Business Advisor

The role

We’re looking for a Business Advisor who has a passion for helping start-ups thrive. This is an ideal position for someone who is interested in helping a broad range of founders across a variety of different industries. Someone who can manage multiple applications at various stages and support founders as required. You will need to be a strong team player, be highly organised and be willing to positively represent Virgin StartUp.

Business Advisors work with the Founder Support Team and our Funding Managers to support founders through the Start Up Loan Programme’s application process. Each Business Advisor works 1:1 with an applicant / founder to get a better understanding of each applicant and their business, prior to evaluating an application's suitability for Start Up Loan funding. 

Our Virgin Family

Join the Virgin Group – a diverse collective driving change, enhancing customer experience, and having a blast. We're daring, disrupting industries from finance to space, united as part of the Virgin Family.

VML:

Virgin Management, the heart of Virgin, nurtures the brand globally. Our diverse, 180-strong team in London and New York, supports every facet of the Virgin empire, including Virgin Unite, our entrepreneurial foundation, and Virgin Start-Up, empowering UK entrepreneurs. Working in synergy with various Virgin entities globally, our interests are as diverse as travel, health, music, media, finance, and space. Our unique work culture and purpose unite us. Virgin Start-Up is a subsidiary of VML.

VSU:

Born out of Virgin's entrepreneurial spirit in 2013, we're here to fuel the fire of the next generation of disruptors. As a not-for-profit, our mission is to propel start-ups to success. We offer advice, funding, mentorship, and training, creating a supportive community for every step of your journey. At Virgin StartUp, we transform business dreams into reality.

Our mission:

To create a thriving world through entrepreneurial initiatives. Our work revolves around:

• Incubating courageous collectives
• Backing entrepreneurial solutions
• Convening purposeful communities
• Challenging unacceptable issues

Tell me more

• Conducting an initial assessment of the viability of a business idea, determine what support is needed, agree action plans and provide feedback.
• Review applicant’s Business Plan and assist them to further develop and improve their underlying proposition and ensure Cash Flow Forecasts are accurate and financially sound, until they are ready to submit to the Loan Panel for a second review.
• Evaluate the application, providing a written assessment to support your decision to approve or decline, and present this to our in-house Loan Panel for a final decision to be made.
• Ensure that the support provided conforms to the Start Up Loans Company’s Minimum Standards and Lending Standards and any additional policies set out by Virgin StartUp.
• Motivate founders and manage caseload effectively to ensure founders are supported through their start up journey in a reasonable time frame.
• Keep our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform updated with interactions and documentation received.
• Work with the Founder Support Team to ensure a smooth and consistent applicant journey.
• Maintain all quality procedures relating to client files and records, in line with our requirements.
• Ensure work, at all times, conforms to our procedures and standards.

What you’ll need

• A passion for entrepreneurship and supporting others.
• Strong interpersonal skills, a real people person.
• Some direct experience in assessing Business Plans and Cash Flow Forecasts and the Start Up Loans Scheme is desirable, although training will be provided.
• An understanding of commercial businesses gained through either SME management, studies or experience of running own business.
• Reasonable knowledge of key aspects of business that affect the success of start-ups.
• Well-developed analytical skills, including the ability to assimilate complex information, identify and prioritise key issues and assist an applicant to identify practical solutions.
• Solid business acumen.
• Well-developed or keen to learn coaching, mentoring and motivational skills.
• Solid IT skills, proficient in Microsoft Office, especially in MS Excel.
• Excellent planning, organisational and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritise and manage a high volume of applicants.
• Accustomed to delivering excellent results against targets and meeting deadlines.
• Self-motivated, empathetic and good communicator.
• Flexible, adaptable, resourceful and resilient.
• Well-connected in the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and businesses that support it – desirable.
• Experience of using Salesforce / equivalent CRM – desirable. Training will be provided if not.

The extra details

Role type: Permanent

Location: London hub & your home space

Salary: £38,000 - £45,000

Working hours: Full time - We embrace flexible working. Let us know what hours empower you to be at your best both professionally and personally, we’ll try to find a perfect match for you and us.

Benefits: Dive into a fast-paced, evolving workspace, where your hard work and dedication is rewarded. Fancy unlimited holidays and weekly yoga? That's the Virgin way. We champion inclusion, wellbeing, and purposeful points strategies. Further benefits include flexible working, healthcare, dental schemes, pension contributions and an employee rewards scheme.

Closing date: 24 August 2023

Inclusivity statement

Ready to join a brand that dreams big and is visionary in our efforts to change business for good? We strive to make Virgin a family for everyone, by celebrating diversity and welcoming individuals of all background and skills. We treat our people fairly and encourage everyone to be themselves. Your unique qualities are valuable to us.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you'd like a little extra help, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey.

Excited to make each day rewarding? Don't worry if you don't match every job requirement - we'd still love to learn more about you!