Job Description

JOB PURPOSE:

Aramco Ventures (AV) is the corporate venturing arm of Aramco, a world leading integrated energy and chemicals company.  The mission of the strategic venturing program – our $1.5 billion sustainability fund and $500MM digital/industrial fund – is ‘to invest globally into start-up and high growth companies with technologies of strategic importance to Aramco, to accelerate their development and deployment in Aramco’s operations’.  Established in 2012 with an initial investment capital allocation of $500MM, AV is a leading corporate venturing program globally and within the energy industry and aims to be seen as a leading value-adding strategic investor in the global venture capital community. The Sustainability fund, announced in October 2022, supports Aramco’s ambitions to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions across its wholly owned operated assets by 2050, development of new lower-carbon fuels businesses, and furthering Aramco’s broader environmental objectives. The original $500 million fund from 2012 is now expected to be evergreen and has been refocused on digital and industrial technologies that can add value to Aramco’s operations.

AV’s investment team is responsible for identifying, executing and managing investments for the program, ensuring strategic relevance of technologies to Aramco and generating an attractive financial return on investment.  AV is headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, with two key regional investment teams located in North America and Europe, in proximity to global energy innovation and venture capital hubs.  AV has adopted an activist investment strategy, commonly leading and structuring its investment transactions, and commonly taking board seat or board observer positions in its portfolio companies. The investment team also supports AV’s business development team in driving the adoption of technologies in Aramco. AV focuses on Sustainability investments in the following sectors: carbon management, utilization, and storage, including direct air capture, renewables and energy storage, greenhouse gas emissions detection and reduction, energy efficiency, nature-based greenhouse gas mitigation, digital solutions, greenhouse gas tracing and trading, hydrogen and ammonia value chains, synthetic renewable fuels, and water and air quality.  For investments in the digital/industrial sectors, the focus is primarily on digital solutions that can provide operational benefit in terms of cost savings, capital efficiency, safety, workforce and human capital development, or competitive advantage.  We also selectively invest in disruptive technologies, hardware solutions, as well as technologies which could allow for alternative uses of hydrocarbon-based materials

OVERVIEW:

The Investment Principal is responsible for supporting all aspects of venture capital investing including sourcing, evaluation, development of investment memoranda, negotiation, execution, portfolio management, performance reporting, and exits of deals in the Western Hemisphere.  This position will focus on investments in downstream oil & gas, energy efficiency, digitization and enterprise software for large industrial corporates including AI, renewable energy and water technologies.

Aramco’s regional investment teams are responsible for identifying and executing opportunities for investment in North America, Europe and globally.  The teams will coordinate screening of new proposals with Saudi Aramco entities and corporate operations, perform extensive on-the-ground due diligence on target companies and its management, and lead the investment process and portfolio management of portfolio companies.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

Deal Sourcing & Screening

• Develop strong and wide networks with venture capital community, including other investors, Portfolio Companies, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, universities and research centers in North America.
• Source quality deals through networking and maintains deal flow & contact database entries.
• Support screening processes to vet deals through strategic value considerations and economic soundness.
• Performs site visits, calls and interviews with start-up management.
• Create, contribute to and/or maintain novel investment theses relevant to our mandate.
• Expertise in using AI tools to leverage and augment all the above points.

Investment Process

• Coordinate and lead in-depth company and market evaluations and due diligence that would cover a review of the target company’s management team, technology/IP, company financials, proposal’s market potential, competitive positioning, company governance and structure, etc.
• Develop comprehensive Investment Memoranda for Investment Committee review.
• Provide professional recommendations on investments.
• Lead Term Sheet development and negotiation.
• Coordinate with legal counsel review of target company legal due diligence.
• Coordinate execution of investment deals.

Portfolio Management

• Represent equity ownership in portfolio companies through Board seat representation either through an active role or in an observer’s capacity. Monitor and add value to investments.
• Coordinate timely information on company related issues to headquarters and management.
• Develop strategy and execution for follow-on investment.
• Coordinate the generation of strategic value via interfaces with Saudi Aramco.
• Support portfolio companies diligently to succeed, adding value to the portfolio. 
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with portfolio investments and ensure portfolio companies have suitable risk mitigation processes & strategies in place.

Deal Exits

• Develop exit strategy options.
• Develop exit recommendations for Investment Committee review.
• Negotiate terms and agreement of exit with Portfolio Company and partners.
• Execute exit process.

Team Management

• Lead individual investment processes and be a team player to achieve team goals of investment returns, entrepreneurial success and corporate deployment and value add.
• Train and manage the development of corporate professionals as requested.

Reporting & Communication

• Oversee periodic information and updates on portfolio performance to headquarters and management.
• Oversee proper communication protocol with affiliate offices and support teams.

Competencies

• Leadership - demonstrate ability to deliver results.  Thinks strategically, take a risk-based perspective and long-term view of the business.  Establishes and evaluates proposals in a sound manner to achieve positive results.
• Communications - must have strong oral and written communications skills.  Ability to clearly articulate and both support and challenge ideas and recommendations.  Strong relationship skills and can proactively engage with peers and start-up company management to resolve issues.
• Teamwork - aligns actions to promote achievement of team goals, influences others’ activities toward group goals, and inspires self-confidence in others, places high priority on team performance, helps others be successful, resolves conflicts and removes obstacles. 
• Analyzes problems - capable of analyzing problems in a logical manner and recommending solutions, considers both the long- and short-term impact of proposed solutions and develops workable solutions.
• Accountable - takes responsibility for actions, makes decisions on best data available and follows through, remains focused on delivering to goals and managing risk.
• Ethical and honest, high integrity and trustworthy 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree Engineering or Sciences.  Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance or equivalent is considered given technical experience and capability.  Post-graduate qualification, i.e., MBA or STEM graduate degree in Engineering or Sciences such as Computer Science, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, Chemistry or Physics is preferred.
• Seven (7) years’ experience, with five (5) years or more in venture capital or corporate venture capital.  Energy industry experience, particularly in downstream oil & gas or “clean tech” is highly desirable.  Background in M&A or start-up leadership with a deep understanding of the venture capital investment process will also be considered.  Extensive hands-on investment experience in all life cycle phases including sourcing, executing, value adding, and exiting.  A good record of accomplishment during previous venturing experience. Extensive personal networks within the energy and digital/technology/deep tech venture capital community.  A broad understanding of technical and market trends in the energy and technology sectors.  International experience preferable.
• Experience as a director on investee boards is a plus.
• Must be able to communicate and comprehend accurately, clearly and concisely in English at a level required to perform the job as outlined.
• Must possess good work habits, a strong work ethic, and be able to adhere to company work hours, policies, and standard business etiquette.  Occasional irregular or after-hours work may be required.  Accountable, takes responsibility for actions, makes decisions on best data available and follows through, remains focused on delivering to goals and managing risk.  Ethical and honest, high integrity and trustworthy.

NO THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES ACCEPTED

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