Investment Lead

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Job Overview:

The IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing, cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. We work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization. Innovative Finance at IRC is piloting new ways of working between humanitarians and the development and private sectors. The team is currently managing and developing transaction-level partnerships between humanitarians and investors. This is a cutting-edge approach to blended finance, with the goal of driving more investment and funding to the communities on the frontline of conflict and climate change. Current projects include advising on large scale water and energy infrastructure for refugee communities, advising on a commercial startup accelerator to support refuge-led businesses in the Mashreq region, and partnering with a ClimateTech startup to deliver sustainable drinking water procurement to IRC health clinic facilities.

The Investment Lead will be integral to the practice’s growth and development. This position will drive forward current innovative finance investor-humanitarian partnerships, manage project performance, and grow our pipeline through robust prospecting and fundraising. This position requires a range of finance and investment management experience, as well as technical writing and stakeholder management skills. A successful candidate will be able to engage in the technical details of investment, speak to investors with a high level of industry fluency, develop strategic pitches, and manage the day-to-day of project activities.

Major Responsibilities

Build and manage a portfolio of investment advisory model projects

• Lead operations for a pipeline of advisory model projects by coordinating directly with external investor partners to progress current projects.

• Develop and refine investment performance, impact, and risk monitoring plans including quantitative and qualitative analysis of investment projects.

• Lead communication with donors, philanthropists, and other NGO partners to meet implementation goals; present project findings externally to drive progress across sectors.

• Create technical decks, briefs, and other innovative finance materials to ensure internal and external partners are regularly briefed on progress, strengthen buy-in and accountability, and to support innovative finance external engagement.

• Continuously review the market for new financial models, including grants, blended revenue models, fees, and less orthodox models.

Oversee prospecting and outreach to new investors

• Win new business and expand the pipeline of investment project opportunities through engagement of financial services network and investment pitch skills

• Work closely with IRC business development teams to socialize achievements of innovative finance and solicit new donor and philanthropist support for the practice.

• Prepare annual reports and documents according to contract requirements and coordinate response to donor, investor, and private philanthropist inquiries.

Support Airbel Senior Leadership engagement on Innovative Finance

• Support management of Leadership Board debt swap working group including preparing technical presentations and organizing follow up.

• Support management of Airbel Advisory Board Innovative Finance working group, including leading technical research, designing new strategic approaches, and developing pilot outlines.

Oversee and grow external advisors and investor partnerships

• Lead technical conversations and decision making with innovative finance advisors.

• Convene and lead meetings with investment project partners to develop strategy.

• Collect data on lessons learned and develop analyses for decision making, reporting, and pipeline development.

• Grow external advisor network.

• Manage internal systems to collect information and track deliverables across investment pipeline projects to increase buy-in for work internally and across sectors.

• Coordinate external investor partnerships to ensure projects progress in accordance with investor and donor contractual requirements.

Guide staff and interdepartmental collaboration

• Guide the technical research and financial modeling of the Innovative Finance analyst.

• Lead coordination with IRC country program staff implementing innovative finance humanitarian-investor partnerships on the ground.

Job Requirements:

• Master’s degree in relevant field or equivalent professional experience.

• 6-8 years of professional experience in financial services, investor relations, or related field.

● Solid understanding of venture capital, private equity, development finance, investor relations, and relevant financial services, ideally with a background in frontier markets and regions.

● Excellent ability to write about financial markets, economics and investment projections.

● Outstanding network in two or more of the following fields: venture capital, private equity, management consulting, development finance, public sector donors.

● Strong leadership and stakeholder management competencies including the ability to bring people along with a stated vision, and capacity to communicate effectively with leadership.

● Demonstrated experience in articulating funding needs and cultivating a portfolio of fundraising opportunities from concept through execution, and ongoing donor/partner stewardship.

● Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with a variety of people in a multicultural environment and work on a virtual team.

● Commitment to humanitarian principles and IRC’s values, including a demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Preferred Requirements:

• Knowledge of government donor commercial contracts (PRM, DG ECHO) and compliance.

• Excellent digital literacy and ability to develop and understand financial models in Excel.

• Professional fluency in French is preferred, Arabic a plus.

Compensation:

Posted pay ranges apply to US and UK-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

US Benefits:

The IRC offers a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. All US employees are eligible for sick time, a 403b retirement savings plans: up to 4.5% immediately vested matching contribution, plus an 3-7% additional IRC contribution, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support in times of crisis and mental health struggles.

In addition, full-time employees are eligible for 10 US paid holidays, 20-25 paid time off days, disability & life insurance, medical, dental, and vision insurance (employee contribution starting at $135, $7, and $5 per month respectively) and FSA for healthcare, childcare, and commuter costs. Part-time employees are eligible for a proportionate amount of paid time off. These additional benefits apply to employees who work at least 6 months within a 12 month time period.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.