Advanced Specialist,Pearson Ventures Job Washington area,District of Columbia USA,Finance & Banking

Advanced Specialist, Pearson Ventures

This role aligns to the industry title - Associate.

Pearson, the world's leading learning company, is hiring an Advanced Specialist, Pearson Ventures to serve as a strategic contributor in our Innovation Architecture team within the Office of the CTO.

Position Overview

Pearson Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Pearson, dedicated to investing in innovative education technology and workforce companies that align with Pearson's mission to empower lifelong learning and drive strategic growth and innovation. The team is responsible for (i) sourcing, executing and managing a portfolio of strategic investments, and (ii) developing and managing strategic partnerships with companies in that portfolio.

We collaborate closely with Pearson's five business divisions as well as the corporate M&A and Strategy teams, so your work will provide you with many learning and networking opportunities. We have significant exposure to Pearson's CEO, CFO and the Pearson executive team.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Investments are direct minority investments made to accelerate Pearson's strategy.

You will be:

Sourcing and evaluating potential investments:

Independently lead market analyses and proactively identify key opportunities and trends
Proactively reaching out to and engaging with early-stage companies that align with Pearson Ventures' investment strategy
Networking with other investors, advisors, and Pearson executives to identify and evaluate attractive investment opportunities

Transaction execution:

Supporting the due diligence process and creating valuation / returns analyses
Writing investment memos that are presented to our Investment Committee
Interacting with co-Investors and their advisors as needed
Providing support on negotiating legal agreements

Portfolio & stakeholder management:

Ensuring the strategic objectives underlying investments deals are tracked and delivered
Owning fund and portfolio reporting in collaboration with accounting and governance partners
Supporting internal presentations to Pearson's executive team and advisory committee

Qualifications and Experience Required for the Role:

Passion for education and Pearson's mission
BA/BS degree + some relevant experience (venture capital, investment banking, strategy consulting, or corporate development)
Proficient in financial modelling and valuation analysis; strong grasp of accounting and financial statements
Intellectually curious, able to learn and explain new concepts quickly
Excellent attention to detail and follow-through
Clear written and verbal communication
Executive presence and confidence with founders and senior management
Self-starter, comfortable with ambiguity, able to work independently
Demonstrated ability to apply AI and automation to streamline investment processes