Location: Central London / Anywhere in the UK (we are currently working from home and support remote working)

Duration: 2-year fixed term contract

Accountable to: Chief Executive Officer

Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Institute

More and more people want to use their capital in a way that benefits society and the environment as well as generating a financial return. At the same time, there remain entrenched social challenges in the UK and around the world. The Impact Investing Institute is an independent, non-profit organisation which aims to make capital to work better for people.

We have a wide, global network across financial services, social enterprises, businesses, government and regulators. In partnership with our dedicated volunteers, we work to get the message out and bring people together through information sharing, events, guidance, research, and specific partnerships and projects - all dedicated to addressing the barriers that prevent more money from having a positive impact on people and planet.

More information on the Institute can be found on the website: www.impactinvest.org.uk 

The Institute offers a flexible working environment and excellent benefits. This includes a pension with a 10% contribution and 30 days annual leave. A higher starting salary may be available for an exceptional candidate.

The role

In this new role as Executive Director you will work closely with the CEO to deliver on her priorities. This is a key leadership role within the Institute and you will support the entire work programme, in particular incubating new thematic areas, projects and opportunities as they arise. There will be significant hand-off of work from the CEO, which you will be responsible for taking forward to completion, and on occasion you will be required to deputise for the CEO. You can expect each day to be different and to be involved in a wide range of work, including representing the Institute at events and in the media.

As we continue to develop further projects and partnerships, a key responsibility will be to scope out realistic project plans and build effective partnerships, internally and externally, in order to achieve our objectives.  You will be responsible for taking project ideas and initiation forward to delivery.

Examples of our current work include:

• A proposal for a ‘green+’ sovereign bond that would scale up the UK’s drive to a net-zero carbon economy with well-defined social and economic benefits. With partner organisations and significant backing from the financial services, we are engaging with the UK government during its green gilt design process, and also developing the proposal for international audiences.

• A campaign with the pensions industry to improve awareness of and competence in impact investing;

• The development of educational materials on impact investing for investment professionals, and engagement with key industry bodies to develop new professional training and qualifications;

• A research and engagement programme on mobilising more investment for place-based impact; and

• Policy and advocacy work on impact investing in key regulatory forums in the UK and internationally, including a key focus on impact reporting.

This role offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of impact investing, through exposure to a wide range of work and stakeholders, and the ability to influence and move forward the agenda in the UK and overseas.

To be successful you will need to be a self-starter who is confident working independently and has a focus on delivery. You will need to build strong and effective relationships with the CEO and Executive Team quickly. You must be credible and have experience working in impact investing or a related sector, possess excellent stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, and be able to represent the Institute in your day-to-day interactions.  

You will be expected to be comfortable speaking in public and chairing meetings, sometimes deputising for the CEO. Strong influencing skills are essential. Collaboration with stakeholders in the financial services, business, government, social sector and academia will also be a key element of this role. 

The Executive Director will report to the CEO and be part of the Executive Team, alongside the Policy Director and the Operations Manager. You will be a key member of the Institute’s small staff, contributing to a productive, energetic and happy team. You need to be committed to the belief that finance can be a force for positive change in society.

Key responsibilities:

As Executive Director you will work directly with the CEO and Policy Director to support the management of the Institute, the delivery of the work programme and the incubation of new projects and streams of work. You will:

• Contribute to, develop and implement strategic plans and decisions made by the Chief Executive Officer, Executive Team and Board of the Institute;

• Incubate and develop new areas of work. Build effective partnerships within the Institute and with Lead Experts (who are senior industry professionals with specific areas of expertise), and external stakeholders;

• Undertake specific projects as directed by the CEO.  This will include their scoping, development and execution;

• Enhance the programme and project management approach across the Institute, working with the Executive Team to ensure the work programme and reporting on it is aligned;

• Build and maintain a wide network of people and organisations engaged in the Institute’s work who can help it make progress against its objectives, and find ways to harness their support in delivering projects and amplifying our work;

• Actively engage with funders to ensure that the Institute’s programme is represented and maximum leverage is obtained, working closely with the Policy Director, Communications and Engagement manager and Public Affairs manager;

• Provide advice and recommendations to the CEO on strategic matters. This could include the implications of major decisions, team resourcing and performance, and planning for the future;

• Represent and promote the interests of the Institute externally in the public sector, as well as the social and financial services sectors; and

• Carry out other duties within the scope of the role, as directed by the CEO.

Person profile

Essential experience

• Experience working in finance and / or impact investing or sustainable finance.

• Significant leadership and management experience or experience working with a senior leader in a Chief of Staff or similar role.

• A proven track record of leading and managing multiple projects to successful outcomes.

• Programme management, from design through to delivery – including the management and allocation of resources, tracking, and reporting and evaluation.

• Stakeholder management – engaging and working with a wide range of people from a variety of sectors.

• Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills with senior-level officials, partners and influencers across private and public sectors.

Desirable experience

• Knowledge of key regulatory and policy issues around Impact Investing.

Skills, abilities & attributes

• Committed to the belief that finance can be a force for positive change in society.

• Able to be both strategic and detail-oriented.

• Pragmatic delivery focus - ability to troubleshoot and solve problems.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Self-starter, happy to take initiative and able to multi-task.

• Confident working with people of different backgrounds and levels of seniority and embracing of diversity.

• Strong leader - focused on building and supporting the team, seeking input from colleagues and celebrating successes as a group.

• Strong digital skills, including Microsoft Office 365 suite and MS Outlook.

Impact Investing Institute’s values

We look for colleagues who are committed to our values:

• Inclusiveness – the Institute is a welcoming place for practitioners, the public, volunteers and employees, which recognises and involves the voices of all involved in impact investment. It aims to have a diverse staff, Board and Advisory Council. It supports flexible working practices and, wherever possible, contracts for services from social enterprises.

• Independence – the Institute pursues an independent path in all its work, focusing on what is most useful to advance impact investing nationally and internationally, without regard to any one sector in the market. All the Institute’s output is available to other practitioners and the public.

• Integrity – the Institute’s staff, volunteers, Board and Advisory Council conduct their work and professional relationships with integrity, kindness and respect.

Information to candidates and how to apply:

All applications must be submitted via BeApplied. We are committed to equal opportunities and so will not be looking at your CV or cover letter in the first stage of the application process. Instead, we ask four questions that are designed to test applicants on their suitability for the role as outlined in the job description, to which you will have the opportunity to provide four long answers. These form a fundamental part of our candidate screening so please do take time to answer all questions fully. All responses are viewed anonymously and at random.

Please note:

• Since the Impact Investing Institute does not have a visa sponsor licence, applications from people who do not have the right to work in the UK and/or require visa sponsorship in order to continue working here cannot be considered.

• Every role at the Impact Investing Institute is open to applicants from all sections of society. The Impact Investing Institute is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

If you are offered the role we will require you to provide:

• Proof of your right to work in the UK

• Two referees, one of whom is a previous line manager

• Details for pre-employment checks, including proof of ID and proof of address

Timeline

Application Deadline: 17 January 2021

Interview 1: w/c 25 January 2021

Interview 2: w/c 1 February 2021

Start date: As soon as possible