Principal, Venture Capital

Role Overview

BDC’s Thrive Venture Fund is a major global venture fund focused on backing Canadian women entrepreneurs. Launched in autumn 2022 with a fund size of $300M, it invests in women-led, fast-growing, innovation-driven technology businesses across Canada. The fund looks for founders and teams building breakthrough solutions with a triple-bottom-line mindset: people, planet, and profit. It is sector-agnostic and typically invests from late seed through Series B in businesses with strong growth prospects and scalable market opportunities.

As a Principal, you will be a senior investment professional within the fund team, contributing across sourcing, diligence, execution, and portfolio management. You will help identify opportunities, lead detailed analysis, support transaction execution, and help guide the ongoing performance of portfolio companies. The position also involves representing BDC Capital in the broader ecosystem, supporting Partners on deal leadership, and mentoring Analysts, Associates, and Associate Principals.

What BDC Offers

• A workplace built on inclusion, health, and strong team culture, where employees are encouraged to take initiative.
• Competitive benefits such as an Employee Savings and Investment Plan with employer matching, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, and a $750 wellness and healthcare spending account.
• Paid vacation every year, five personal days, sick leave as needed, and office closure from December 25 to January 1.
• A hybrid working arrangement designed to better support work-life balance.
• Access to learning, training, and professional development opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain investment research files, business plans, and periodic company reports in line with internal policies and procedures.
• Help create a strong, collaborative, high-performance team culture within the fund.
• Support team development by managing workload, coaching colleagues, and identifying opportunities to expand responsibilities.
• Contribute to recruiting efforts and onboarding when needed.
• Take the lead on early-stage company evaluation by reviewing business plans, coordinating founder communication, and preparing interview guides and recommendation memos.
• Develop and strengthen relationships within the investment community and act as a representative for the fund, BDC Capital, and BDC.
• Collaborate with investment partners and other funds to support deal flow and syndication relationships.
• Track major trends and developments in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and help raise the fund’s visibility through networking.
• Help source and identify venture-stage companies that fit the team’s investment criteria.
• Drive complex due diligence across market, competitive, management, sales, product, cap table, and other relevant business areas.
• Conduct reference checks with competitors, customers, experts, and current or former employees of target companies.
• Prepare investment memos and assist Partners in presenting opportunities to the Investment Committee.
• Verify, audit, and fact-check information shared by companies.
• Review and provide input on legal documents negotiated by the transaction lead.
• Support ongoing investor relationships with portfolio company leadership and respond promptly and professionally to requests.
• Take ownership for a subset of portfolio companies, including operational communication, board meeting participation where needed, and escalation of critical issues.
• Help portfolio companies with introductions, governance, financing, strategic planning, marketing, and other operational needs.
• Support value-creation initiatives that help portfolio companies move toward exit outcomes.

Ideal Background

The preferred candidate has 7 to 10 years of experience in work requiring structured thinking, financial analysis, and technical depth. Relevant experience may come from venture capital, private equity, investment banking, accounting, startups, leading corporations, industry-specific roles, consulting, law, corporate strategy, or corporate development.

A bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Economics, Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics is expected, although other educational backgrounds may be considered if backed by strong analytical ability. A graduate degree or equivalent professional certification is considered an advantage, such as an MBA, a STEM master’s or PhD, or CFA designation.

Technical Requirements

• Solid understanding of the investment process from sourcing through diligence and portfolio management.
• Ability to interpret financial statements and turn them into business insights.
• Advanced Excel capability, including financial modeling, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, and complex data work.
• Working knowledge of Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong structured problem-solving and communication skills.
• Ability to write concise, polished, and persuasive investment memos.
• Technical skills such as coding, chemistry, or electronics are beneficial.
• Experience in a technical industry is an advantage.
• French-English bilingual ability is an added asset.

Behavioral Expectations

• A helpful, proactive mindset with the ability to anticipate fund needs and support Partners by handling operational work.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build productive relationships across internal and external stakeholders.
• Professional presence and the ability to influence effectively with business audiences at both operational and executive levels.
• Leadership orientation and the willingness to take initiative within team settings.
• Commitment to coaching junior team members and sharing knowledge.
• Open, continuous learner who can give and receive feedback constructively.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment with demanding deadlines.

Additional Information

BDC states that it is one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers. The organization emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and encourages employees to bring their full selves to work. If accommodation is required during the application process, candidates may contact accessibility@bdc.ca.

Only candidates selected for the recruitment process will be contacted.