VP, Future Back Ventures

Bain & Company•Boston, MA

57d•Onsite

About The Position

Future Back Ventures (FBV) is a venture fund within Bain & Company focused on investing in early-stage startups founded or led by Bain alumni. FBV was established on the premise that Bain alumni have a high rate of founding successful businesses that outperform their venture cohorts. The fund primarily invests in seed and Series A stage companies, partnering with leading venture firms and providing portfolio companies with access to Bain's expertise, talent, community, introductions, and operating resources. FBV operates as a small, entrepreneurial team within Bain, combining investment judgment with hands-on founder support. The first fund was launched in 2023, followed by a second fund in 2026. Currently, funding is from personal investments by Bain partners and senior leadership. FBV plans to significantly expand its capital and investment activities by launching a third fund with external Limited Partners (LPs), anticipating substantial growth in Assets Under Management (AUM).

Requirements

Deep expertise in early-stage investing, financial structuring, and portfolio construction at the seed/Series A stages.
Track record of finding, negotiating, and closing venture investments, including deal sourcing, deal negotiations, legal and compliance reviews, communications handling, and working team supervision.
Credibility and gravitas to operate at senior executive level internally and externally, including engaging Venture firm managing directors and fund leaders, founders/CEOs of startups, and Bain WW leadership (CIO, CFO, alumni lead, WWMD, etc).
Proactive, confident, and with excellent communication skills; able to quickly build trusting relationships with a wide array of entrepreneurs and investors.
Proven people leadership and cross-functional influence.
Able to deal with highly confidential information.
Leadership role at a venture fund with strong performance track record, potentially supplemented by successful experience leading one or more venture backed startups.
10 yrs leadership experience in venture capital and startups.
2+ years working inside Bain preferred to facilitate access to expertise, networking with experts, and understanding of Bain strategy and RAPIDs. Bain experience is not an absolute requirement.
Bachelors or equivalent undergraduate degree required with strong academic credentials.
Occasional travel for alumni networking, portco meetings, IC meetings when in person, LP or office information sessions etc.

Nice To Haves

Experienced with fundraising for new or follow on funds, especially with the HNW/UHNW segment.
Graduate degree (MBA) preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Define and evolve the multi-year fund architecture, investment strategy, and portfolio construction approach for Future Back Ventures, including current and future funds.
Establish fund structures and portfolio strategy aligned with Bain’s strategic priorities and industry insights.
Deepen relationships with significant current and potential LPs to define FBV's growth path.
Serve as a senior advisor to Bain leadership on venture strategy and innovation ecosystem engagement.
Ensure fund strategy and scaling ambition leverage synergies with firm-wide growth initiatives, innovation agendas, and alumni engagement objectives.
Present fund performance, capital allocation strategy, and portfolio insights to Bain’s senior governance bodies.
Design and execute sourcing strategies to ensure a high volume of quality investment opportunities for the Investment Committee (IC).
Design and continuously refine investment evaluation frameworks and governance standards.
Serve as final decision recommender and IC voting participant for investment approvals.
Lead and close complex investment negotiations, including term sheets and governance rights.
Own capital allocation strategy and pacing.
Ensure engagement and compliance with Bain legal and risk teams and external advisory firms.
Make high-stakes portfolio management decisions (support activities, follow-on, exits, restructurings).
Coordinate internal experts and advisors to provide strategic oversight to portfolio companies, including board or observer level roles.
Cultivate institutional VC, corporate, and LP relationships to enhance knowledge of best practices, ensure access to their insights when co-investing, and build FBV brand externally.
Represent Bain externally as a senior venture leader in conferences and investor forums.
Strengthen Bain’s brand within the global startup ecosystem.
Lead and develop the venture investment team (Principals, Associates, Operations).
Set performance expectations and talent strategy for the team.
Build scalable investment processes and operating cadence, incorporating emerging AI tools to maximize team productivity.
Foster cross-functional collaboration with Bain practices and strategic initiatives.
Architect engagement strategy across Bain’s global alumni entrepreneur network.
Develop a differentiated value proposition for Bain-trained founders.
Align the investment platform with broader alumni strategy.