Governance Officer Apprentice, General Counsel and External Affairs

Our mission and objectives

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 75 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 £7 billion of new investments, with our net assets growing in value to approximately £8.1 billion. We are now invested in 1,400 businesses which directly employ over 950,000 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 current 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.

We changed our name to British International Investment in 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, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ghana and Singapore; with further expansion planned.

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 team of over 600 and place immense value on diversity within our organisation.

Read more about us and the strategy at www.bii.co.uk

Apprenticeship – role overview

Starting in June 2024, our apprenticeship programme at BII will provide you with a fully funded professional qualification (Governance Officer, level 4) and opportunity to develop a range of skills while spending 20-months in our General Counsel and External Affairs team.

The Governance Officer Apprentice will play a key role in the Company Secretary team, combining providing excellent service to the British International Investment Board and subsidiary Boards. This role will allow the successful candidate to learn about how governance works in a multi-faceted team while providing a real contribution to the corporate governance of British International Investment. The role will support the Company Secretary team on a variety of governance matters while undertaking formal apprenticeship learning through our provider, CSA.

Team overview

The Company Secretary team advises and supports the Board of British International Investment on corporate governance matters.
The team manages all aspects of Board governance, including meeting management, Board materials support, advice to the Board on succession planning, corporate governance and corporate compliance.
The team manages and/or oversees the corporate governance of British International Investment’s subsidiaries, both in the UK and overseas, focusing on Board composition, filings and meeting governance.
The team manages meetings of the Executive Committee and the Operations Committee and provides meeting support to the Markets Committee.

Responsibilities

• Assisting the team with corporate statutory filings in the UK and overseas jurisdictions.
• Maintaining and updating our in-house compliance tool to ensure filing deadlines are met.
• Assisting the team with drafting key corporate documentation such as Board resolutions, meeting notices, annual general meeting papers.
• Assisting the team with the management of Board and committee meetings and production of meeting materials.
• Developing skills in minute-writing.
• Collaborating with colleagues in cross-functional groups on matters with a corporate governance focus.
• Assisting the team with collating corporate information for know-your-client requests about British International Investment from third parties.

What we look for - Eligibility, background, skills, aptitude

• This position is designed for, and ideally suited to, school leavers or undergraduates holding three A levels, grades A* to C (or equivalent).
• You must have achieved Level 2 in English and Maths (equivalent to GCSE grade 9-4/A*-C)
• To comply with the apprenticeship eligibility rules, at the start of the apprenticeship you must be aged 18 or over, living in England, and not in full time education and have the right to work in the UK.
• A strong commitment towards successfully completing the Level 4 Governance Officer Apprenticeship.

Essential skills:

• Motivated and proactive, with a high level of attention to detail and accuracy
• Clear verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent time management, prioritisation and organisation and the ability to manage and meet competing deadlines
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Flexibility in working styles to suit business needs (e.g., in cross-functional teams, independent working)
• Integrity and discretion when handling confidential information

Desirable skills:

• IT skills, including knowledge of (or the ability to pick up quickly) Microsoft Office, Diligent Entities and Board Intelligence
• The capability to work with numerical information, plus analytical and problem-solving skills
• Candidates should be strongly motivated by BII’s development mission and ideally demonstrate some commitment to development or social goals through previous executive or non-executive activity.
   

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. 

Please provide a cover letter with your application.