Unilever
Unilever Ventures Finance Manager
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Unilever Ventures Finance Manager
Location: Unilever Ventures - 52 Conduit Street, London
Work-Level: WL2A
About Unilever Ventures (UV)
Unilever Ventures is the Venture Capital and Private Equity arm of Unilever with financially disciplined venture and growth capital capability, investing in emerging consumer brands, business models and technologies. As the consumer goods industry is reshaped by new entrants, new business models and new technologies emerging outside incumbent organisations, Unilever Ventures gives Unilever early access to strategically relevant external growth, selective ownership of emerging opportunities, acquisition familiarity, and market intelligence.
At a glance:
- Founded in 2002, with our fifth Fund launched in 2024, focused on Beauty, Personal Care and Wellbeing with c. €1bn assets under management
- Over 65 direct investments, hundreds more via our 30+ fund partners across Operations in Europe, North America and Asia
Role Purpose
The Finance Manager will support the financial management of Unilever Ventures and provide performance insight across its funds and portfolio, while progressively automating and simplifying core finance processes to create capacity in the role for higher-value investment analysis and decision support.
Core Responsibilities
Fund Performance:
- Own fund transaction recording, forecasting and performance reporting, ensuring clear and timely reporting to the Investment Committee.
- Report and explain key venture performance metrics, including IRR, TVPI, DPI, investment multiples, realised and unrealised returns, deployment and reserves.
- Monitor actual cash invested, forecast deployment versus fund limits and the adequacy of reserves for follow-on investments in current portfolio companies.
- Assess current and forecast return performance, working with the investment team to identify and quantify return risks.
Portfolio & Valuation:
- Coordinate the portfolio valuation process, ensuring consistency of methodology, models and documentation across funds. Challenge valuation assumptions with the investment team and ensure fair value and impairment conclusions are robust and well supported.
- Manage the portfolio review process, including delivery of the quarterly performance booklet and broader analysis of portfolio company performance. Identify matters requiring investment-team attention, such as under/over performance, cash runway and funding risks.
- Benchmark relevant portfolio financial and operating KPIs across UV, Unilever and external comparators where appropriate.
Finance & Control:
- Deliver Unilever monthly and quarterly reporting for relevant UV entities.
- Manage processing, budgeting, forecasting and review of fund overhead and deal costs.
- Manage the operational relationship with the external Fund Administrator, ensuring fund transactions are recorded accurately and on time.
- Maintain appropriate finance controls, reconciliations and reporting discipline across the UV finance operating model.
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Investment Decision Support:
- Partner with the investment team on new deal appraisal, financial due diligence review, decision analysis and post-investment action planning.
- Provide financial modelling and analysis to support investment decisions, portfolio prioritisation and follow-on funding considerations.
- Translate financial and portfolio data into clear insight for the investment team, Finance Controller and Investment Committee.
Data & Automation:
- Act as expert user for iLEVEL, including system maintenance, development, team training and improved use of portfolio data.
- Standardise valuation, forecasting and reporting models across funds.
- Simplify, automate and consolidate core finance, reporting and administration processes to reduce manual effort and create capacity for business partnering.
- Develop one consistent set of management information and processes across investment types and locations.
What Success Looks Like
- Reliable, well-controlled finance and reporting processes delivered accurately and on time.
- Clear, consistent performance reporting across funds, including fund metrics, valuation outputs, deployment and reserves.
- Portfolio risks and opportunities surfaced early, with actionable insight for the investment team.
- Valuation and forecasting processes that are consistent, transparent and appropriately challenged.
- Finance processes simplified and increasingly automated, enabling the role to shift towards higher-value investment analysis and decision support.
Candidate Profile
Essential
- Qualified accountant with strong accounting operations, controls and financial reporting experience.
- Advanced Excel, financial modelling and data management skills.
- Strong financial analysis capability, translating data into clear insight and recommendations.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, for finance and investment team audiences.
- Self-starter able to operate in a semi-autonomous environment, build relationships and identify priorities without constant direction.
- Continuous improvement mindset, with experience simplifying processes, improving reporting and using automation to reduce manual work.
Desirable
- Experience in venture capital, private equity, fund management or investment-led environments.
- Exposure to valuation processes, investment diligence, portfolio monitoring or deal appraisal.
- Experience with portfolio management systems such as iLEVEL or similar reporting platforms.
- Interest in using automation, data tools and emerging technology to improve processes.
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NOTES
What We Offer
Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.
Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.
Diversity at Unilever
Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever | Unilever.
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How is Unilever tackling this?
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