Lightbox favors ‘Invest and Build' business models. We acquire significant minority equity stakes and support entrepreneurs in building great businesses by leveraging guidance and networks. Deals are largely focused on the consumer sector. We are interested in companies which have been steered by strong entrepreneurs/founders, and the businesses are at the scale where now they require a more process oriented approach to building, for example, professional management, systems and financial capital to achieve a step change in business growth.

We're hiring for the following positions. Send your resume to talent@lightbox.vc

1. Associate – Portfolio Value Creation

About the Role

Support the Portfolio Value Creation Partner in developing and implementing strategic plans for the assigned portfolio organization/s with the goal of building admired businesses and maximizing return on investment. More specifically, the incumbent’s role will be to work with the portfolio companies/ senior management in implementing program of operational excellence. The individual must have an ability to develop a deep relationships and be able to influence stakeholders in the portfolio companies. This trust and respect will be built on the incumbent’s ability to think clearly and provide support in execution on strategies.

Key Responsibilities

A. Deal Management and Exits

• Assist in managing transition during investing.
• Build relationships with multiple stakeholders (entrepreneur/founder, key customers, vendors, lenders, regulators, debt providers, other funds for capital raise).
• Assist in evaluating changes in key players in management teams as needed.
• Assist in attracting top quality talent.
• Develop performance measurement indicators and financial modeling to determine the effectiveness, outcomes, risk, scalability and measurable impact of the investment.
• Undertake special projects in consultation with the Partner and as required by the organization across the investment lifecycle, aimed at business rejuvenation and maximizing return on investment made.
• Help the new team succeed.
• Influence management on key strategic issues and major organizational changes and execution of strategy.
• Help plug in appropriate systems and processes.
• Gradually work on reconfiguring the culture and leave a stamp of the ‘Lightbox–way’.
• Create networks to build relationships with industry ecosystem.
• Assist in exit process.
• Help the company in the capital raise as and when required, working closely with the capital team

B. Firm (Lightbox) Development

• Actively participate in firm initiatives.
• Be involved in all aspects of the strategy and operation cycle from pitching/business planning to roll out/tracking of business performance of the portfolio company.
• Assist the Partner in drawing up the appraisal of the business and identifying the areas of opportunity and deficiency for the company in relation to the investment objectives / thesis.
• Assist in defining the engagement model and the principal areas of engagement. Assess the strategic capabilities of the organizations and their teams. Initiate and implement specific engagements / projects with respect to improving efficiency and productivity will be initiated and implemented. Sharing relevant global industry best practices with the portfolio organization is also a requirement.
• The incumbent faces an immediate challenge of gaining acceptance and building credibility with the founder / senior management of the portfolio companies so as to effectively influence their operations. S/he is expected to display maturity; flexibility and a keen mind to enable Lightbox achieve its investment objectives. As an outsider, s/he has to win the trust of the portfolio companies, for them to be transparent and accept him/her as an expert and well-wisher.
• The incumbent needs to be informed and knowledgeable about specific company markets and environment and be able to provide general management advice as well as specific functional assistance when required.

Critical Competencies

A. Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurial drive, determination and energy to contribute, a commitment to the highest quality standards
• Ability to create solutions in face of obstacles.
• Strong project management skills.
• Ability to plan and coordinate multi-functional projects.

B. Leadership

• High impact and influence: Ability to influence the business to take key objective decisions and interact credibly with the senior Leadership and gain the confidence and trust at all levels of the organization.
• Strong achievement orientation and self motivation; ability to take ownership and deliver.

C. Values Charter

• Transparency
• Firm before self
• Demanding of self and others
• Openness
• Relentless pursuit of excellence

D. Relationships

• Strong relationship management and people skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills along with a results-oriented approach.
• Possess executive presence; ability to confidently interact with senior management of the portfolio company.

Qualifications and Experience

• MBA with 4-5 years experience.
• The individual must be comfortable working in non-structured places; should have the ability to make sense out of chaos.
• Should be a self-starter.
• Should have risk appetite. Individuals who have a passion to start something on their own.
• Good people skills.
• Should have created a difference in the roles that he/she played in the past.

