Consider a Career With America – Join the SBA’s Office of Investment & Innovation Team!
Founded in 1953, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent federal agency chartered to foster and advance the entrepreneurial spirit in the United States of America through a wide variety of advocacy, financial, contracting and technical assistance programs. One of the most successful of these programs is the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program. Launched in 1958, the SBIC program created the foundation of the modern venture capital industry and fostered the success of such notable companies as Apple, Federal Express, Intel, Staples and Tesla. To date, the SBIC program has invested over $160B in nearly 200k American small businesses.
SBICs are privately owned, privately managed investment firms licensed by SBA and eligible to thereby access low-interest, government guaranteed financial leverage of their own capital to invest in high-growth domestic small businesses. SBICs themselves range from large, publicly-traded corporations to small, locally-focused investment firms and pursue an equally wide range of investment strategies. Venture capital funds, private equity/buyout funds, private credit funds and a variety of other investment vehicles collectively provide the nation’s entrepreneurs with a full suite of customized financial solutions as well as significant strategic and operational advice, often serving on portfolio company boards.
The Licensing Division is responsible for the evaluation and approval of all new SBICs. As an Investment Officer in our office, you will be responsible for a full range of analytical functions related to the evaluation of SBIC license candidates, including:
- Evaluation of fund investment strategies and the professional qualifications of their managers;
- Analysis and benchmarking of the performance of investment track records;
- Review and validation of portfolio investment valuations;
- Financial analysis of investment company operations;
- Performing reference checks and electronic due diligence on applicant managers;
- Review of fund legal and organizational documents for compliance with SBIC program regulations;
- Performance of on-site reviews of applicant investment firms;
- Preparation of comprehensive investment memos and business correspondence with fund managers;
- Ongoing management of professional customer service relationships with program participants and partners;
- Supporting SBIC program outreach and marketing efforts.
Our investment officers present their recommendations to senior executive management at SBA and interact routinely with senior officials in both the private sector and within other government agencies. It is a position that requires significant autonomy, self-direction and maturity; incumbents are rewarded with a high-degree of influence on outcomes, highly transportable private finance experience, and the ability to make a significant impact upon the small business community – the critical engine of growth for the entire U.S. economy. We work as a closely-integrated team, however, and you can expect significant support and encouragement from your colleagues as you perform your duties.
Other benefits of the position include excellent health insurance and retirement plan options; liberal vacation time/days off; paid sick leave; flexible work schedules; subsidized public-transportation; and potential forgiveness of federal student loans after 10 years service. Entry level for this position is the GS-9 level of federal service (although candidates with greater experience can enter at higher grades), with potential advancement to the GS-13 level in as little as 3 years.
The ideal candidate will have an MBA degree or an undergraduate degree in business/finance with at least 1 year of professional experience in a related field.
The position is located in SBA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
More information regarding the SBIC program may be found here: SBIC Program Overview | U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)
Federal Pay Scale may be referenced here: SALARY TABLE 2024-DCB (opm.gov)