Works on the Business Development team with a primary focus on advancing and supporting the equity investing and large loan activities ($500K+) of Whole Foods Market, growth and development of the Innovation Partnerships equity warrants activity launched in 2018 and/or other investment and M&A activities of the company. Works with Business Development team members, WFM merchandising / purchasing teams, and WFM and Amazon accounting, tax and legal teams to perform data acquisition, analysis and presentation required to support complex simultaneous investment, warrants and large loan projects.
Responsible for organizing data and conducting analysis to explain and support business decisions in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and prospective third-party suppliers and other business partners of Whole Foods Market. Support data and analysis needs of WFM and Amazon business development and corporate development, accounting, tax and legal teams and collect, organize, analyze and prepare information needed for portfolio company evaluation as well as periodic reporting to WFM leadership.
Responsibilities
- Manage a deal log of food, beverage and body care suppliers, food service, and technology partner investment and warrant prospects, and prepare materials for weekly deal team meetings and other periodic updates.
- Actively participate in relevant business trade shows and other meetings to gain insights and further discussions that enhance deal flow quantity and quality
- Work respectfully and proactively with potential investees, co-investors and partners to collect, organize, analyze and refine company data and to present the information needed to build consensus for Business Development decisions to pursue or not pursue deals
- Gather and analyze data from WFM databases (Microstrategy, Data Cubes, Tableau, PeopleSoft Accounting, etc.) and other sources to evaluate potential investees and partners and conduct risk analysis and model sales prospects at Whole Foods Market
- Coordinate with WFM global and regional merchandising / purchasing teams to learn of new Business Development opportunities and gain insights on deals/categories to aggressively pursue or avoid
- Coordinate financial analysis projects and work with the Business Development team to design deal structures that will produce strong financial returns for WFM
- Maintain standard term sheet and deal document templates and update as needed to create revised templates as agreed by leadership.
- Coordinate term sheet negotiations and seek term sheet approval from appropriate parties, manage internal and external legal advisory as well as signature process and organize resulting documents
- Work with internal and external stakeholders to pursue pre-closing due diligence as necessary to support investment decision and ensure adequate rights, preferences and protections
- Coordinate with Business Development leadership and legal counsel in drafting and negotiating the definitive agreements as needed. Secure definitive agreement approval from appropriate parties, manage signature process and organize resulting documents
- Engage WFM resources where appropriate to provide expertise, direction, or support to achieve agreed upon goals and provide needed expertise to investees and partners. Clearly and quickly communicate issues, concerns, and financial challenges and impact to WFM and provide well-supported recommendations
- Organize information files on portfolio companies and direct the collection, review and analysis of financial data in assessing portfolio company health and warrant vesting and exercise metrics
- Support team members in preparing periodic reporting to WFM Regional and company leadership and Amazon
- Collect and analyze borrower, Innovation Partnership and portfolio company sales performance data as needed to prepare for portfolio board of directors and other meetings and work with internal WFM teams to address upside opportunities, challenges and concerns
- Work with WFM Marketing to create and enhance strategies that benefit WFM as well as equity/loan portfolio and Innovation Partnership companies.
- Support WFM accounting, tax and legal team to collect and organize information on equity and warrant positions
- Serve as a point of contact and advocate for investee and Innovation Partners merchandising questions and problems
Requirements
- Passion for enhancing the strategic position of Whole Foods Market through the structuring of equity-enhanced win-win partnerships with suppliers and other WFM business partners.
- Familiarity with the natural products business sector as well as an inquisitive nature and desire to learn more.
- Bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) and 8+ years related work experience focused on venture capital investment and/or private placement investment banking, ideally including experience with CPG, food & beverage deals in the natural and organic products industry.
- Understanding of the fundamental concepts of venture capital deal structures, terms and conditions including an understanding of the various elements of the venture capital term sheet and investment deal documents.
- Ability to review, interpret, understand and analyze company financial statements and capitalization tables
- Understanding of financial and cost accounting practices and terminology and the basics of the United States capital markets.
- Ability to build, maintain and review complex financial projection and cap table models and run scenario and ROI analyses
- Ability to develop and deliver executive level proposals, presentations and summaries
- Ability to collaboratively work with regional and global merchandising to address merchandising challenges faced by portfolio companies and pursue mutually beneficial resolution.
- Strong analytical skills, follow-through, attention to detail and an ability to multi-task to bring multiple simultaneous complex projects to completion in a timely fashion despite considerable uncertainty.
- Strong command of Microsoft Excel (including pivot tables), Word and PowerPoint and mastery or ability to quickly learn WFM applications and data mining tools including Microstrategy, Tableau, WFM Data Cubes and Peoplesoft.
- Excellent communication skills, written and oral, a good listener, and an instinctive collaborator.
- Knowledge of and appreciation for WFM policies, procedures, core values and Leadership Principles and the ability to effectively represent the interests of the company
If interested, please apply here.
