- Project Management - you can take on a complex challenge, outline a project, and execute flawlessly
- Networker – you are able to build and maintain a strong network of leaders, partners, and experts alike
- Partner – you build trust and credibility quickly with leaders
- Proactive problem solver – when you see an issue, you are quick to address and actively work to prevent issues.
Additional Information
Our Values and DNA
At Octopus we don't just focus on what we do but also how we do it. Everyone shares our values of being straightforward, helpful and bold. And while these are the principles that guide us as an organisation, our DNA goes even further, by revealing our inner strengths:
- We are loyal: we fully buy-in to the company's vision and believe in everything that Octopus stands for.
- We are respectful: we live and breathe the Octopus values of being helpful, straightforward and bold.
- We are resilient: we have an inner strength that means we never give in.
- We are intellectually curious: we seek to understand how the world works and were always learning, adapting and improving.
- We understand who our customers are: and because we know them really well, we always give them our very best.
What we offer
Octopus has built an exciting and inclusive high-performance culture where employees feel empowered. This means we welcome discussions around flexible working hours. We also understand the value of diversity, and we have a team dedicated to promoting gender, ethnic, socio-economic, LGBT and disability equality, to make sure we back up our words with actions. All Octopus employees are given the opportunity to develop new skills, aim higher and accelerate their careers.