Experienced Summer Intern - BII Plus (MBA, MSc or equivalent)

About BII

British International Investment is the UK’s development finance institution, owned by the UK Government. With a mission to solve the biggest global development challenges, we aim to create a virtuous circle of investment and impact. Your contribution will be essential. 

It won’t be easy: we do the hardest work in the most complex markets. Be prepared to test your skills, get creative and say your piece as you take on high-profile work as part of a diverse team of exceptionally smart, passionate people. 

In return, you can take your career to all-new places in a culture that rewards curiosity and collaboration, and balances high performance with wellbeing.

BII at a glance

75 years supporting sustainable business growth in developing and emerging markets

£8.1 billion in net assets

1,400+ businesses invested in

950,000 workers in the businesses we support

£9 billion in new investments planned in the next 5 years

600+ people in our diverse global team

3 key development objectives: Productive | Sustainable | Inclusive

Team and role overview

BII Plus is BII’s advisory facility to support investees and to unlock systemic barriers to impactful investment across Africa and Asia. BII Plus is aligned with the investment sectors of BII working hand in hand with investment teams to identify, design and manage advisory opportunities.

Specifically, BII Plus supports technical assistance projects and programmes across BII’s three sector groups:

• FSG – Financial Services Group,
• I&C – Infrastructure and Climate group, and
• ITS – Industries, Technology and Services Group.

BII Plus works with industry stakeholders to develop and test solutions to address business challenges or uncover opportunities in priority sectors and geographies.  BII Plus also seeks to support projects that shape the private sector’s approach to cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, climate change, job quality and human capital.

The team provides support to deepen our portfolio’s development impact. We support our companies to become more inclusive and sustainable by providing technical expertise and in some cases, co-funding, for targeted value-addition activities. For example:

• Supporting innovative business models to reach underserved groups through distribution support or by developing new or enhanced processes
• Co-develop innovative climate and gender finance solutions & products
• Provide core business strengthening advisory to the investees in our frontier markets
• Improving workforce diversity, job quality and gender diversity
• Providing expertise and capacity building to investees within our Catalyst Strategies to improve their performance and chances of delivering impact
• Deliver exciting projects with experts from teams across the Investment & Impact Group

Over the last year BII has scaled-up its technical assistance activity to unlock impactful investments and promote sustained practice changes in its portfolio and the wider market.  At present, the BII Plus team consists of six members of the project team and three members in cross-cutting operations functions for Finance, Communications and Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL). To date, we have designed and managed over 250+ technical assistance projects and programmes, and BII Plus’s portfolio is expected to continue to grow.

Purpose

BII has a longstanding commitment to Financial Services, with a portfolio of over $2bn invested across more than 150 investees, representing about one-third of BII’s total portfolio by value. Over the last three years, the team has deployed $1b+ across Africa and South Asia, with a strong pipeline of additional investment opportunities. In 2020, the gross loan portfolio of our financial sector investments, converted to US dollars, stood at over $100 billion, reaching over 120 million customers.

In recent years, BII has scaled up its advisory services to unlock impactful investments and promote sustained improvements in financial services, specifically targeting underserved groups, green sectors, and high-impact SMEs.

As an intern, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience by contributing to various Technical Assistance projects within BII’s Financial Services team. This role is designed for someone eager to learn about financial services in emerging markets while supporting the team in delivering advisory services and driving positive change in the sector. You will work closely with seasoned professionals and will be involved in research, data analysis, pipeline development and advisory project development and delivery, providing you with a strong foundation in both investment and advisory work.

Responsibilities

The BII Plus intern will provide support to various advisory projects and programs in the financial services sector. Key responsibilities will include:

• Collaborate with FSG Plus team to enable the Financial Services investment teams (Equity, Debt, Financial Services Funds, Trade and Supply Chain Finance, and Intermediated Credit) to identify and support opportunities to provide technical assistance to current investees, advancing BII’s impact priorities, including sustainability and inclusion.
• Conduct research and data analysis to support initiatives aimed at addressing systemic barriers to investment in the financial services sector, such as climate-directed lending or SME financing in emerging markets.
• Conduct research and interact with investees to analyse the suitability of our advisory projects and develop and design holistic advisory package to compliment our BII’s investments.
• Assist in monitoring the progress and performance of FSG Plus projects, ensuring they align with BII’s impact goals, particularly in improving financial services for underserved groups.
• Help prepare presentations, reports, and materials for meetings, Steering Groups and BII Plus Committee, contributing to building relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work closely with the BII Plus and FSG sector teams on various tasks to ensure a smooth alignment of advisory and investment initiatives.
• Support team members by assisting with project management and administrative tasks, helping maintain the efficiency of ongoing programs and projects.
• Engage and collaborate with the broader BII Plus team including members supporting other sectors, country programmes/platforms and strategic programmes for holistic development

The candidate (please note, this programme is not for undergraduates)

Background, skills, aptitude

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a Masters degree in a relevant discipline such as Economics, Business, Finance, or related fields.
• Demonstrated interest or academic experience in the financial services sector, with a focus on emerging markets, particularly in Africa and/or Asia, being an advantage.
• Strong research, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to collect, interpret, and present data effectively.
• Basic understanding or willingness to learn about development finance, including investment products, financial services, and advisory mechanisms aimed at underserved groups such as SMEs, green finance, and gender/inclusion initiatives.
• Interest in understanding how investments are structured and how development impact can be achieved through financial services in emerging markets.
• Familiarity with, or a strong desire to learn about, the role of technical assistance in enhancing the impact of investments.
• Good organizational skills, with the ability to manage time effectively, prioritize tasks, and contribute to multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present research findings and collaborate with team members from diverse backgrounds.
• A self-motivated and proactive approach to learning, with a willingness to take on new challenges and contribute to the team’s success.
• Enthusiastic about working in a dynamic team environment and contributing to impactful financial services projects in emerging markets.
• Strong analytical and research skills as well as proficiency in MS Office.

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. 

Application Process 

• Please provide a cover letter with your application, and tell us why you would like to join the Summer Internship at BII, and why you have chosen to apply for this business area / team
• Please apply for one internship only
• Position opened: 28 October 2024
• Position closes: 01 December 2024
• Salary: £64,390 (pro-rated over 8 or 10 weeks)

Please note BII will pay for flights to London for those studying internationally