Associate, Life Sciences Venture Capital

  • Full-time

Company Description

The JDRF T1D Fund is a venture philanthropy fund accelerating life-changing solutions to treat, prevent, and cure type 1 diabetes (T1D) through catalytic commercials investments. Through its investments in partnership with private capital, including venture capital, pharma and foundations, the T1D Fund seeks to attract the private investment necessary to advance drugs, devices, diagnostics, and vaccines into the hands of those living with T1D. The T1D Fund invests in areas strategically aligned with JDRF, with an exclusive focus on the best commercial opportunities. The T1D Fund will reinvest any realized gains into new investments to further its mission.

The T1D Fund was publically launched in January, 2017 to deploy a venture capital model towards our mission, and is continuing to grow its >$70M in assets under management.  The Fund has made investments in 12 portfolio companies to date and will continue to be a highly active investor.  JDRF, the world’s largest nonprofit funder of T1D research, seeded the Fund with an initial $32M in investment capital and is continuing to separately support the operating expenses of the Fund.  Success is predicated on the Fund’s relationship and leverage of JDRF resources, yet the Fund governed as a separate vehicle with an independent investment team, board, and investment committee, allowing for nimble and effective decision making.  This new model has been highly visible, with coverage in outlets including the New York Times, Bloomberg TV, and Axios.

Job Description

OPPORTUNITY

The JDRF T1D Fund is seeking an Associate to assist in sourcing and evaluating potential investment and company creation opportunities, research and perform due diligence on prospective deals, assist deal execution and project management, and support our portfolio companies.  The Associate would also collaborate with scientific and other staff within our parent organization, JDRF, in support of our Venture Philanthropy investments and our strategic mission.

POSITION 
This role provides a unique opportunity to be part of a life sciences Venture Philanthropy firm, and drive new investments in strategic partnership with a leading disease focused foundation (JDRF).  The fund is focused on investing in type 1 diabetes (T1D) opportunities regardless of approach, including drug, device, vaccine, and regenerative medicine products. 

The ideal candidate will have both science and business backgrounds. The candidate must have a degree in life sciences and/or medicine along with business experience in venture capital, strategic consulting, investment banking, equity research or business or corporate development in life sciences. T1D expertise is a positive but not required. 

The Associate will be expected to operate in a start-up environment and exhibit independence and leadership capabilities.  The position will frequently interact with our external stakeholders in industry and venture capital, as well as our internal stakeholders at JDRF. The position will be based in Boston and will require some travel.  The position is available immediately and has long-term potential for advancement within the fund.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Lead scientific due diligence in partnership with the JDRF Research group and outside experts.
  • Assist in all stages of business due diligence including investment specific diligence, market analysis and financial modeling, and conducting primary and secondary research.
  • Review and evaluate new business plans.
  • Source new investment opportunities through analysis of scientific and market opportunities and identify appropriate targets, attend industry events (such as conferences), and contact and build relationships with key academics and executives.
  • Key role in deal and pipeline management including deal review and tracking, deal meetings, etc.  Prepare and maintain internal documentation on potential investments/portfolio. companies, including investment memos and financial analyses. Create, update and maintain proprietary firm databases.
  • Create presentations and build financial models to support new and ongoing investments
  • Expected to be actively involved in portfolio management and fund strategy.
  • Support existing portfolio company investments by coordinating interactions with the T1D Fund and JDRF and through ongoing analysis.
  • Perform other tasks as necessary to support the team.

Qualifications

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Demonstrated passion for life sciences and healthcare, with degree in relevant scientific discipline.  Advanced degree a plus.
  • Experience with Type 1 Diabetes or related therapeutic areas or disciplines (immunology, metabolic disease, regenerative medicine, etc.) a plus.
  • Must be an entrepreneurial individual with ability to work and exhibit leadership in a dynamic, start-up environment. Must be able to pro-actively prioritize competing demands and deliver high-quality results.
  • Experience with corporate finance, equity financing, and relevant financial modeling required.
  • Exceptional written, verbal and interpersonal skills (including networking) are required.
  • Prior experience in venture capital, strategic consulting, investment banking, equity research or business or corporate development in life sciences required.  Post-MBA candidates from top institutions with prior relevant real-world experience will also be considered.
  • Must have strong integrity and work ethic, and be a team player.  Interest in working for a mission driven organization required.
  • Experience in written and oral communication to senior executive level audiences a plus. 

Additional Information

JDRF is an Equal Opportunity Employer.