2. Senior Associate, Legal

Duration: 2 years

About the Role

Senior Associate, Legal, shall be a part of the Finance and Legal team at Lightbox. We are looking for an enthusiastic professional to support the legal, compliance and governance functions at Lightbox. Legal and finance functions form the building blocks of good companies and an early emphasis on this helps foster a strong culture of governance, ethics and corporate responsibility. If you are energetic, solution oriented and passionate about the role of corporate governance in building startups and participating in the growth stories of young and agile companies, do read on for what this role entails.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of Indian laws, regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to interpret complex legal issues and provide practical solutions.
• Strong drafting skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently but focus on being a team player.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• People skills and the ability to stay flexible and yet be effective in achieving the firm’s goals.
• Willing to contribute to various firm level initiatives.
• Positive and passionate approach to work.

Qualifications

LLB and CS with 5 to 7 years of experience in the PE-VC sector.

Key Work Streams

A. Contribution towards the Fund’s Investment and Divestment Cycles

• Participation in making primary, follow-on and secondary investments across portfolio companies till their exit.
• Due diligences, deal structuring, regulatory advice, deal documentation, negotiations and post-transaction support.
• Participation in advising startups during their investment lifecycle in relation to commencement of business, regulatory approvals liaison and networking.
• Drafting, vetting, reviewing key transaction documents such as: Term sheets, Share Subscription Agreements, Share Holder Agreements, Share Purchase Agreements, Promoter Employment Agreements, Non-disclosure Agreements, any documentation related to investment and divestment transactions and all secretarial documents.
• Understanding and reviewing cap tables and key commercial terms associated with PE-VC transactions.
• ESOP Plans, SAR Plans, Founder incentive plans, Employment agreements and any other investment and divestment related transaction documents.

B. Advisory and Commercial Contracts

• Corporate and Commercial Advisory for startups and growth companies including various regulatory matters related to corporate & commercial laws.
• FEMA and FDI compliance requirements and structuring.
• Assessment and validation of sectoral regulations and their applicability business models.
• Contract drafting for commercial transactions such as service agreements, vendor contracts, sourcing agreements, supply agreements, non-disclosure agreements, business partner, business collaboration, consultancy agreements, technology transfer and licensing transactions.

C. Mergers & Acquisitions

• Advise on strategizing and structuring a range of domestic and cross border acquisitions and foreign investments in India including joint venture formation, business restructuring slump sale transactions and acquisition of entities, provided guidance on regulatory approvals, exchange control, disclosures, compliances, and corporate governance issues.

D. Governance Initiatives

• An opportunity to build and enhance the governance frameworks at Portfolio companies acting as a the “Compliance and Governance Ambassador” and building a foundation for strong governance systems
• Review and compliance of all Shareholder Agreement covenants, review of Board materials, legal agreements and documents submitted for board approvals, affirmative approval matters, Shareholder Consent paperwork.
• Working on and participating in key Governance Strengthening initiatives at portfolio companies.

E. ESG and Impact

• An opportunity to contribute towards ESG and impact initiatives/ESG and governance reporting evolution.

3. Analyst, Fund and Business Operations

About the Role

Support the Portfolio Value Creation Team and the Investment Team in managing all the data related aspects of each business with the goal of ensuring the team is able to make the best decisions backed by robust and accurate data.

Key responsibilities

Data Management

A. Data Quality and Integrity

• Ensure that data is accurate, consistent, and reliable throughout its lifecycle, which is critical for making valid and trustworthy decisions.
• Cleanse data and scrutinize computer-generated reports and outputs to identify and rectify coding errors.

B. Collecting Data from Various Sources

• Gather data from various sources, including databases, APIs, and third-party sources and ensure the upkeep of databases and data systems.

C. Developing and Supporting Reporting Processes

• Create and maintain processes to generate accurate and timely reports that help stakeholders understand and act on key data insights.
• Identify opportunities for process enhancements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on various tasks to specify data requirements for analysis projects tailored to their unique business processes.

D. Interpret and Apply Data

• Build and analyze business plans submitted by portfolio companies as well as potential investees to identify anomalies in assumptions.
• Conduct in-depth data analyses of company performance on a monthly and quarterly data using statistical methods and tools to uncover patterns, correlations, and insights.
• Benchmark performance against forecast as well to identify similar trends.
• Project likely exit scenarios for each company based on projections and performance of comparables in the public and private space.
• Provide an evaluation of impact of different funding scenarios on outcome for fund and key stakeholders at each portfolio company.

E. Maintain Data

• Manage Captables, liquidation preference stacks.

Qualification & Experience

• CA with 2-3 years of experience
• The individual must be comfortable working in non-structured environments; should have the ability to make sense out of chaos.
• Should be a self-starter.
• Good people skills.
• Should be great with numbers and an excel ninja.
• Should be able to understand diverse business models.
• Fantastic attention to detail and loads of patience